ARCS Project

Story Time – An Evening of Children’s Tales
2021-06-01 17:00 - 18:00 UTC | Online
We have the pleasure of inviting you to “Story Time – An Evening of Children’s Tales” featuring authors and illustrators originally from Romania and the Republic of Moldova. The virtual event is being organized to mark Children’s Day, celebrated on this day in Romania and Moldova and will feature Valentina Popa from New York, Angela Chirilă from Denver and Doina Cociuba-Terrano from Olympia (WA). It is brought to you by Romanians of DC, Authentic Society for Language and Romanian Culture, Bucharest Inside the Beltway and the American Romanian Cultural Society. You may register for the zoom event HERE or you can follow the live broadcast on the Facebook pages of the hosting organizations. The event will be in English with the exception of Valentina’s story which will be available on Zoom in both Romanian and English (on separate audio channels). Special Guests:Angela Chirilă is a Moldovan Denver-based artist and author who studied English and Italian at the State University of Moldova. After finishing her studies, she lived in Rotterdam, the Netherlands and then moved to the United States where she has lived for the past nine years. Since she was little, she loved books and art and now she is passionate about creating stories and drawing illustrations. Angela is also a preschool teacher and has worked with kids for the past ten years. Her inspiration comes from interacting with young children every day. Her main wish is to inspire others through her children’s books and her art and to bring a strong and positive message to the world. “What Makes Us Happy” by Angela Chirilă was published in March 2020 and sends a positive message, not only for kids but for adults too. It reminds us about the little things that make us happy (a hug, a kiss, a ladybug, a sunset in the sky). What makes us happy is a very important question that each of us should ask every day and also we need to show our kids how important is to pay attention to the little things that matter the most. Ultimately the book is a reflection of Angela’s philosophy that we need to be more present in the now and appreciate every moment and also teach our kids to do the same. Doina Cociuba-Terrano, a native of Arad, Romania, has been painting ever since she was in kindergarten. After graduating from an arts vocational high school she studied Arts and Literature at the North University of Baia Mare, Romania. While at university and after graduating in 1978 she went on to exhibit her work in a number of group shows. She had her first solo exhibition in 1990 followed by a two more in 1994 and 1998. She moved to the U.S. in 1999, opened her own business, Ocean Gallery and art school and has worked ever since as educator, freelance artist and published book illustrator. Doina began illustrating children’s books back in 2010 and two of her books have been selected for various awards for the quality of their illustrations and the originality of their stories. She wrapped up illustrating her most recent book just a few days ago when she submitted the graphics to the publisher. Brenda Carlsen, a third generation Romanian, grew up in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada and played along the shores of Wascana Lake, where hundreds of geese called their home during the summer. She currently lives in Washington State where she pursued a career as a nurse. Brenda has always loved writing stories and has had a vivid imagination even when she was a child; it has carried on through adulthood and is now reflected in her writings. She has been a member of the Society of Book Writer’s and Illustrators (SCBWI) since 2015 and has attended awesome conferences and conventions. “Wascana's Amazing Journey” is an inspiring story of a Canada goose. While flying to the warm south for the winter with his friends and family, one of his wings becomes injured. Jojo, a young boy, discovers the injured goose, and with patience and playfulness, Wascana's wing becomes strong again. Wascana's Amazing Journey spreads the message of healing, kindness, compassion and friendship. Valentina Popa is working in the Executive Office of the Secretary-General of the United Nations. She has studied Romanian and French language and literature at the State University of Moldova and has received her Master Degrees in International Relations from the Academy of Public Administration of Moldova and in International Political Economy and Development from Fordham University in New York. Her post-graduate studies in Emerging Markets and Country Risk Analysis were completed at Folke Bernadotte Academy in Sweden. A Laureate of numerous national popular music contests, she subsequently appeared on various stages in Moldova and abroad, in exclusively benefit concerts, besides her husband, tenor Luciano Lamonarca. She currently resides in New York City, with her husband and son, Sebastian, her inspiration for her book. “Look Who’s Talking! / Uite cine vorbește!” by Valentina Popa is a bilingual English / Romanian poem book featuring Baby Seby’s imaginary monologues. Written in rhyme, the poems are sweet and heartwarming, exuding love and humor. During the first months as a new mom, Valentina was imagining the potential monologues that may occur in her baby boy’s little head as he was becoming aware of the surrounding world and his own existence. Inspired and overwhelmed by that all-encompassing love, those reflections came to her in rhymes, so she collected them into this illustrated book for moms and their babies. For the customs illustrations, Valentina partnered with an internationally renowned illustrator, Ms. Stela Damaschin-Popa, winner of the highest distinction in the field, the Hans Christian Andersen award, also called “The Little Prince Nobel”. Proceeds from the sale of the book are donated to an impactful charity, “The Moldova Project”, whose vision is “for every child in Moldova to have a family, a safe home, an education and the opportunity to be happy”.

The Sky is the Limit: Romanian Women Explorers
2021-06-12 11:00 - 12:00
Join us for a conversation about courage, resilience, and the importance of role modelling in education, with Romanian explorers Diana Dragomir (Astronomer and Physics & Astronomy Professor) and Gina Bădescu (Anesthesiologist and Mountain Climber).
Please register in advance at this link or join us on our FB channels.
Event organized in partnership with Romanians of DC.
Instructors
Credits: Sarah Ballard
Diana Dragomir
Dr. Diana Dragomir is an astronomer and a Physics & Astronomy professor at the University of New Mexico. Diana often wonders what the view and sky look like on planets around other stars, and whether anyone over there might be wondering the same thing. She spends a lot of her time and research getting a little bit closer to answering these questions.

Gina Bădescu
Dr. Gina C. Bădescu is an anesthesiologist from Everett in Washington State. She received her medical degree from Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Bucharest. She discovered her passion for mountain climbing later on in life, after a bicycle accident that left her severely injured. In 2018 she climbed Lhotse (8,516 m), the 4th highest mountain in the world. She is now training for another expedition in the Himalayas.

Romanian Embroidery
2021-06-22 14:00 - 17:00 | Online
Together with our partners at the Maryhill Museum of Art, we invite you to join us for an introduction to Romanian embroidery through some of the most beautiful examples from the museum collection. This child-friendly event will help you begin to identify simple Romanian patterns and show you how to make your own patterns using graph paper and colored pencils. We will review basic stitches, such as the running stitch, back stitch, cross stitch, bullion stitch, and satin stitch. (If you’d like to try them, have a hoop, material, and needle and thread already loaded.)Free virtual program; advance registration required.

ARCS Romanian Heritage Language and Culture School - Fall 2022
2021-06-29 18:00 - 19:30
Join us for the closing celebration of the Global Competence Certificate for Heritage Language Speakers via Zoom on June 29, 6:00-7:30 pm PDT.
We’ll be recognizing the students who have successfully tested and qualified for the State Seal of Biliteracy and the Global Seal of Biliteracy, as well as those who completed the Global Competence Certificate portfolio developed during this unique program.
About the grant program
In August 2020, the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) Migrant/Bilingual Department awarded a first-ever grant to Evergreen Public Schools in Vancouver, WA, to develop an online program for Heritage Language speakers of Romanian, Russian, and Spanish. The project has supported the students to develop proficiency in their Heritage Language, while also preparing a portfolio for the Global Competence Certificate in their Heritage Language (and/or in English), through the World Affairs Council in Seattle. Our students also had the opportunity to complete World Language Competency-Based Credit testing to earn high school credits in Romanian and potentially qualify for the Washington State Seal of Biliteracy. A number have also qualified for the Global Seal of Biliteracy https://theglobalseal.com/.
For registration please visit https://www.world-affairs.org/event/global-competence-certificate-for-heritage-language-speakers-award-ceremony-and-student-presentations/

Romanian American National Heritage Award - 5th Edition
2021-06-30 08:00 - 2021-11-18 17:00
Romanian American National Heritage Awards, 5th edition - 2021 The Romanian American National Heritage Award is an annual competition for youth with Romanian heritage or background. Applicants of non-Romanian descent may qualify, as long as their work and experience relate to Romania or the Romanian community in the US. The jury representing the three organizations involved based their decision on the national and international impact of the volunteering activity described, the candidate's academic achievements and leadership potential and tracked record, as well as their future vision for the benefit of the Romanian community, locally and beyond. Congratulations to the Winners of This Year's Edition : • Platinum, National - Andreea Haidău ( Wheeling High School, IL) • Platinum, West Coast - Victor Ene ( Sunset High School, OR) • Platinum, East Coast - Daniel Niculescu ( Cranbrook Schools, MI) • Gold, West Coast - Larisa Sâmbotin (Skyline High School, WA) - Alex Iliescu (Interlake High School, WA) - Tamara Toma (Homestead High School, CA) & Ilinca Flăcău (Leland High School, CA) • Gold, East Coast - Stefan Julian Cordaș ( Trumbull High School, CT) • Silver, Central - Andreas Miclea (Northside College Preparatory High School, IL) , Fevzy Ghiuve-Osman (Walter Payton College Preparatory High School, IL), Gruia Radu ( New Trier Township High-School, IL) - David Burcă (Sconzo Early College High School, TX) Presented by the American Romanian Cultural Society , Alianta and Romanian United Fund, with the endorsement of the Embassy of Romania to the United States Community Partners (please let us know if you would like to join us as a community partner): Romanian Cultural Institure USA/New York Românul Corp HORA-Heritage Organization of Romanian Americans in Minnesota Mission and Purpose The award recognizes exceptional contributions to the cohesion of the Romanian community and the preservation of its heritage, language, culture and traditions. Recognition and Awards All eligible participants will receive the official recognition of the Romanian Embassy in United States and the top winners will receive scholarships of up to $500 dollars each. The award has helped the recipients distinguish themselves in their admission process to top colleges and institutions, such as Dartmouth College, Wesleyan Univ, Pitzer College, UC Berkeley, UCLA, UC Davis, UC Santa Barbara, UC Irvine, Whitman College, Purdue Univ, UW Honors, and many others. Timeline June 30 - Submission of Applications Opens September 30 - Submission of Applications Closes October 15 - Winners Announced November 18 - Award Ceremony at the Alianța Gala in Washington DC Application Please submit your application HERE Eligibility for participation​​Age and residence: For the 2021 edition, participants must be enrolled in High School in United States for the 2020-2021 academic year. Academic: Minimum unweighted High School GPA of 3.0 – or equivalent, running average for the last school year.Team work: Both individuals and teams can participate in the competition. Participation in teams is encouraged. To encourage leadership and simplify the evaluation process, the maximum team size is 5. There are no Romanian or US citizenship requirements. There are no fees required, this competition is entirely free to participate for eligible students. ​Eligibility for national participantsThe top 5 winners of the regional competitions advance to the national competition Evaluation criteria The following criteria will be used in the evaluation process (not all criteria are required, but they will strengthen your application): 1) Community work and leadershipThe number of volunteering hours and their visible outcome and results will be a strong factor in the evaluation. Where applicable and possible, volunteering and community work in Romania (e.g. groundbreaking projects with children, youth and seniors from underprivileged social backgrounds, or religious and ethnic minorities) will receive the jury's highest consideration. Please highlight this aspect in your application. Please provide a detailed description of your working experience, highlighting the ways in which your activity and leadership initiatives impacted the targeted community, strengthening its civic spirit and sense of unity, bringing awareness to the role of the Romanian language and traditions in shaping the Romanian American identity and legacy in the US. The description should be either in Romanian or in English, and should not exceed 650 words. 2) Essay Please submit an essay that will describe how your community work influenced your own personal growth and brought awarness to your bicultural and bilingual identity in the US. We strongly encourage applicants to model their essay from their college application essays, following a similar structure and attention to detail. The essay shall have no less than 200 words and no more than 650 words. 3) Recommendations from local community leadersYour essay and recommendations will play an important role in the evaluation process. A formal letter is not required, a name and contact info (email and/or phone number) will be sufficient. The contest organizers will reach out to confirm the recommendations. Romanian Heritage ConnectionApplicants of any cultural backgrounds may qualify, as long as they are able to prove their interest, work experience and connection to Romania. Examples of such proof: Passing an officially recognized Romanian language test – where availableAn essay in Romanian Volunteer work in Romania* For past editions, winners and photos, please visit Romanian American Heritage Award page. Organizers: American Romanian Cultural Society Alianța Romanian United Fund With the Support of the Romanian Embassy in Washington D.C.

