Last week, a group of 10-year-old students from class III B at “Ion Olteanu” Primary School in Chitila, coordinated by Brîndușa Scarlat — a teacher from the 11th generation of Teach for Romania educators — participated in a guided tour through the exhibition spaces set up in the former Cina restaurant building. The visit was part of an educational initiative supported by UniCredit Bank and offered the children a captivating experience in the world of Romanian Design Week.
The students had the opportunity to explore a variety of exhibitions created in partnership with creative organizations from across the country, including Sustainable Bucharest (Bucharest Architecture Annual and OAR Bucharest), 10 Years of Beta (Timișoara Architecture Biennale), ABCDG (Local Design Circle), The New Middle Ages (Transylvanian Design Week), Purposeful Form (Dacia Design Studio), and Balance. Eliza Yokina X La Centrala (Art in Context Association, Slănic-Moldova).
Joining them were six Romanian brands — ASKIA, Meze Audio, Optimef, Lunet, MINDTHEGAP, and Atelier Kairos — who showcased their product and industrial design collections in a dedicated format, offering the children an authentic glimpse into today’s creative world.
For many of the students, it was their first direct interaction with concepts of design, architecture, and artistic creation. With wide eyes and cameras at the ready, the children discovered shapes, materials, colors, and ideas that sparked their imagination. Some asked thoughtful and curious questions, sharing their dreams of becoming architects, photographers, or designers.
The visit was organized with the support of Teach for Romania, an organization that for the past 11 years has provided children from vulnerable communities with unrestricted access to quality education through transformational teachers. In the 2024–2025 school year, over 200 educators are part of the Teach for Romania program, teaching in 155 schools across 29 counties, reaching more than 30,000 children.
The visit was a memorable experience for both the children and their hosts, serving as a bridge between formal education and the creative world of Romanian design. Initiatives like this help nurture children’s imagination and aspirations, showing how essential access to culture is — starting from the earliest ages.
