Below are examples of TEFL projects volunteers have developed and implemented with Romanian counterparts.

Halloween Leadership and Fundraising

Project Description

The overall goal of this project was to help students in School no. 4 “Elena Donici Cantacuzino” develop leadership qualities, and to show the students and teachers alike how to create fundraising projects. This project enabled students in the 7th and 8th grades and their teachers to develop skills in leadership, teamwork, and creating and executing a fundraising event. Students not directly involved with putting on the project benefited from the cross-cultural exchange of participating in an American holiday. The school itself generate sufficient funds to ensure the sustainability of the project without further funding from grants, as well as receive a class donation from the 8th grade every year the project is put on.

Project Goals:

• Enabled students in the 7th and 8th grades and their teachers to develop skills in leadership, teamwork, and creating and executing a fundraising event. Students not directly involved with putting on the project benefited from the cross-cultural exchange of participating in an American holiday. The final result was that new skills were taught to the students and teachers who participated directly, and the school raised over $750.00.
• The skills learned by both the teachers and the students directly involved in this project included leadership, committee management, teamwork, project creation and execution, and fundraising. The teachers also attended a course to help them understand their role as a guide to instruct young students how to effectively run meetings that helped plan and execute a fundraiser. Completing this project showed the students that they have the power to create something great.

Project Activities:

Students ran for elected positions within the organization such as President, Vice President of a particular committee, Secretary, and Treasurer. Students who were not elected to the head position joined a committee of their choice.

Each committee was responsible for a different game or attraction that would contribute to the Halloween Carnival. The Vice-President of each committee held weekly meetings to make sure the group progressed quickly enough to have their final project ready for the Carnival.

The project was lead by the 8th grade that comprised all elected positions and was assisted by the 7th grade which had the option of joining as committee members. In return for their participation, the 7th grade was awarded a portion of the fundraisers earnings to be used in the following year when they are responsible for leading the Carnival. In this way, the 7th graders were apprentices to the 8th grade and gained a good understanding of how the Carnival works

Activities and Games

1. Haunted House
2. Bobbing for Apples
3. Square Dancing
4. Cake Walk
5. English Puppet Cemetery
6. Face Painting
7. Lollipop Tree
8. Costume Contest
9. Pumpkin Carving Contest

English Summer School

Project Description

TEFL volunteer May Batchelder and counterpart Mariana Bereczki organized an English summer school for high school students at Colegiul National “Grigore Moisil” in Onesti. Eighteen students participated in daily sessions for a one week period. Activities included conversation practice, drama, creative writing and competitions. Volunteers from various sectors presented topics at the summer school.

Project Goals:

• Students gain conversation practice with native speakers
• The project serves the community as a whole
• The school provides teenagers with activities in the summer
• Students consider enrolling in English intensive/bilingual programs
  of study offered in the town

Project Activities:

• Introduction Name Game
• Fun with Informal English
• Performing a Short Play
• Powerpoint Jeopardy game
• Personality Test
• English and Physics: The Egg Drop Competition
• Understanding Nutrition and Cultures
• Class Newspaper
• Farewell Celebration