“It runs frequently the slogan: Art humanizes technology.
Indeed, we cannot deny that technology wins sometimes with the help of art.
But technology has its own artistic resources, as a result of humanity invested in it.
Technology enhances art’s capacities. How could we ignore the renewal brought into music by the electronic revolution? Or the gain achieved by painting through technology’s progress of color processing?
Technology and art are sisters, and a teacher of technological education like the one who is now awarded, knows very well this thing.”
Academician, Solomon Marcus
“Bolohan Romeo is a permanent professor of Technological education at Technological High school “Mihai Eminescu” Dumbrăveni, Suceava County, Romania, with a 15 years history in teaching and a voluntary activity with and for children about 10 years old.
From birth till 26 years he lived in the institutions of child’s protection from Suceava County (https://romeobolohan.com/footage-childhood-un-filmulet-din-copilarie/ ), and the hard experience that he lived, training courses and volunteer activities brought him many achievements in his professional life.
So, as a teacher and member in organizations „Save the Children”, PROTIN, ANCIFAR and EUROACTIV Suceava he periodically conducted support actions of childrenfrom institutions from Suceava County and he initiated the series of high school and faculty graduates, being the first young person from Suceava institutions and a pioneer regarding the faculty’s graduates. The fact that he also graduated the Faculty of Special Psycho pedagogy and Social Assistance proves his interest regarding the children with special educational needs, with no discrimination.
“My efforts for supporting disadvantaged pupils are an example of innovation and change in educational field.”
In 2003, he attended the Parliament Palace, as the founder of National Association of Institutionalized Children and of those who were assisted from Romania (ANCIFAR-Romania) as unique representative of young people and children from Suceava County. Through the meetings, some proposals of laws were initiated and there were developed programs to promote the rights to education and social protection for disadvantaged children from Romania, especially for children with special needs and young people from the Foster Care Centers or orphanages.
Later, he founded PROTIN and EUROACTIV Associations Suceava – associations for helping children and talented young people from the system of protecting the child in difficulty, for integration of children from Foster Care Centers from County in the educational system and continuing their education in schools.
In 2002, he elaborated and coordinated a project of school dropout prevention, „Let’s learn together”, funded by Margareta Princess of Romania Foundation that took place in 2 schools and 2 Foster Care Centers from Suceava County project that had an approximate number of 400 beneficiaries.
Besides these, he founded several clubs inside school: in 2010, he founded„Origami”Club (https://romeobolohan.com/project-origami-club-education-and-counseling-through-art-example-proiect-club-origami-educatie-si-consiliere-prin-arta-exemplului/ ) with the aim to develop pupils’ skills and practical and aesthetic senses. Through this club, he initiated the project “Education and Counseling through the Art Example” for a number of 40-50 children, some of them being from the category in difficulty. Following these activities, the group of pupils from the club has won several awards: at National Contest “Origami – Mirage of paper” they obtained First Place, at National Contest “A different Science & Technique” First and Second Places. Another purpose of the club was to raise funds for organizing some trips for all the 50 members, during the holidays.
In September 2012, he founded CIVITAN 14 Club (https://romeobolohan.com/the-civitan-club-14-proiectul-club-civitan-14/ ), from which were part of it a number of 15 active members who were motivated to implement a project for children with learning problems: „The way to a peaceful holiday”. So, 35 pupils from the V and VI grades became the project beneficiaries, taking courses of education remedial with the help of the groups of civitan leaders. In April 2013, half of the beneficiaries had already better results in comparison to the first semester, in the last school year. This project became a priority for school administration due to its exceptional results.
In April 2013, he initiated the contest-project “Sandwich – Show in European context – Prepare and eat healthy!” for pupils from V grades (https://romeobolohan.com/sandwich-project-show-proiect-sanwich-show/ ) in order to acquire some life skills regarding the ways of preparing food dishes as well as knowing food traditions, the character and culinary specifics of different European nations, through creating a high degree of responsibility and participation to social life. Every year this contest has a big success among pupils. In November 2015 he initiated the contest-project „Selfie Pizza” for pupils from the VI grades (https://romeobolohan.com/project-self-pizza-proiect-selfie-pizza/ ) in order to acquire some life skills regarding the ways of preparing food dishes as well as knowing food traditions. Another aim of this project is to determine the pupils to make their own pizza dough, to approximate amounts, to estimate the costs of products and even to sell the final products in the most ingenious ways. In the last few years, he monitored over 200 pupils from Dumbrăveni and their parents in precarious situations to benefit from a computer, through the social program „Euro 200”.