ARCS Summer Program - Romanian in the Sky and Outer Space
2021-08-03 - 2021-08-21
WHAT?
ARCS is thrilled to announce the first edition of its Summer Program Romanian in the Sky and Outer Space, modeled after the STARTALK Student Program, organized by UW specialists in STEM and Heritage Language Education at the University of Washington Language Learning Center. ARCS instructors and program directors have been trained by STARTALK faculty in order to follow the same learning and teaching objectives. For more information about STARTALK, please visit their official website. For more information about the UW’s STARTALK Student Program, please visit their website.
The programs aims to enroll 20 high school Romanian heritage language students in a three-week intensive language program (1 week of online coursework prior to the start of the 2 week in-person program). The program will combine the history of the most important events of space exploration with that of aircraft design and the language of science and technology. A content-based component STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) will be woven into this program through a partnership with the Museum of Flight. Students’ various interests will be further addressed by a range of projects above and beyond the STEM topics; such as language, culture and translation, lego robotics, and biology.
The content will have a special focus on the life and accomplishments of Romanian inventors, aviators, pilots, astronauts and researchers such as Aurel Vlaicu, Traian Vuia, Henri Coandă, Marina Stirbey Brancoveanu, Elena Caragiani-Stoenescu, Smaranda Brăescu, Ruxandra Agache-Miheș, Hermann Julius Oberth, Dumitru-Dorin Prunariu, Ioana Cozmuța, etc.
WHO?
• 1 goup of High School Students (including entering 9th graders) and 1 group of students ages between 10-13
• Heritage Speakers of Romanian (heritage speakers who grew up speaking the language at home) from the Romanian American diaspora in the US
WHEN?
August 3- 21 2020 (1st week online, 2 week in class) – during the online week, the participants can be enrolled in other programs; the workload will be reasonable and fun!
WHERE?
University of Washington, Seattle Campus
Museum of Flight- Center of Aviation
HOW MUCH?
The cost for 3-week program (1 week online and 2 weeks in-person, including 1 fieldtrip) will be approx. $700, pending on our fundraising activity and various grants that will be confirmed in the next few months. If you would like to make a donation to support this program, please visit our Support page and choose “custom amount” (specify the program you wish to support).
SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES for local participants (Washington and Oregon States):
Partial funding will be available for students in need. Please fill out this form or email otilia.baraboi@arcsproject.org for more details.
SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES for national and international participants (outside Washington and Oregon States):
If you are a resident of a state other than Washington or Oregon, you qualify for our special scholarship (sponsored by the Port of Seattle and the Goldendale Chamber of Commerce) for the Romanian diaspora in the US. Depending on our funds (to be confirmed in March), we can find host families to provide room and board and a scholarship to partially cover your flight expenses to Seattle and tuition cost.
Please write to otilia.baraboi@arcsproject.org for more details and fill out the registration form to express your interest. The number of scholarships for out-of-state participants is limited to 5. Stay tuned for more details within the next months.
HIGHLIGHTS:
• 75 hours of total instructional content with emphasis on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math)
• Scholarship Assistance for ALTA Language Writing and Speaking tests in Romanian, and the possibility for high school students to earn up to 4 World Language Competency-Credits and qualify for the WA State Seal of Biliteracy and/or the Global Seal of Biliteracy
• Increased linguistic accuracy and sensitivity to cultural norms
• Two exciting trips to the Museum of Flight (the Aviation Learning Center)
• Interviews with Romanian professionals (from Boeing, NASA, etc) – Dr. and Resercher Ioana Cozmuța
• Elective Projects beyond STEM topics
GOALS OF THE PROGRAM:

to sharpen and expand students’ use of formal Romanian language beyond intimate family speech
to strengthen students’ reading, writing, speaking and listening ability, especially in formal Romanian language in varied disciplines
to prepare students to take their Romanian language skills out into the Romanian community and the world
to familiarize Romanian heritage students with the role models and professionals who have contributed to the exploration of space and the development of STEM related topics worldwide

PRE-REGISTRATION FORM – Please fill out ASAP to reserve a spot till February 29
FAQS:
Who Can Apply?

We will form 2 age groups (group age 10-13) and (grop age 14-18) of students who learned to speak Romanian at home with their family (generally, heritage speakers) and have at least basic skills in reading and writing Romanian
Our program is designed to help Romanian students develop their literacy skills in Romanian while also refining their presentational speaking skills. Using the NCSSFL-ACTFL Intermediate Can-Do Statements, Romanian- speaking students should aim for at least Intermediate Low in all skills (in Romanian) in order to be successful in our program
Participants from the Romanian American diaspora in the US are welcome; for this first edition, we can accommodate up to five out-of-state participants

Do we have housing options for students?

Unfortunately our program cannot support housing for minors who live within a 20-mile commute of the UW campus. Students who live in Oregon or further away in Washington State can make their own arrangements to participate in the face-to-face portions of the program or can contact us to request arragements with local host families.
Participants from out-of-state will be hosted by families we trust from our local community, who have had children registered in our programs. The background check will be required.
What does the STARTALK timeline look like before the program starts?

Jan 7 – Pre-registration opens
January through March – Info sessions and Interviews with Lead Instructors (We will send out emails with specific dates and times)
May and early June – Acceptances sent out with registration packets and fee to be returned before Friday May 8, 2020

We’re going on vacation this summer. Can I/my child miss a portion of the program?
Due to the intensive nature of the program, students cannot receive full credit if they have more than a few absences. All absences should be communicated to the lead instructor as soon as possible. If you are unsure about committing to the program, please talk to a program team member.
How are the high school credits earned?
At the end of the program, students will take a proficiency exam to test their language skills. You will receive a letter issued by WAFLT (Washington Association for Language Teaching) indicating your test results and recommended high school credits. The letters also indicate whether the test results qualify you for the Washington State Seal of Biliteracy. ARCS can email test results and letters directly to high school counselors, as well. You can find more information about the testing process on the WAFLT Language Testing Website.
Partners:
Language Learning Center at UW
Slavic and East European Teacher Association of WA State
Ellison Center at UW
Please stay tuned for updates as we finalize the details of the program. Thank you for your interest!

OME: Film Screening and Live Discussion
2021-08-06 19:30 - 20:30 | Online
In celebration of the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, join us for a live discussion on OME, a documentary on the life of the Huaorani, and their struggles defending their ancestral lands, with director Raúl Paz Pastrana, co-producer Luminița Cuna (author of "Barefoot in the Amazon"), and moderators Vivian Hua (Northwest Film Forum) and Otilia Baraboi (ARCS, The Ethnic Heritage Council of the Pacific Northwest).
Register HERE or follow us LIVE on Facebook
Filmed in the heart of the Ecuadorian Amazon in the Yasuni biosphere, “OME: Tales From a Vanishing Homeland” offers incredible access to the unique and ancient way of life of the Huaorani, one of Ecuador’s most isolated indigenous groups. OME explores the intricacies of the Huaorani way of life, highlighting their connection to land and family, while raising questions about their future survival as oil companies encroach upon Ome, their homeland. “OME” has won multiple awards and was funded by the Princess Grace Foundation-USA and the Hispanic Scholarship fund.
Running Time: 30
USA & Ecuador // Color // HD // Spanish and Waoterero with English subtitles.
Awards and Screenings:

2019 Earth Day Film Festival, Chico CA
2018 Eugene Environmental Film Festival
2018 The Lyric Theater, Fort Collins CO
2018 Museum of the Moving Image (MoMI), New York City (QWFF) WINNER “Best Cinematography Award”
2016 Ethnografilm Festival, Paris France
2015 Moscow International Documentary Film Festival
2015 Cayman Islands International Film Festival
2015 Great Lakes Environmental Film Festival, Milwaukee WINNER “2015 Spirit of Activism Award”
2014 IFFEST Document.Art, Bucharest, Romania WINNER Next Generation Award (EX AEQUO)
2013 CINE Golden Eagle Award WINNER
2013 International Documentary Association (IDA) Nominee for the DAVID L. WOLPER STUDENT DOCUMENTARY AWARD
2013 Louisville’s International Festival of Film SCREEN PREVIEW

Raúl Paz Pastrana

Raúl Paz Pastrana is a Mexican immigrant filmmaker, cinematographer, and multimedia creator. His work intersects contemporary art, political documentary, and visual ethnography to explore themes of belonging, alienation, and the concept of “home.” His films have screened at museums and festivals worldwide including at the Sheffield Doc/Fest in the U.K., The American Museum of Natural History, New York City, MASS MoCA Museum in Massachusetts, Museum of the Moving Image (MoMI), New York City, and at the Guadalajara International Film Festival (FICG) in Mexico among many more.
Raúl’s work has received support from the Princess Grace Foundation, the Ford Foundation-Just Films, The Perspective Fund, ITVS, Catapult Film Fund, The Jerome Foundation, New York Council on the Arts, The Tribeca Film Institute, The Colorado Humanities, and the Sundance Institute among others. He is a Camargo Foundation Cassis France Artist Alumni, an IFP/Gotham Filmmaker Labs fellow, a Firelight Media Documentary Lab Fellow, and a New America National Fellow.

