For the third consecutive year, APSCF organized on December 5th the 2018 Gala of Inclusive Education and the awarding ceremony for Alexandra Grajdian Trophy for COURAGE and INNOVATION in promoting inclusive education.
The trophy is an initiative of APSCF member organizations in the memory of Alexandra Grajdian. Until she became a promoter and one of the first founders of the NGO movement in Criuleni district, Ms. Alexandra Grajdian carried out an extensive pedagogical activity promoting rights, ensuring access and participation opportunities for disadvantaged people – children and young people with disabilities and people old age. The mission that she has followed with much verticalism has been to promote a new mentality in society, to create an environment of acceptance, tolerant attitude and active involvement in the lives of people in need of support.
The selection process for the trophy lasted a month, during which the evaluation committee analyzed 42 nominations from 19 districts. The selection criteria were the following: courage and innovation in promoting inclusive education, accessibility of the institution from all perspectives, leadership in the implementation of inclusive education, advocacy / advocacy for inclusive education, cooperation and partnerships with parents, community, local public administration, NGOs, etc., pro-actively promoting their own experiences by disseminating good practices in inclusive education.
This year, the trophy was awarded to the Alexandru Donici Primary School in Cahul, which started the implementation of inclusive education as early as 2000, when the first child with special needs was integrated. The institution is a school for all children, where the management team together with the teachers and parents team looked for opportunities to develop inclusive education and started working with civil society organizations in the country and abroad to endow the resource center, teaching teachers and supporting support teachers. All these years, the school has demonstrated a truly inclusive culture that is reflected in the individualized attitude and approach of each child and every parent who comes to the institution.
The Ministry of Education, Culture and Research, in partnership with APSCF, granted 6 special mentions for the promotion of inclusive education: “Petre Ştefănucă” High School, Ialoveni district – for the promotion of inclusive education at the national level, Primary School no. 21 “Spiridon Vangheli”, Balti municipality – for innovation in organizing the activity of the Resource Center for Inclusive Education, “Mihai Eminescu” High School, Căuşeni – for activism in strengthening the community partnership and promoting inclusive education, Hîjdieni Gymnasium, Hjjenieni village, Glodeni district – for the proactive promotion of their own experiences in the field of inclusive education, inclusive “Stories” Kindergarten, Nisporeni – for leadership in the implementation of inclusive education, “Ştefan Holban” Theoretical High School, Carpineni village, Hincesti rayon – for cooperation and partnerships in creating the optimal conditions for inclusive education.