Since January 2013 he registered the school from Dumbrăveni in the Campaign„Europe, our home” founding the Club „Europe, Dumbrăveni – Europe, our home”(https://romeobolohan.com/the-europe-our-home-campania-europa-casa-noastra/) with 40 pupils which he trained in different information campaigns for children, but at the same time, he also tries to make them responsible in actions through which he develops the ability to work together. As a result of these campaigns, Mr. Bolohan received the title of AMBASSADOR of the campaign „Europe, our home!” and he attended, in November 2013, September 2014 and in December 2015 to several seminars in the European Commission from Brussels, Belgium.
He performed counseling activities with pupils through whom he wanted to cultivate the responsibility towards oneself and towards others, increasing the capacity of making decisions, maintaining a balance in periods of success or failure, increasing the resistance to temporary marginalization and to critics, knowing personal qualities and weaknesses.
For 20 years he initiated and coordinated many trips and thematic camps, including on the theme of child’s rights, both with pupils from Dumbrăveni but also with children from Foster Care Centers from Suceava.
After the National Contest „Anniversary cake Disneyland Paris” since year 2012 (https://romeobolohan.com/pictures-from-the-past-imagini-din-trecut/ ) pupils of the V-B grade Dumbrăveni, whose leader he was, won the big prize of the contest: a magic trip, with the entire class of 30 pupils and 6 supervisors, at Disneyland Paris. So, they realized the most beautiful anniversary cake in the contest and they promoted it the best. Contest unfolded by TVR and Perfect Tour(https://romeobolohan.com/video-all-about-me-video-totul-despre-mine/ ).
He conducted various practical activities educational and attractive, stimulating creativity and pupils’ skills and he published different didactic auxiliaries for pupils.
As a referent at Center for Disabled Child – Suceava for 3 years, he contributed and developed projects for disabled children, came up with new working methods for disabled children, but also for institutionalized children.
In direct work with pupils with CES he obtained remarkable progresses because he applied personal intervention plans and Curricula adapted to their needs. So, a number of 20 pupils from Dumbrăveni have benefited of this treatment, in order to be integrated in mass education.
As Vice president of EUROACTIV Association Suceava he successfully coordinated the volunteer programs, was part of them and he was actively involved in the project„Empowering Roma Communities in influencing and monitoring the local agenda in Romania”.
Since 2003 till present he coordinated 10 groups of pupils at Olympics of Technological Education (https://romeobolohan.com/performantele-mele/ ) from school stage till the national stage, forming them the necessary practical and theoretical skills. So, about 20 pupils trained by this professor achieved over time remarkable results at local, county and national stage.
As a teacher, he integrated the children with special needs, children from numerous families and children from placement, in different projects and educational activities.
Since 1995 and until 2007 he trained and coordinated children teams fromDumbrăveni and from the entire Suceava County, including from Foster Care Centers, at the contest „We also have rights” where he won Places V, IV, III, II and 3 times First place at National Stage as well as many other awards. So, as member in the Executive Committee of „Save the Children” Organizations and coordinator of the program „Days of Child’s Rights” – Suceava for 10 years, but also, as a teacher at Dumbrăveni, he attracted as volunteers the children from Suceava schools and fromFoster Care Centers in numerous actions of promoting and monitories child’s rights, through street campaigns, by supporting the children from the streets.
In numerous schools from Suceava, Rădăuţi and Gura-Humorului, he spread for years the ideas and principles of ONU Convention regarding Child’s Rights in different ways (Seminar “Child’s rights – between principles and reality”, “Let’s make ONU Convention a reality – child’s rights to nondiscrimination”, other presentations and training courses) training groups of pupils for all stages of the contest „We also have rights”. In the programs and contests of child’s rights there were included children from Foster Care Centers. After all these activities, thousands of children felt a new change regarding the principles of Child’s Rights Convention.