Luminita Cuna

She is a Cluj-Napoca native and Brooklyn resident who has been traveling extensively to the Amazon region and has been living and working with indigenous communities in the Amazon since 2006. She has been an ally to indigenous peoples for more than 15 years, supporting their efforts to uphold their human rights and to protect their territory.
Luminita is the founder of Maloca, a grassroots support organization that works with indigenous communities living in the Amazon basin. She has been fundraising and campaigning on various indigenous issues, helping indigenous communities get solar energy, incorporate technology in their territory defense and become aware of their rights and how to use them in protecting their forest.
Luminița wanted to bring awareness on the rich cultures of the Amazon indigenous peoples, as well as to unveil the fascinating world of the rainforest; this is how her book “Barefoot in the Amazon” came to life. Luminița also co-produced the documentary Ome: Tales from a Vanishing Homeland, winner of the 2017 Queens International Film Festival for best cinematography. The documentary brings forward the fight of an Amazonian community to protect their home, one of the most biodiverse area in the world.
When she is not trekking the Amazon, Luminița is an IT project manager.

Credits: Leo Carmona

Vivian Hua

Vivian Hua (華婷婷) is a writer, filmmaker, and organizer who is fascinated by synthesizing divergent schools of thought. She is the Executive Director at Northwest Film Forum, a co-founder of the civil rights film series, The Seventh Art Stand, and Editor-in-Chief of the socially-conscious long-form arts publication, REDEFINE. Much of her work unifies her interest in the metaphysical with her belief that art can positively transform the self and society.

Otilia Baraboi, Ph.D.

Before coming to Seattle in 2000 from Romania, Otilia worked as a literary journalist and published short-fiction, translations and articles. She holds university degrees in French and English literatures from Romania, Switzerland, and the US. She has a Ph.D. on the politics of translation from the University of Washington, where she taught French language and literature for 17 years, and where she is currently co-teaching a course on Romanian literature and film. In 2013, she co-founded ARCS and was President of the Board for five years before becoming ARCS’ first Executive Director. For Otilia, ARCS has been a wonderful opportunity to remain connected with the vibrant culture of her birthplace, while contributing to the artistic and cultural vitality of the Pacific Northwest. As part of her work, Otilia has been managing the Romanian Film Festival in Seattle and ARCS community-based school for Romanian heritage students, as well as more than 300 cultural and educational events over the past 9 years. Her priorities are to create sustainable, community-building programs and partnerships, as well as develop ARCS' brand identity in accordance with its mission and values. Most of all, Otilia hopes that her work will have a direct, long-lasting impact on the ways in which future generations will define, celebrate and pass on their heritage. Otilia is also the President of the Ethnic Heritage Council of the Pacific Northwest and a board member of Romanian United Fund.

College Admissions - Learn from Your Peers
2021-09-11 11:00 - 12:00
This Zoom webinar offers the opportunity to hear from first-generation members of the Romanian-American community about their experiences applying to and attending college. There will be a Q&A session at the end, so bring your questions!
Special guests: Bianca Frintu, Ana Constantin, Andreea Ghizila, Alex Trufinescu and Mircea Cozmei. Read their bios below.
Register HERE in advance.
Find out more about the Romanian American National Heritage Award (5th edition) HERE.
Program co-organized by ARCS, Alianța and RUF-Romanian United Fund.
Ilinca Hagiu
is excited to be able to contribute to the Romanian community and enjoys volunteering for the ARCS and their educational programs. Ilinca has been volunteering at the Romanian school since 2019. She loves working with children, bringing her heritage to the classroom. She hopes that her work helps develop a meaningful connection for young children to their families’ traditions and culture. During the pandemic, Ilinca organized a virtual piano recital for her family and friends in Romania, and has deeply enjoyed using music to create a bridge between her two cultures.

Ana Constantin
Ana attended the University of Washington, graduating in 2020. She majored in biochemistry and minored in chemistry. Her interests include regenerative medicine and applied nano-biology. She enjoys spending as much time outside as possible – she loves skiing, hiking, biking, rock climbing, and more! She is also a certified yoga teacher and enjoys making ceramics/pottery

Andreea Ghizilă
Andreea Ghizila is currently attending the University of Washington, now entering her third year. She is majoring in computer science and minoring in linguistics. She participates in sprint canoe and is on the US national team! She also enjoys playing frisbee, hiking, and playing the piano.

Alex Trufinescu
Hello! My name is Alex Trufinescu, I am 20 years old, and I am originally from Seattle, Washington. I am a current junior at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, where I am double majoring in Studio Art and the College of Social Studies, an interdisciplinary major comprising of economics, government, and history. I plan to attend law school after my undergraduate studies and practicing copyright law surrounding art theft. I am excited to talk to
you all!

Mircea Cozmei
Mircea Cozmei graduated with a bachelor’s degree in aeronautical and astronautical engineering from the University of Washington in 2019 before completing his master’s degree in 2021 with a focus on fluid dynamics. During his time as a student, Mirceaparticipated in several engineering organizations including the rocketry and Formula 1 teams before co-founding his own electric motorcycle engineering and racing club. He has also participated in several research laboratories which led him to become the primary author of a publication in a peer-reviewed scientific journal. During the summers he interned at the private rocket companies Astra and Firefly Aerospace which prepared him well for his full-time position as a fluid systems engineer at Blue Origin. During his free time Mircea enjoys watching foreign films, flying drones, and playing tennis.
Bianca Frintu
Bianca Frintu is entering her second year at Boston University. She is a biochemistry major with a focus in molecular biology and is also on the pre-medicinal track. She is currently working in the Feng Lab at BU Med, which develops research programs for breast cancer using zebrafish! She also enjoys dancing and swimming.

College Admissions - Tips from Parents and Academics
2021-09-25 11:00 - 12:00 | Online
This Zoom webinar offers the opportunity to hear from parents and academics from the Romanian-American community about their experiences helping students apply to college or being part of selection committees. Your will learn about the choices that need to be made starting with Middle School in order to plan a successful college admission experience. Our special guests will be university professors Ileana Marin (University of Washington) and Dan Nicolae (University of Chicago), together with Honorary Consul of Romania and FB program manager Iulian Calinov. They will provide tips about what makes a strong application, such as proof of extracurricular committment (eg. volunteering), personal statements and essays, awards, community service, courses taken, and standardized test scores.
Special guests: Ileana Marin, Ph.D. (ARCS Chair of the Board/University of Washington Affiliate Faculty, REECAS), Iulian Calinov (ARCS Board member / FB Programs Manager/Honorary Consul of Romania in WA State); Dan Nicolau (RUF Vice-President of the Board/Chair of Statistics at the University of Chicago and Professor, Departments of Statistics, Human Genetics and Medicine). Read their bios bellow.
Register HERE in advance.
Find out more about the Romanian American National Heritage Award (5th edition) HERE.
Program co-organized by ARCS, Alianța and RUF-Romanian United Fund.
Ileana Marin, Ph.D.
ileana.marin@arcsproject.org

Ileana Marin teaches interdisciplinary courses at the University of Washington in Seattle and at the Center of Excellence in Image Studies at the University of Bucharest. Her long-standing academic career on both sides of the ocean has given her the opportunity to establish contacts between Romanian and American scholars, artists, and institutions. She, thus, initiated the first UW Exploration Seminar to Romania, and to Eastern Europe, and opened the fund for Romanian Studies, hoping that Romanian language will be taught regularly in Seattle. With a BA in Romanian and a PhD. in Comparative Literature from the University of Bucharest (2000), and one in Textual Studies from the UW (2011), Ileana is a strong believer in the power of education and bilingualism. In ARCS, she advocates the expansion of the Romanian language programs in the US and for disseminating the most recent Romanian cultural achievements. On her agenda as president, Ileana Marin has two major tasks: board development and recruitment to ensure the successful implementation of ARCS mission through meaningful programs.

Dan Nicolae
Dan Nicolae is the Vice President of Romanian United Fund. He also serves as Chair of Statistics at the University of Chicago and Professor, Departments of Statistics, Human Genetics and Medicine.

Iulian Calinov
iulian.calinov@arcsproject.org

Iulian Calinov was born in Bucharest Romania. Iulian holds a masters degree in Electrical Engineering from the Politehnica University of Bucharest and a Masters of Business Administration in Corporate Finance jointly from Bucharest School of Economics and Université du Québec à Montréal. Iulian has worked as an Assistant Professor with the Politechnica University of Bucharest for 6 years after graduation, teaching Control Theory, Digital Control, Microprocessor Systems, Electric Drives and Microeconomics. After a brief stint as a Treasurer for Philip Moris in Romania, Iulian moved to the United States to work for Microsoft in Redmond, WA in 1998. Currently, Iulian is a Program Manager with Facebook, and serves the Romanian community in Seattle as a Honorary Consul on Romania as well as the Secretary of Romanian American Society of Washington State.

NETFLIX TELEPARTY: The Father Moves Mountains
2021-10-09 18:45 - 21:00
﻿﻿

Join us for a Netflix Teleparty of Daniel Sandu’s The Father Who Moves Mountains/Tata Mută Mountains, follwed by a live Q&A with the director on zoom. You can also watch the film before and join us for the Q&A only at 9pm PDT. The film was No#1 on TOP Worldwide Netflix within days from its official launch.
Instructions:
• Before you can join a watch party, you must first install the official browser extension (Chrome) and have access to a streaming subscription. The service can support up to 50 viewers at once, so please make sure you register in advance.
• Join us in a zoom meeting at 6:45pm to receive a shareable code. Register HERE.
FILM SYNOPSIS
Mircea Jianu, a retired Intelligence officer in his 50s, finds out that his son from a previous marriage went missing in the mountains. As any concerned parent would, he travels there hoping the young man will be found alive and well. But after several days of unavailing searches, Mircea decides to put his own rescue team together, leading to conflict with the local squad. Gradually, the tormented father who refuses to accept the obvious becomes entangled in a frantic battle with man and nature.

