Project IVI (Asociația Inițiativa Vâlcea Inovează)

Project IVI (Asociația Inițiativa Vâlcea Inovează) is a volunteer-run
association in Vâlcea County, Romania — 340,000 people, no technology
industry, and for a decade not one student reaching the national IT
olympiad.

We run free courses in IT infrastructure and networking, Linux and
Python, software development and cybersecurity, taught outside school
hours in three centres: Râmnicu Vâlcea, Horezu and Berbești. Learners
are 14-18, many commuting from surrounding villages, plus adults
retraining for technology work. Curriculum is adapted from POLITEHNICA
Bucharest, Cisco Networking Academy and Open Education Hub.

The model is a relay. Each cohort trains the next: graduates become
instructors and open the following centre. Ten of our twelve current
instructors came through our own courses.

Results: our students ended a decade of county absence at AcadNet,
Romania's national olympiad in applied informatics — four finalists and
a silver in 2025, then six medals in 2026, two of them gold. One took
bronze at the national cybersecurity olympiad. The ITU designated
Project IVI as National Organizer for Romania of the Robotics for Good
Youth Challenge 2025-2026; we ran the national tournament and sent the
winners to the Grand Finale in Geneva. Two of our volunteers serve as
Women in Tech Romania Youth Ambassadors. We hold a formal authorisation
from the County School Inspectorate and a collaboration protocol with
Râmnicu Vâlcea City Hall.

Our young people travel. Delegations from Project IVI have taken part in
events in Japan, France, Switzerland and South Africa, and we organised
and staffed a national competition under ITU auspices. Our participants
are used to competition formats, deadlines, presenting in English and
moving as a delegation.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

We are looking to join youth exchanges as a sending partner. We are not
coordinating projects at this stage, and we say so plainly, because
coordinators need partners who are clear about their role.

What we commit to: participants confirmed by your deadline, complete
documentation including parental consents and insurance, an adult group
leader from our own team, and our share of the reporting delivered on
time. We answer emails.

Themes that fit: cybersecurity, robotics and AI, digital skills, rural
youth and access to technology careers, employability.

Availability: we can only take part in activities between 15 June and
31 August. Our participants are in school for the rest of the year and
we do not send during term time.

Contact: catalin@projectivi.ro · projectivi.ro