In the approximately 25 years of activity, he managed to generate a positive change of a number of 60 children from CPCH (Center for Disabled Children) – Suceava (30 of them are already integrated in society, even today keeping in touch with them), another number of approximately 180 institutionalized and post institutionalized young people have graduated different forms of education, and of them, most are already employed. About 80 of them are the beneficiaries of the projects initiated through different NGOs at which Mr. Bolohan is member. Another category of children from Dumbrăveni High school, active in projects initiated by him, (over 200 reffered) followed various education forms (the coordinator of Origami club and other 20 members of Origami club are already taking courses of some technical high schools from Suceava, another Olympic pupil with second prize at national stage, has graduated the Art High school from Suceava and now she is a student at the Faculty of Architecture, and many other situations) or they found jobs even in technical domains. Some other pupils, from older generations, are now accomplished, working in the country or abroad and he still keeps in touch with them. Some of the pupils and many of my younger colleagues are today students, teachers, engineers, and foremen, consultants in companies, social workers or qualified workers in country and abroad.
Since 2008 he successfully coordinates the international program „Echo School” (https://romeobolohan.com/international-project-eco-school-proiect-international-eco-scoala/ ), and in 2013 he coordinated European programs: mobility and strategic partnership, through the new program ERASMUS+.
In November 2008 he was awarded with the Excellence Diploma granted by the Ministry of Education from Romania for the record achieved in education field and the excellence position that he has in the Olympics Gallery of Romanian School.
In December 2012 he was supported by the Suceava County School Inspectorate and by the Leadership of Technological High school „Mihai Eminescu” Dumbrăveni, and thereafter he was nominee by the organizers for one of the awards for children’s rights at National Festival of Child’s Rights, 2012 edition.
Since 2013 he is member of National Expert Body in Educational Management, from Ministry of Education and Scientific Research.
In April 2014 he was awarded with the Mentor Award for Excellence in Education for all the effort in the 23 years of activity for all categories of children: children from institutions of child’s protection, children with school performances, children from family placement, as well as for children from numerous families. (https://romeobolohan.com/video-all-about-me-video-totul-despre-mine/ ).
In June 2014 he was finalist of League of Exceptional Teachers, contest initiated by several national TV stations. Following this contest, he obtained, in November 2014, a visit of study to several universities from Athens, Greece. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4PngMH5aNA ).
In September 2014 he was nominated at the Quality Awards – in innovation field, by Lindab Romania.
In June 2016 he was awarded with the Excellence Diploma, granted by the International Anti Drug Alliance from Romania, for my involvement in the civic society from Romania.”
“When I saw myself in the position to write about a teacher of technological education, first moment I blocked. Not because I had any doubt that such a school object could rise a mentor, but because I do not know much about it. But the motivation of his nomination put me out of impasse, and crawl me into a bigger one. Because I woke up face to face with an enumeration of facts, which, all together, define the most pure civic sense and are the proof of an overflowing fantasy.
False heroes are satisfied only to defeat, and then to forget as quickly as possible the sufferings. It is a small cowardice, worthy of being understood. But a mentor, with well built awareness, comes back to take on his way most of the institutionalized children, as well as he was. He fights with prejudice, with lack of money, with indolence, with wrong laws and with incompetence.
He is Don Quijote who fights the windmills and who wins!
I wonder how many people like him we would need in order to solve the problem of institutionalized children or of most of the children who are about to be institutionalized? – A great number of them. It is good that we know at least one of them: Romeo Bolohan”
Director Philharmonic Cluj Napoca, Marius Tabacu
ÎN LIMBA ROMÂNĂ:
“Circulă frecvent sloganul: Arta umanizează tehnologia.
Într-adevăr, nu putem nega că tehnologia câștigă uneori prin ajutorul pe care i-l dă arta.
Însă tehnologia are și propriile ei resurse artistice, ca urmare a omenescului investit în ea.
Tehnologia potențează capacitățile artei. Cum am putea ignora înnoirea pe care a adus-o în muzică revoluția electronică? Sau câștigul pe care l-a realizat pictura prin progresul tehnologiei de procesare a culorilor?
Tehnologia și arta sunt surori, iar un profesor de educație a tehnologiei ca cel premiant acum, știe foarte bine acest lucru.”
Academician, Solomon Marcus