Genre: Drama
Original Language: Romanian
Director: Daniel Sandu
Producer: Cristian Mungiu
Writer: Daniel Sandu
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 17, 2021
Runtime: 1h 48m
Production Co: Mindset Productions , Film i Väst, Mobra Films, Filmgate Films

Romanian Heritage Language School - Fall 2021
2021-10-11 - 2022-02-18
Are you interested in stimulating your children’s creativity, nourish their bicultural and bilingual heritage?
Our Romanian Heritage Language School offers innovative virtual classes and workshops for children, youth and adults with Romanian background or with an interest to learn Romanian, nationwide. Our teaching methods are based on the core principles of Heritage Language Education to nourish bilingualism and address holisitically the bi-cultural identity of our students through project-based activities, play, authentic sources, critical thinking, and meaningful interactions with their families and communities. Our students gain pride and confidence as heritage language speakers and learners of Romanian, while developing a global understanding of the world.
We are the first and only Romanian secular community-based school to have developed a teaching curriculum according to the priciples of HERITAGE EDUCATION, since 2016. We are looking for partners and happy to share our methodology with other communities in the Romanian diaspora. Please write to Otilia Baraboi at otilia.baraboi@arcsproject.org to find out more about our programs and possible collaborations with your communities.
Our current students come from numerous regions in the US. We can accommodate to various time zones and have demonstrated experience teaching multiple levels and age groups.
Registration
REGISTRATION is now OPEN for ages 4-14+. Please REGISTER here. We will contact you to schedule a brief language evaluation.
Scholarships
We offer scholarships to families in need. Please contact Otilia Baraboi at otilia.baraboi@arcsproject.org if you would like to be considered.
Payment Options
Most of our courses cost 25$/hour, 350 for 14 sessions in the fall semester 2021. Româna la Liceu is $450 for 12 sessions of 90min each. Please close down to chose the payment option right for you. Thank you.
Calendar and Holidays
We will work with parents and students to find the best times and days that work for you. The times indicated in the schedule are only orientative. Please fill out the registration form to let us know your availability.
Instruction Weeks:
•Week of Oct 11, 18, 25
•Week of Nov 1, 8, 15, 29
•Week of Dec 6, 13
• Week of Jan 10, 17, 24, 31
• Week of Feb 7
Holidays:
•Veteran’s Day: Nov 11
•Thanksgiving Break: Nov 22-26
•Winter Break: Dec 20, 2021- Jan 7, 2022

Romanian Film Festival - 8th Edition
2021-11-12 - 2021-11-21 | Online
THE ROMANIAN FILM FESTIVAL, 8TH EDITION: “One Eye Laughing, One Eye Crying: Back to Wonderland” WHEN: NOVEMBER 12-21, 2021WHERE: Northwest Film Forum (online platform)
BUY TICKETSBUY PASSES
After a successful virtual edition in 2020, the Romanian Film Festival in Seattle brings you back to Wonderland, this time with exclusively new film productions from Romania and Europe, showcasing the creative spirit and resilience of young, or more established directors. Moreover, the festival expands with a new branch in Detroit and a partnership with Arizona Romanian Film Festival. More details will be shared soon.
Daniel Ursache has worked his magic again designing the visual concept of the 8th edition of the festival. Get comfortable under the dim light of your home screen or projector for a two-week feast of films that you can watch together with your loved ones between November 12-21, 2021.
We will offer you virtual opportunities to interact with local, national and international special guests. Stay tuned to find out about our exciting partnerships, line-up, guest list, and schedule.
In the meantime, please support our fundraising efforts. Let’s keep the story going for the 8th time!
If you have a business or reprezent an organization, please check out our sponsorhip package and let us know if you would like to benefit from our advertising opportunities.
Festival Official Partners and Co-Organizers:

Festival Institutional Partners:

Culture & Politics Program (SFS) Georgetown University

Community Partners - Thank you for helping us spread the word about the film festival:

FILM FORMATS AND WATCH PARTIES:
All film programs in the 2021 festival will take place online between Nov. 12–21, and are available to view ONLY in the U.S. You can purchase our films and watch them when it is most convenient for you, during the period of the festival. You have between 2-5 days to finish watching a film after you start playing it. Few restrictions may apply to certain films, please read the instructions carefully.
**All screenings in Romanian Film Festival in Seattle 2021 include a live discussion or filmmaker Q&A, available on zoom and livestreamed on FB. All panels and talks take place over Zoom, and will be automatically recorded and added to the end of the film playlist on Northwest Film Forum's Eventive virtual cinema for viewing throughout the fest. (Please note: all festival programs, but the opening, closing night mixers and other talks, are available only to viewers in the U.S.) ** FilmsÎntregaldeby Radu Muntean
2021, Drama, 104 min

In Radu Munean’s latest feature film, well-meaning urban professionals drive up muddy unpaved mountain roads on their annual humanitarian trip bringing aid to the remote village of Intregalde. As night...
In Radu Munean’s latest feature film, well-meaning urban professionals drive up muddy unpaved mountain roads on their annual humanitarian trip bringing aid to the remote village of Intregalde. As night falls and temperatures drop they take shelter in an abandoned sawmill with a jabbering senile old man. It tests their altruism in the face of having reached their own limits and questions the ethics of their motivations as benefactors. This film was recently selected in the Quinzaine des Réalisateurs section at Cannes.
Read More

The Campaignby Marian Crișan
2020, Comedy, 93 min

The Campaign, also known as Berliner, is Marian Crișan’s most recent feature, a political comedy, starring Ovidiu Crisan, Ion Sapdaru, and Ioana Chitu, among excellent young actors. Inspired by Gabriel...
The Campaign, also known as Berliner, is Marian Crișan’s most recent feature, a political comedy, starring Ovidiu Crisan, Ion Sapdaru, and Ioana Chitu, among excellent young actors. Inspired by Gabriel Andronache’s novel Ich bin ein Berliner, the famous quote from President J.F. Kennedy, the film follows the mishaps of a Romanian politician (Ion Sapdaru) running for the European Parliament in hopes to escape charges of corruption once elected and given immunity. His car breaks down near a farm. He immediately sees the opportunity to make the villagers into his voters by adopting the façade of a commoner, the “old friend” of the farmer. Compromise doesn’t pay very well, but well enough for Viorel (Ovidiu Crisan). Filmed in Crisan’s native Salonta, under the mater cinematographer Oleg Mutu, The Campaign / Berliner was nominated for several “Best Film” awards at international festivals and won the main competition at the Moscow International Film Festival in 2020. Crisan had previously won the Palme d’Or for Best Short Film with Megatron at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival. In 2010, he won the Special Jury Prize at the 63rd Edition of the Locarno Film Festival with his first feature film Morgen, which was also the Romanian entry for the 84th Academy Awards.
Read More

No Rest for the Old Lady by Andrei Gruzsniczki
2021, Comedy drama, 99 min

No Rest for the Old Lady is Andrei Gruzsniczki’s drama which was premiered at the Moscow International Film Festival earlier this year. Tackling fundamental issues of life—friendship, faith, respect for...
No Rest for the Old Lady is Andrei Gruzsniczki’s drama which was premiered at the Moscow International Film Festival earlier this year. Tackling fundamental issues of life—friendship, faith, respect for the dead, religious rituals, as well as the routine of everyday life— Gruzsniczki’s film tells the story of Emil (Mircea Andreescu), a nonbeliever, who is challenged by the faith of his best friend Titi (Valer Dellakeza) and his confession: Emil’s late wife has moved in with Titi and haunts him. This delicate, impeccably acted comedy-drama gives viewers an honest glimpse into the life of the elderly. Nominated for the Tiatan Award at the Beijing International Film Festival, No Rest for the Old Lady adds to Gruzsniczki’s list of awards, among which is the 2008 Main Award, FIPRESCI Award at CinePecs Moveast IFF, and the 2009 Best Romanian Film at Transylvania IFF for The Other Irene; and the 2013 Special Jury Award at Rome IFF for Quod Erat Demonstrandum.
Read More

Occasional Spiesby Oana Giurgiu
2020, Documentary, 119 min

Occasional Spies follows newly recruited young Jews living in Palestine return to their home countries of Romania, Yugoslavia, Slovakia and Austria, helping the local resistance to fight the German invaders...
Occasional Spies follows newly recruited young Jews living in Palestine return to their home countries of Romania, Yugoslavia, Slovakia and Austria, helping the local resistance to fight the German invaders during World War Two. The film highlights the little known history of these heroic acts, not through grand gestures, but through the voices of genuine people. By using both genuine archival and recreated photos based on retellings,the film amplifies the fears and hopes of these young Jewish heroes navigating an increasingly hostile and violent Europe- one they used to call home.
Read More

Mia Misses Her Revengeby Bogdan Theodor Olteanu
2020, Comedy, 82 min

Mia, a young actress, finds herself back at her parent’s home after her boyfriend slaps her on the face. She struggles with her own feelings and trauma surrounding the event,...
Mia, a young actress, finds herself back at her parent’s home after her boyfriend slaps her on the face. She struggles with her own feelings and trauma surrounding the event, turning to friends and family to process her feelings, as well as developing her own plan for revenge. Mia Misses Her Revenge tackles the complicated intersection of personal turmoil and uncertainty in a world full of strong opinions and the inherent need to broadcast them.
Read More

Unidentifiedby Bogdan George Apetri
2020, Drama, 123 min

Detective Florin Iespas, despite facing his own personal issues, decides to take on a seemingly dead-end case. While making progress and even finding a suspect, Florin faces more obstacles as...
Detective Florin Iespas, despite facing his own personal issues, decides to take on a seemingly dead-end case. While making progress and even finding a suspect, Florin faces more obstacles as his colleagues dismiss his work and persist that he give up. He is forced to take his own measures, and the case ends up putting up much more than just one suspect on trial.
Read More

Servants by Ivan Ostrochovský
2020, Drama, 80 min

This chilling drama set in a seminary explores the tortuous choice students must make in 1980 totalitarian Czechoslovakia. Will Michael and Juraj choose to capitulate to the Communist Party-approved program...
This chilling drama set in a seminary explores the tortuous choice students must make in 1980 totalitarian Czechoslovakia. Will Michael and Juraj choose to capitulate to the Communist Party-approved program the seminary tutors try to shape them into or endure draconian surveillance by the secret police?
Read More

Poppy Field by Eugen Jebeleanu
2020, Drama, 81 min

Poppy Fields follows the life of gendarme Cristi as he tries to navigate his pluralistic identity as a gay man in a macho, hierarchal workplace and increasingly religious society. While...
Poppy Fields follows the life of gendarme Cristi as he tries to navigate his pluralistic identity as a gay man in a macho, hierarchal workplace and increasingly religious society. While his long-distance boyfriend visits Bucharest, Cristi is ordered to deescalate a homophobic protest at a local movie theater. In turn, Cristi struggles with his own inner demons and how his largely secretive double-life affects those he loves most.
Read More

Holy Fatherby Andrei Dăscălescu
2020, Documentary, 85 min

Andrei and his girlfriend, soon to be parents, are both looking for role-models they have never had in their own lives. Holy Father presents a story of reconciliation, taking care...
Andrei and his girlfriend, soon to be parents, are both looking for role-models they have never had in their own lives. Holy Father presents a story of reconciliation, taking care of unfinished business, parenthood, healing wounds from growing up in a broken family to rewrite the history and break the pattern. The documentary is emotional, powerful, insightful and inspiring, capturing Andrei’s search for his long-lost father who became a monk on Mount Athos in Greece.
Read More

Kids Rockby Claudiu Mitcu
2021, Documentary, 88 min

Claudiu Mitcu’s documentary Blană Bombă (Kids Rock) follows four boys between 11 and 13 years old, members of the rock band Blană Bombă for an entire year. In this coming-of-age film, the brave Nicholas...
Claudiu Mitcu’s documentary Blană Bombă (Kids Rock) follows four boys between 11 and 13 years old, members of the rock band Blană Bombă for an entire year. In this coming-of-age film, the brave Nicholas Butacu (drums), Rareș Stănescu (guitar), Rareș Rădulescu (bass guitar), and Zoran Ion Stănescu (lead singer) are observed both on the path of artistic transformations and on the road from childhood to adolescence. Warmly received by adolescents as well as by the public at large, the documentary was invited to Transylvania IFF and to Alba Iulia Music and Film Festivals as well as to prominent concert halls in Romania.
Read More

Wild Romaniaby Dan Dinu & Cosmin Dumitrache
2021, Documentary, 123 min

This exquisitely filmed award-winning documentary, 10 years in the making, shares the abundance and beauty of Romania’s natural diversity above and below water, in forests and wetlands, through the seasons,...
This exquisitely filmed award-winning documentary, 10 years in the making, shares the abundance and beauty of Romania’s natural diversity above and below water, in forests and wetlands, through the seasons, in day and night. It focuses on the Carpathian Mountains and Danube Delta enhanced by a sweeping musical score. We are challenged to preserve and steward this treasure for future generations.
Read More

Salix Capreaby Valeriu Andriuță
2018, Short, 30 min

Salix Caprea (“Goat Willow” tree) is the type of tree that was supposed to cover a large meadow area in a small village in the Republic of Moldova. As part...
Salix Caprea (“Goat Willow” tree) is the type of tree that was supposed to cover a large meadow area in a small village in the Republic of Moldova. As part of a donation from foreign investors, a couple of thousands of trees were planted by the Americans. After a couple of years, during a visit along with delegation from the state, they wanted to see the growth of the trees. In a comedic investigation, the mayor and the police officer discovered the area all empty and the “goat willow” trees were all gone, eaten by…the goats.
Read More

The Dead Nation by Radu Jude
2017, Documentary, 83 min

In this documentary essay, Radu Jude juxtaposes Romania’s fascist past via the experience of Legionnares, as well as the country’s increased anti-Semitism during the WWII. Using excerpts of Jewish doctor...
In this documentary essay, Radu Jude juxtaposes Romania’s fascist past via the experience of Legionnares, as well as the country’s increased anti-Semitism during the WWII. Using excerpts of Jewish doctor Emil Dorian’s diary written during the same period, Dead Nation highlights the disparity between the Jewish experience during the war as a victim, and the political propaganda of the war’s perpetrators.
Read More

Cradleby Paul Mureșan
2020, Animated Short, 4 min

The young director Paul Mureșan’s short animation Cradle touches people’s hearts as it reveals how much damage long-lasting wounds can do if left unaddressed. The powerful, darkened graphic, accompanied by...
The young director Paul Mureșan’s short animation Cradle touches people’s hearts as it reveals how much damage long-lasting wounds can do if left unaddressed. The powerful, darkened graphic, accompanied by the suave, almost whispering music of a lullaby, depict the consequences of domestic abuse and alcoholism. Launched in 2020, Muresan’s animation has already won three major awards: in 2020 it was selected at Warsaw IFF and at Oberhausen International Short Film Festival, and in 2021 received the Special Mention and the Best Short Film award at Transylvania IFF.
Read More

I Am Dorinby Valeriu Andriuță
2020, Short, 23 min

Morale battle, dilemmas in assuming someone else’s identity to take the final exam in earning a bachelor’s degree, this is Dorin’s ethical struggle. The night before the exam is filled...
Morale battle, dilemmas in assuming someone else’s identity to take the final exam in earning a bachelor’s degree, this is Dorin’s ethical struggle. The night before the exam is filled with twists and turns, negotiations, losing sleep and getting into promiscuous situations as a preamble of the day of the exam.
Read More

Waiting for Augustby Teodora Ana Mihai
2014, Documentary, 88 min

Georgiana assumed a mother figure role for her six siblings, while their mother was in Italy as a migrant worker to provide financially for the family. Fifteen and the head...
Georgiana assumed a mother figure role for her six siblings, while their mother was in Italy as a migrant worker to provide financially for the family. Fifteen and the head of the household, that is one of the real stories of many others caught up in making life work, captured beautifully by Teodora Ana Mihai, who wished to tell “the story behind the story”.
Read More

31 Hoursby Claudiu Mitch
2021, Short, 21 min

Ștefan, the only surgeon available, takes on one final patient after working a 31-hour shift. In what should have been a simple procedure the 8-year old boy dies on the...
Ștefan, the only surgeon available, takes on one final patient after working a 31-hour shift. In what should have been a simple procedure the 8-year old boy dies on the table. In this powerful short, the corrupt Romanian healthcare system is put under close scrutiny upon the backdrop of sorrow, payoffs and threats.
Read More

Fragileby Ioana Mischie
2021, Documentary Shorts, 60 min

Fragile, Oana Mischie’s creative documentary, gives voice through the amazing interpretation of actress Ioana Flora, to several Romanian women who suffered abuse and trauma. Written by Ioana Flora in collaboration...
Fragile, Oana Mischie’s creative documentary, gives voice through the amazing interpretation of actress Ioana Flora, to several Romanian women who suffered abuse and trauma. Written by Ioana Flora in collaboration with Rucsandra Pop, the script compiled real stories under one theme: “women are not made to be broken.” An accomplished actress and gifted creator, Ioana Flora impersonates different characters with kindness and respect, understanding and empathy. Conceived both as a mini-series and as a feature film in the form of an anthology, this ingeniously created gem won the Fulbright Alumni Grant and was co-financed by the US Embassy in Bucharest and 8 nonprofit associations in Romania.
Read More

The Exit of the Trainsby Radu Jude & Adrian Cioflâncă
2020, Documentary, 175 min

In Radu Jude’s latest documentary film, he explores the history of the Iasi pogrom through written testimonials and images of the Iasi Jewish community. Given that this event has often been...
In Radu Jude’s latest documentary film, he explores the history of the Iasi pogrom through written testimonials and images of the Iasi Jewish community. Given that this event has often been minimized or denied altogether, recollecting the horrific violent acts during the pogrom and the actions of both civilians and the Romanian military is no small feat. However, the film is not as straight-forward as it may seem- as the images are not necessarily of the victim or their family of the voice-over. In collaboration with historian Adrian Cioflâncă, Jude explores how collective memory is shaped and can also be distorted.
Read More

Chers Amisby Valeriu Andriuță
2017, Short, 20 min

A school age child is waiting anxiously outside the school in the cold weather. He is waiting for his mother to pick him up and he is waiting for his...
A school age child is waiting anxiously outside the school in the cold weather. He is waiting for his mother to pick him up and he is waiting for his “verdict”. Inside, the staff and teachers, in a school council meeting, are discussing issues concerning operations and preparation for the winter holidays. Real issue of a poor small village school, low budget, mother struggling to pay for food, embarrassed by her son’s actions.
Read More

No Singing After 8by Alex Pintică
2021, Musical Short, 20 min

In this delightful short musical, Andrei and Roxana yearn for some spice in their romantic lives so invite another attractive couple over for dinner. A disgruntled neighbor returns throughout the...
In this delightful short musical, Andrei and Roxana yearn for some spice in their romantic lives so invite another attractive couple over for dinner. A disgruntled neighbor returns throughout the evening to enforce the “no singing after 8” rule in their apartment block.
Read More

The Pastor's Womenby Oana Tenter
2019, Documentary Short, 27 min

The vibrant world of Pentacostal Roma in Romania is seldom seen outside that community. This short documentary explores the life of a pastor’s wife as she works tirelessly for her...
The vibrant world of Pentacostal Roma in Romania is seldom seen outside that community. This short documentary explores the life of a pastor’s wife as she works tirelessly for her family and to improve her Roma community. She supports them all as a pillar of courage, love and hope. We see, too, this life from her six daughters’ perspectives.
Read More

The B Mouseby Ioachim Strobe
2021, Animated Short

In the quiet city of Genopolis, Dr. Fronius, a professor of psychology, begins a series of experiments, intending to overturn Darwin's theory.
In the quiet city of Genopolis, Dr. Fronius, a professor of psychology, begins a series of experiments, intending to overturn Darwin's theory.
Read More

GuestsRadu MunteanRadu Muntean graduated from the Theater and Film Academy in Bucharest in 1994.

Filmography:
-2001 - FURIA / THE RAGE Best Film Debut Award by The Romanian Cineastes Union and the award for the Best Cinematography at the Transilvania International Film Festival.
-2006 - HÎRTIA VA FI ALBASTRĂ / THE PAPER WILL BE BLUE In Competition, Locarno International Film festival, Awards at festivals like Sarajevo IFF, Eurasia, Las Palmas IFF, Cottbus IFF and Festival International de Film Francophone de Namur.
-2008 - BOOGIE was selected for the Director’s Fortnight in Cannes -2010 - MARȚI, DUPĂ CRĂCIUN/ TUESDAY AFTER CHRISTMAS Official Selection of Cannes Film Festival, in Un Certain Regard section. The film was then sold in more than 30 countries and received awards in festivals in Sarajevo, Mar Del Plata, Gijon, Namur, Essone, Bastia.
-2011 - VORBITOR / VISITING ROOM, a documentary produced by HBO Romania and co-directed with Alexandru Baciu. -2015 - UN ETAJ MAI JOS/ ONE FLOOR BELOW Official Selection of Cannes Film Festival, Un Certain Regard section. The film was then selected in other important film festivals like TIFF Toronto, London BFI, Karlovy Vary, Viennale, Rio IFF, Melbourne IFF, Seville European Film Festival(Best Actor and Best Screenplay).
-2018 - ALICE.T - In Competition, Locarno International Film festival. Award for Best Actress
-2021 - ÎNTREGALDE - Director’s Fortnight in Cannes, Toronto International Film Festival, New York Film Festival, Busan IFF
Vlad IvanovInternationally acclaimed actor Vlad Ivanov will be one of our special guests on November 13, at 10 am PDT on zoom. Winner of the LA Critics Award for his brilliant portrayal of Dr. Bebe in 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days (Cristi Mungiu), Vlad Ivanov’s versatility has established him as one of Europe’s great character actors. It’s his ability to portray both the kindly neighbour-next-door character and the deceptively evil one that marks him out as a special actor. In 2005, Vlad was awarded a Medal For Cultural Merit, presented by the President of Romania.

Other notable films include Police, Adjective (Corneliu Porumboiu), Tales From The Golden Age (Hanno Hofer); The Concert (Radu Mihaileanu); The Whistleblower (Larysa Kondracki) and Principles of Life (Emilian Velicanu). He featured in three films in the 2016 Cannes Film Festival: Maren Ade’s Toni Erdmann, Graduation (Cristi Mungiu) and playing the role of Samir in Dogs (Bogdan Mirică). Vlad recently appeared as Cristi in Palme D’Or-nominated film The Whistlers.
Valeriu AndriuțăValeriu Andriuță is a Romanian director, actor and script writer. In 2016 Valeriu embarked on his directorial project, a trilogy of shorts inspired by Moldova, his birthplace. His directorial debut was Chers Amis in 2017, a short film selected for a large number of festivals. It won numerous awards including ADAMI Media Prize for diversity and was Nominated for Best Short Film at GOPO Awards. The second part of his trilogy, Salix Caprea, followed and won The Moldavian Film Union Award. I am Dorin, his latest project, brings his Moldavian trilogy to an end, this short was premiered at 42th International Moscow Film Festival in 2020. Last but not least, Valeriu is best-known for his part as the priest in Cristian Mungiu's Beyond the Hills (2012). He appeared in most of Cristian Mungiu's films, whilst also being cast in projects for important directors such as Sergei Loznitsa, Florin Serban, Ercan Kesal, Pavel Lungin, Marian Crisan and Daniel Sandu (HBO Series - Tuff Money).

Filmography as director:

Chers amis | 20 MIN, short (2017) | Romania

Salix Caprea | 30 MIN, short (2017) | Moldova

Just one more | 15 MIN, short | Romania

I am Dorin | 23 MIN, short | Moldova/Romania

Selective filmography as actor:

Love 1, Dog - by Florin Serban, Sarajevo IFF 2018

Donbass - Sergei Loznitsa, Un certain regard, Cannes 2018

A Gentle Creature - by Sergei Loznitsa, Official Selection/ Cannes 2018

Graduation by Cristian Mungiu, Cannes 2018

Orizont by Marian Crisan, Locarno IFF 2015

Beyond the Hills by Cristian Mungiu, Cannes 2012

Occident by Cristian Mungiu, Cannes 2002
Marian CrișanMarian Crișan was born on the 8th of September, 1976, in Salonta, West Romania. He received his bachelor Degree in Film and TV Directing at UNATC Bucharest in 1999. He directed the short films “Family Portrait” - 2006, “Amateur” - 2007 and “Megatron” - 2008. The latter, “Megatron”, won the Palme d’OR for Best Short Film at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival, 61th edition. In 2010, his first feature film “Morgen” won the Special Jury Prize at the 63rd Edition of the Locarno Film Festival, Best Director and FIPRESCI award at the 51st Thessaloniki Film Festival and was the Romanian entry for the 84th Academy Awards®. In 2012, his second feature film “Rocker” was premiered at the 60th edition of San Sebastian IFF. "Orizont", was screened in competition at Tallin Black Nights IFF., 2015 In 2016, he directed the TV mminiseries "Valea Muta/ The Valley of Silence" for HBO Europe. His last feature The Campaign (2020), premiered in Competition at Moscoww IFF, 42th edition and received the KeenEye Prize for Best film.
Andrei DăscălescuAndrei Dăscălescu is an established Romanian documentary film director, cinematographer and editor. His first two feature documentaries, Planet Petrila (2016) and Constantin and Elena (2008) have won prestigious awards (including awards at IDFA and Sarajevo Film Festival), have been selected in major international film festivals across the world (IDFA, San Francisco, Vancouver, Krakow, DocLisboa, Docaviv, Sarajevo, Montpellier etc.). Andrei was nominated 4 times and won "Best Documentary Award" in 2018 at the Gopo Awards (the Romanian equivalent to Academy Awards) with his documentary, Planet Petrila. His third documentary, Holy Father (2020) premiered at the Sarajevo Film Festival, where it won the Jury Award. It also won the Audience Award at Astra Film Festival (Sibiu, Romania), the Best Director Award at Qara Film Festival (Almaty, Kazakhstan) and has been screened at festival such as Black Nights Tallinn, Magnificent 7 Belgrade, Go East Wiesbaden, Trieste Film Festival, Zagreb Dox and others). He is the founder and owner of FilmLab production company since 2007.
Oana GiurgiuA law and journalism graduate, Oana Giurgiu directed television documentaries before working in film on Cristi Puiu’s 2005 Cannes Un certain regard winner, “The Death of Mr Lăzărescu” and then on Kornél Mundruczó’s 2008 Cannes FIPRESCI winner, “Delta”.

She produced three of Tudor Giurgiu’s films: “Love Sick” (Berlinale 2006, Panorama); the 2012 Romanian box office hit “Of Snails and Men” (Warsaw IFF); and “Why Me?” (Berlinale 2015, Panorama). She also produced Peter Strickland’s “Katalin Varga” (Berlinale 2009, Silver Bear, European Discovery of the year at European Film Academy Awards) and Cristi Puiu’s “Sieranevada” (Cannes 2016). Oana co-produced Hungarian titles “Eden”, dir. Agnes Kocsis (Rotterdam IFF 2020) and “Spiral” (in post-production), dir. Cecilia Felmeri and the Slovak “The Servants”, dir. Ivan Ostrochovsky (Berlinale 2020, Encounters), and the Turkish “Before two Dawns” (in post-production), dir. Selman Nacar (working progress awards at Meetings on the bridge, Istanbul IFF 2020, and Antalia 2019), produced the greatest Romanian box office hit in recent years, “Moromete Family: On the Edge of Time”, which received ten Gopo Awards in 2019.

After working on several television documentary productions, she made her directorial debut with a feature-length historical documentary, “Aliyah DaDa”, screened in Astra Sibiu, Jerusalem Jewish IFF, alongside other Jewish festivals and screenings worldwide, and recognized as Best Romanian Documentary at the Gopo Awards 2015, now she just launched her new documentary “Occasional Spies”, Special mention of the Jury at Astra Film Festival 2021.
Adrian CioflâncăAdrian Cioflâncă is a historian, director of the „Wilhelm Filderman” Center for the Study of Jewish History in Romania and a member of the Collegium of the National Council for the Study of the Securitate Archives. He is also a researcher with the "A. D. Xenopol” Institute of History (belonging to the Romanian Academy). He was a member of the International Commission on the Holocaust in Romania (2003-2004) and expert in The Presidential Commission for the Analysis of the Communist Dictatorship in Romania (2006), and a co-author of the Final Reports of the two commissions. Since 2005, he is a member of the Romanian Delegation to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. A “Tziporah Wiesel” Fellow of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington (2009), between 2010-2012, he was a department director in The Institute for the Investigation of the Communist Crimes and the Memory of the Romanian Exile. Adrian Cioflâncă edited, in collaboration, eight volumes; the last one: “Discurs și violență antisemită în România modern” (Discourse and Antisemitic Violence in Modern Romania), Hasefer, București, 2020. He also authored studies in fields like the history of the Holocaust, history of communism, political violence, cultural history, the theory of history. Consultant for several movies and theatrical plays; co-director with Radu Jude of the documentary The Exit of the Trains (2020).

Cristina A. BejanCristina A. Bejan is an award-winning Romanian-American historian, theatre artist, and poet. A Rhodes and Fulbright scholar, she currently teaches history at Metropolitan State University of Denver. Bejan received her Masters and DPhil (PhD) in Modern History from the University of Oxford and her BA in Philosophy (Honors) from Northwestern. A playwright and spoken word poet (Lady Godiva), her creative work has appeared in the US, UK, Romania, and Vanuatu. Bejan runs the arts group Bucharest Inside the Beltway. She has published two books (history and poetry), a play in the anthology "Voices on the Move" (eds. Domnica Radulescu and Roxana Cazan), and 64 articles and the African continent introduction for the US Holocaust Memorial Museum's "Encyclopedia of Camps and Ghettos Vol. 3."
Ivan OstrochovskýThe Slovak director Ivan Ostrochovský was born in 1972 in Zilina. After several documentary shorts and series, Ivan directed his feature documentary debut Velvet Terrorists (2013), which premiered at Berlinale 2014, where it won the Taggespiegel Reader's Award.

Ivan's feature debut, Koza (2015), celebrated its world premiere at Berlinale 2015. It was selected by the festival director to be a nominee for the Best First Feature Award. It was also shortlisted for the 2015 European Film Awards and was the Slovak Oscar Entry for 2016.

Ivan is also the co-writer of Censor, the latest project by Peter Kerekes, which was presented in the Works in Progress sections of Karlovy Vary IFF and Odessa IFF, winning awards for best project at both. His latest film Servants (2020) was presented in a World Premiere at the brand new Berlinale competition section Encounters. He is also a co-owner and producer at sentimentalfilm and Punkchart films.
Andrei GruzsniczkiGraduate of the National Film University in Bucharest in 1994, he became first AD of Romania's most acclaimed director Lucian Pintilie, for his Next stop Paradise and Niki and Flo. Also, he wrote and directed feature films, short films, and TV productions. His debut "The Other Irene" won The Main Award and FIPRESCI Award at CinePecs Moveast IFF 2008; was The Best Romanian Feature at Transylvania IFF 2009; Best Actor at the Festival International du Film d'Amour de Mons 2010. The second feature film, "Quod Erat Demonstrandum" got the Special Jury Award at Rome IFF in 2013. Andrei's third feature film "Zavera" was released in competition at Cairo IFF (2019). "No Rest for the Old Lady" – was selected at Glocal in Progress (2019) and presented at MIA Film Co-production market (2018); world premiere at Moscow IFF (2021).

“După 40 de zile” / “No Rest for the Old Lady” (2021)
“Zavera" (2019)
short film “O faptă bună” / “A Random Act of Kindness" (2015) “Quod Erat Demonstrandum" (2013)
“Cealaltă Irina” / “The Other Irene" (2008)
Ioana FloraOne of the most appreciated Romanian actresses, appearing in films, television, on stage, also having been awarded for many roles. Being a mother of two, Ioana has been actively involved in children’s performances, personal development workshops for both children and adults and training programs in film and theatre.
Ioana Mischie Ioana Mischie is a Romanian-born transmedia artist (screenwriter/director) and transmedia futurist, awarded for filmmaking, cinematic virtual reality, and innovative concepts. She has successfully collaborated as a writer/director with Channel 4 in the UK (for two doc webseries with a record of views in the UK) and with the Oscars-awarded Legende Films (for the short fiction 237 Years). Her short film, Cumulonimbus, was nominated at the Gopo Awards 2018 for Best Short Film and was selected by Gus Van Sant as a finalist of the Coppola Shorts. Co-founder and Head of Storyscapes, an NGO focusing transmedia storytelling and expanded narratives initiated in 2012. In between 2015 and 2020 collaborated as an arts-based research collaborator of CINETIc , an Eastern European center focusing on the interaction between neuroscience and groundbreaking audio-visual paths. Starting with 2020, the protagonist of this bio took a leap of faith to design a fresh transmedia initiative conceived as a transdisciplinary, trans-generational and trans-real hub.
Bogdan FarcașBogdan Farcaș is a film and theater actor. He starred in the film Malmkrog by renowned director Cristi Puiu, which won many awards at various film festivals. You can also see him in international productions such as Walking with the enemy, Backdraft 2, The Hard way. Bogdan received the Special Jury Award for Best Actor (which he shares with co-star Dragoș Dumitru) when Unidentified premiered at the Warsaw International Film Festival.
Bogdan George ApetriA former lawyer in Romania, Bogdan George Apetri moved to New York where he graduated from Columbia University's Film Program with an MFA degree in Film Directing. His student films screened and won awards at prominent short film festivals across the world (Clermont-Ferrand, Rotterdam, Palm Springs, Cottbus, Montreal, Aarhus, Rhode Island, Woodstock, etc). He was a National Finalist at the Student Academy Awards in 2006.

In 2010, he directed and wrote the feature film Periferic (Outbound). Funded in part by Romania's National Center for Cinema, the film was shown at some of the best festivals across the world (Locarno, Toronto, Rotterdam, New Directors/New Films) and won numerous international awards (Thessaloniki, Warsaw, Viennale) including the FIPRESCI Award (The International Federation of Film Critics Award) twice. It was picked up by MK2 in France.

In 2020 he directed his second feature film, Neidentificat (Unidentified). Awarded a special Jury Prize in Warsaw, it went on to gather a FIPRESCI Award at the TIFF Transylvania International Film Festival and the Grand Prize at the Anonimul Film Festival in Romania.

In 2021 he released his third feature film, Miracol (Miracle). It premiered at the Venice International Film Festival and was picked up by the prestigious Memento International Sales film company.
Cosmin DumitracheCosmin Dumitrache, videographer with over 15 years of experience, joined the project Wild Romania in 2014 and along with Dan Dinu founded NTD Film, under whose direction he produced several films, some of which were selected or won at film festivals around the world. Over time he also filmed for large productions which aired on NatGeo Wild. He is a frequent collaborator of environmental NGOs that he worked alongside with on various conservation and education projects.
Dan DinuDan Dinu has been photographing nature for over 20 years, having dedicated half of this period on the project Wild Romania. He is the founding member and president of Forona (Nature Photographers’ Organization in Romania) and a collaborator with many nature conservation NGOs. In 2013 he started working on documentary films, being part in local productions as well as large projects for NatGeo Wild and BBC.
Bogdan Theodor OlteanuWithout any formal education, Bogdan Theodor Olteanu followed a convoluted path to filmmaking. He was a rugby player at a top club in Romania, an investigation journalist at a leading daily newspaper, a sports marketing consultant, a political communication consultant. Meanwhile, he wrote short stories and founded a cultural magazine – SUB25.
His film and theatre work deals mainly with the ever-changing landscape of urban youth. He observes generations of young people in search of identity, caught between extreme libertarian values and a Balkan background. Born and raised in Bucharest, Bogdan places all of his stories in that city, the country capital and a melting pot of Russian, Oriental and Western European influences. His first feature, Several Coversations about a Very Tall Girl, was nominated four times for GOPO – Romanian Film Industry Awards:
Best Debut, Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role (Silvana Mihai), Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role (Florentina Năstase), Young Talent (Tudor D. Popescu, editor).

Filmography:
2018, Câteva conversații despre o fată foarte înaltă / Several Conversations about a Very Tall Girl, feature film
2015, Dumneavoastră, tu / I do not know which Maria, short film
2015, Lampioane chinezești / Chinese Lanterns, short film
2014, Duminică dimineața / Sunday Morning, short film
Claudiu MitcuClaudiu Mitcu, born 1976 in Romania, graduated The Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies. He worked as a editor for the public television station in Romania for 8 years, and in 2004 started with friends a production and post-production company, We are basca. He directed several documentaries, The Merry Circus and Australia produced by HBO Romania, The Network co-produced by Parada Film and HBO Romania, The Village called Sands, Two of us, Maria, Easter Memorial and produced documentary films Party and Contest in Ciupelnita, Dream Images, short films, Tie, Bad Penny, My Name is Costin, and co-produced the short film Kowalski and Ramona by Andrei Cretulescu awarded in Cannes 2015 at Semain de la Critique with the Canal + Award. He is also the director for Kids Rock (2021) and 31 Hours (2021).
Alina ȘerbanAlina Șerban is an independent Roma artist – award-winning actress, playwright, director and activist. After acquiring a drama degree at the Academy of Theatrical Arts and Cinematography in Bucharest, Serban attended the Tisch School of the Arts in New York and The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. Some of her most important artistic achievements are: pioneering Roma feminist political theatre in Romania and becoming the first Roma woman director to have a play included in the permanent repertoire of a state theatre in Romania. For her main role in Gipsy Queen, Alina Serban earned the Best Actress Award at the Actors Guild Awards in Germany in 2020. She also starred in Alone at My Wedding and she became the first Romanian Roma actress to participate at the Cannes International Film Festival. She won several international awards, including Best Actress. As far as her film work is concerned, she made her debut in filmmaking with the short Letter of Forgiveness, the first film project about the Roma slavery, directed by a Roma. The film received a Special Mention at Transilvania International Film Festival and it is now in the international festival circuit. She also took part in the artistic decision making process as a script consultant for three European film projects focusing on the experiences of Roma women.
Raluca Negulescu-Balaci Raluca Negulescu-Balaci is the Executive Director of UiPath Foundation, a global non-profit organization, founded by UiPath in January 2019, to empower underprivileged children from Romania and India to reach their potential through equal access to quality education. Previously, Raluca coordinated comprehensive educational programs under the umbrella of the Policy Center for Roma and Minorities for 9 years. In 2007, she worked as a Junior Consultant in a World Bank-supported national program, focused on enabling 250 disadvantaged communities in Romania to keep up with fast-technological challenges. In 2013, Raluca was a Legislative Fellow in the US Department of State professional program “Building grassroots democracy in minority communities” and she received the Annual Human Rights Award of the Embassy of France in Romania, for her local women empowerment initiative – Mothers' Club. Raluca is a fellow of Aspen Institute Romania’s Young Leaders Program and a member of the Global Shapers Community, an initiative of the World Economic Forum.
Eugen JebeleanuEugen Sergiu Jebeleanu is a Romanian film and theatre actor, director. He was born in 1989 in Timisoara, Romania. He graduated from National University of Theatrical Arts and Cinematography. In 2007, he plays first role in the movie Cu un pas inainte. He works in Romania, Germany and France. Since 2010, he has been staging fables that deal with social issues, political and social subjects, in order to question the notions of social norms, identity and freedom. In 2010, he founded Compania 28 with Yann Verburgh. Within this company, between 2010 and 2015, he wrote and directed several shows. Since 2016, he has been associated with the National Theater of Sibiu. He recently took his first steps in cinema, in directing his first feature POPPY FIELD (2020). He currently also works with the Théâtre de la Ville for the Chantiers d'Europe and with the Actoral Festival.
Alina HaliliucAlina Haliliuc is Associate Professor of Communication at Denison University, where she teaches in the areas of public persuasion, rhetorical criticism, and cultural studies. Her scholarship examines how public language is implicated in subject-formation under conditions of socio-political change, such as post-communist Romania. She analyzes cultural texts ranging from public debates to museums and memorials, film, and popular music. Her work can be found in Text and Performance Quarterly; The Journal of Popular Culture; Communication, Culture & Critique; Film Criticism; Media and Culture Journal; Review of Communication; Gender Forum, as well as anthologies in rhetorical and cultural studies.
Mariangela Mihai Mariangela Mihai is a Romanian anthropologist and filmmaker whose work builds on decolonial, feminist, and sensory ethnographic methods to understand Indigenous resistance on the India-Bangladesh-Myanmar-China borderlands. Her research, filmmaking, and pedagogy, explore the challenges and promises collaborative mediamaking, poetry, autoethnography, and feminist filmmaking offer to epistemic and social justice. She is co-founder of Ethnocine, a feminist ethnographic filmmaking collective committed to an intersectional, decolonial, feminist lens that pushes the boundaries of non-fiction cinema. With Ethnocine, Mariangela co-produces Bad Feminists Making Films, a podcast featuring feminist filmmakers from around the world; and hosts academic panels, workshops, Webinars, and film symposia for students, faculty, artists and activists interested in using filmmaking for research and social justice. Her films have screened at international film festivals, universities, museums, and other public and art institutions in Athens, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Paris, New York, Yangon, New Orleans, Los Angeles, and San Jose. Select films include Nobel Nok Dah (2015), an intimate view into the lives of three refugee women from Burma, whose migratory paths cross in Thailand and eventually meet as they resettle in New York; and For My Art (2016), a two-channel video installation exploring the sensorial landscape of transition-era Burma through the figures three generations of women performance artists, and I Am A Whisper, My Dear (2021), an experimental documentary exploring Indigenous LGBTQ activism on the South/Southeast Asia borderlands. Mariangela holds a BA in Anthropology from Emory University, as well as a Master and PhD in Anthropology from Cornell University. Currently, she serves as a Postdoctoral Fellow in Global Media and Film Studies in the Culture and Politics Program at Georgetown University, where she teaches courses in Transnational Queer Mediamaking and Transborder Feminist and Indigenous Resistance.

Support ARCS Educational Partner Roma Peoples Project at Columbia University
2021-12-04 - 2021-12-22 | Online
On Roma Resilience: A Scholarship Fund for Students & Scholars (Roma Peoples Project in partnership with American Romanian Cultural Society)
Please support the RPP and American Romanian Cultural Society to launch an educational program for the Spring of 2022. Our goal is to develop a pilot project in which we involve a minimum of 10 students and scholars to receive knowledge and mentorship in Roma studies. The knowledge they will access is a combination of existing materials produced by the RPP over the past four years and customized lessons that provide an introduction to key ideas in Roma studies.
The global situation of Roma is one of the most neglected human rights issues of our time, yet the topic remains largely absent or misunderstood within academia and society. Today’s students do not have access to the knowledge they need to include Roma in the decisions they will make as future professionals and leaders. While we are working to address this in a systemic, structural maner, and have universities teach Roma Studies in the classroom and cultural institutions provide knowledge on the topic, we believe it is urgent to create these learning spaces now. For that we need to mobilize, partner and be that solution ourselves by being involved and contributing to making this possibility a reality. To build a future where knowledge of Roma is part of mainstream academia, let’s create pathways for today’s students to be agents of change and access nuanced, accurate and rigorously researched knowledge of Roma.
Together with the Roma Peoples Project at Columbia University, we will select students and scholars, Roma and non-Roma, from a variety of universities and other community-based educational programs, and will provide opportunities for one semester with the Roma Peoples Project team to gain an introduction to Roma studies and receive mentorship in undertaking their own research projects in Roma studies. Our fundraising goal of $5,000 will support 10 students to access this program, although additional funds raised will provide the capacity to work with a larger group of students and scholars.
Throughout this program, ARCS will work closely with our partners at Roma Peoples Project to create educational opportunities for ARCS Romanian heritage students enrolled in the OSPI Heritage Language Grant, a program developed in partnership with the Ethnic Heritage Council and World Affairs Council.
ABOUT THE ROMA PEOPLES PROJECT
The Roma Peoples Project at Columbia University is a platform for Roma and their allies to share knowledge and stories, to understand the Roma peoples in a global context, to develop kinship with other marginalized groups, and to reflect on Roma experiences of survival and resilience. The Project has a track record of delivering educational content in Roma studies through public events, seminars and campaigns to raise visibility of the Roma cause.
Find out more HERE.
Support ARCS fundraiser for Roma Peoplese Project on Facebook.

ARCS Romanian Heritage Language and Culture School - Fall 2022
2022-01-01 15:00 - 2022-05-13 16:00 | Online
Course Description
This class is tailored for students of Romanian origin nationwide who do not understand, nor speak the language, but who have been exposed to Romanian culture and are curious to find out more about their heritage. They will learn basic conversational skills in Romanian and will develop their pronunciation, vocabulary, writing and reading knowledge.They will gain confidence and will be able to connect with their Romanian family in meaningful ways. No knowledge of Romanian required. Groups of 4-5 students / 60 min, weekly. Tuition: 14 sessions for $ 350 (25$/h) – please scroll down for payment options.
We arre thrilled to partner with the Romanian United Fund to offer this class to children living in the Chicago area.
Calendar and Holidays
Spring Semestrer Dates: Jan 28, 5pm – 6pm CST, May 13, 2022 (our website posts the Pacific Time)
Instruction Days:
• Jan 28
• Feb 4, 11,18
• Mar 4, 11,18, 25
• April 1, 8, 22, 29
• May 6, 13
Holidays:
• Mid-winter break: Feb 25
• Spring break: April 15
About Our School
ARCS Romanian Heritage Language School offers innovative virtual classes and workshops for children, youth and adults with Romanian background or with an interest to learn Romanian, nationwide. Our teaching methods are based on the core principles of Heritage Language Education to nourish bilingualism and address holisitically the bi-cultural identity of our students through project-based activities, play, authentic sources, critical thinking, and meaningful interactions with their families and communities. Our students gain pride and confidence as heritage language speakers and learners of Romanian, while developing a global understanding of the world.
We are the first Romanian secular community-based school to have developed a teaching curriculum according to the priciples of HERITAGE EDUCATION, since 2016. We are looking for partners and happy to share our methodology with other communities in the Romanian diaspora. Our current students come from numerous regions in the US. We can accommodate to various time zones and have demonstrated experience teaching multiple levels and age groups.
Please write to Otilia Baraboi at otilia.baraboi@arcsproject.org to find out more about our programs and possible collaborations with your communities.

Archetypal Symbols In Romania and Worldwide with Artist Magda Nica
2022-01-15 10:00 - 11:00 | Online
Symbols are graphic metaphors that help us understand the invisible world. Their meaning is magical, although few are those who know how to read, decode and translate their secret language. This workshop is an invitation to discover how symbols unite us at a subtle level, in mysterious and profound ways.
“To symbolize means, in a way and at a certain level, to live together” (Jean Chevalier)
Register Here for the event.
You can watch the recording of this event HERE.
This event is the first from a series under the umbrella of a larger collective project “THE EXQUISITE GORGE PROJECT II: Fiber Arts”, developed by Curator of Education at Maryhill Museum of Art, Louise Palermo. It features 13 regional fiber artists working with communities along 220 miles of the Columbia River from the Willamette Confluence to the Snake River Confluence. ARCS is proud to be one of the partner organizations in this majestic cross-cultural enterprise by supporting the participation of Seattle-based Romanian born artist Magda Nica. You can find out more details about this collaborative project here: https://www.maryhillmuseum.org/exquisite-gorge-project-2022

Dor: A Mode in Translation
2022-01-22 10:00 - 11:00 | Online
Join us for a conversation about dor, a Romanian word that some find untranslatable, and the complex relationships it acquires in exilic relations. What does dor carry as baggage? How does dor change when looking back towards a homeland in an Ovidian gaze? Is there an intentionality in exilic dor that shapes the various Romanian diaspora groups? Why and how do we re-cognize ourselves in longing? How is nostalgia politicized, and how do translators deal with the larger context of so-called untranslatable concepts? Our discussion will draw from Alina Ștefănescu's book "DOR" (order HERE https://www.alinastefanescuwriter.com/dor) establishing a dialogue between the author and the personal experiences, reflections and writings of our special guests Adriana Oniță, Cristiana Grigore and Andrew Davidson-Novosivschei. Read more details about our guests in their bios below. Register for the event HERE. Watch the recording of this event HERE. A Few Things on the Word Dor, from The Dictionary of Unstranslatables, A Philosophical Lexicon (edited by Barbara Cassin (translated into English by Emily Apter, Jaques Lezra & Michael Wood) Event organized by ARCS in partnership with Immigration Research Forum, Arizona American-Romanian Cultural Collaborative (ARCC), Romanians of DC and Bucharest Inside the Beltway, with the support of the Romanian Cultural Institute. GuestsAlina ȘtefănescuAlina Ștefănescu was born in Romania and lives in Birmingham, Alabama with her partner and several intense mammals. Recent books include a creative nonfiction chapbook, Ribald (Bull City Press Inch Series, Nov. 2020) and Dor, which won the Wandering Aengus Press Prize (September, 2021). Her debut fiction collection, Every Mask I Tried On, won the Brighthorse Books Prize (April 2018). Alina's poems, essays, and fiction can be found in Prairie Schooner, North American Review, World Literature Today, Pleiades, Poetry, BOMB, Crab Creek Review, and others. She serves as poetry editor for several journals, reviewer and critic for others, and Co-Director of PEN America's Birmingham Chapter. She is currently working on a novel-like creature. More online at www.alinastefanescuwriter.com. Person not found Cristiana GrigoreCristiana Grigore is a writer, research scholar and the founder of the Roma Peoples Project at Columbia University, an initiative that spotlights Roma peoples and expands Roma studies by examining topics such as identity and stigma, mobility and displacement. Herself a Roma—a member of Europe's largest minority with approximately one million Roma living in the US— she has firsthand experience with internalized stigma and concealing one's ethnicity.

Upon arriving in the United States in 2006, Cristiana found a more conducive environment in which to express her Roma identity. She is writing a book that explores how her immersion in American culture enabled her to grapple more fully with her Roma/Gypsy ethnicity. Her writing was published by the New York Times and she writes periodic op-eds for Newsweek and other media channels. Her work has been featured by Vogue, CNN, Al Jazeera America, PRI, and Voice of America, among other outlets.

A Fulbright Scholar from Romania, Cristiana graduated from Vanderbilt University with an MA in International Education Policy and Management in December 2012. She earned her BA in Psychology from the University of Bucharest in 2007. Most recently she is part of an advisory group for the National Gallery of Art on a topic related to Roma in the Arts.

Andrew Davidson-NovosivscheiAndrew Davidson-Novosivschei (b. 1987) is a teacher, poet, and translator from Arizona, currently based in Bucharest. His Romanian-language poems have appeared in Poesis International, Tribuna, Poetic Stand, and others. His English-language poems have most recently appeared in Apricity Press, and his poem “the taste of freedom” was nominated for the 2021 Pushcart Prize. He has been invited to read his poems at festivals such as Poezia e la Bistrița, 2021, Bucharest International Poetry Festival (FIPB), Iași International Festival of Literature and Translation (FILIT), and reading groups such as Republica and the Blecher Institute. His translations have appeared in Asymptote Journal, Trafika Europe, and others, and have been awarded grants from the Romanian Cultural Institute and FILIT. Otilia Baraboi, Ph.D.Before coming to Seattle in 2000 from Romania, Otilia worked as a literary journalist and published short-fiction, translations and articles. She holds university degrees in French and English literatures from Romania, Switzerland, and the US. She has a Ph.D. on the politics of translation from the University of Washington, where she taught French language and literature for 17 years, and where she is currently co-teaching a course on Romanian literature and film. In 2013, she co-founded ARCS and was President of the Board for five years before becoming ARCS’ first Executive Director. For Otilia, ARCS has been a wonderful opportunity to remain connected with the vibrant culture of her birthplace, while contributing to the artistic and cultural vitality of the Pacific Northwest. As part of her work, Otilia has been managing the Romanian Film Festival in Seattle and ARCS community-based school for Romanian heritage students, as well as more than 300 cultural and educational events over the past 9 years. Her priorities are to create sustainable, community-building programs and partnerships, as well as develop ARCS' brand identity in accordance with its mission and values. Most of all, Otilia hopes that her work will have a direct, long-lasting impact on the ways in which future generations will define, celebrate and pass on their heritage. Otilia is also the President of the Ethnic Heritage Council of the Pacific Northwest and a board member of Romanian United Fund.

Dream in a Suitcase: The Story of an Immigrant Life by Domnica Rădulescu
2022-02-05 10:00 - 11:00 | Online
What is in the suitcase of a refugee escaping from a politically oppressive regime? Drawing on Domnica Rădulescu's recent memoir Dream in a Suitcase: The Story of an Immigrant Life, this event is an invitation to explore the multifaceted fabric of dreams and cherished memories immigrants bring to the US. Join us for a dialogue between the author, and her special guests who share similar stories of exile, uprootedness and resilience. Register for the event HERE. About the book:Dream in a Suitcase unravels a fast-paced journey of survival, resilience, and the power of love. The story offers a rich multicultural mosaic of a life divided not only between two cultures and languages, that of the heroine's native Romania and her adoptive US but also between Chicago's urban culture and that of a small town in Virginia marked by a heavy confederate history. This book is deeply relevant for our times as it offers an opportunity for American-born audiences to develop a deeper understanding for all those who arrived in this country as refugees in search of freedom, peace, and different versions of the American Dream. Buy the book HERE. Endorsements: "An extraordinary memoir of fortitude and freedom, a narrative that is vibrant and lyrical. Rădulescu takes us from Romania's dark dictatorial past to the world of literature and beauty, back to the landscapes of her beloved native country, then to her new home in America, and always to the geography of the earth. This is an extraordinary read and a covenant to the power of truth and words." Marjorie Agosin, award-winning author of I Lived on Butterfly Hill. "Domnica Radulescu is a courageous writer. Dream in a Suitcase, like her other novels, is a breathless read." Andrei Codrescu, NPR commentator, award-winning poet, and filmmaker. Find out more about Domnica Rădulescu's work:http://www.domnicaradulescu.com Event organized by ARCS in partnership with Immigration Research Forum, Arizona American-Romanian Cultural Collaborative (ARCC), Bucharest Inside the Beltway, Romanians of DC, Romanian United Fund, and ARCHER, with the support of the Romanian Cultural Institute in NY/USA GuestsDomnica RădulescuDomnica Rădulescu is an American writer of Romanian origin, living in the United States where she arrived in 1983 as a political refugee, having escaped the communist dictatorship of her native Romania. She settled in Chicago where she obtained a master’s degree in Comparative literature and a PhD in Romance Languages from the University of Chicago. She is the Edwin A. Morris Professor of Comparative Literature at Washington and Lee University.

Radulescu is the author of three critically acclaimed novels, Train to Trieste (Knopf 2008 &2009), Black Sea Twilight (Transworld 2011 & 2012) and Country of Red Azaleas (Hachette 2016) and of award-winning plays. Train to Trieste has been published in thirteen languages and is the winner of the 2009 Library of Virginia Fiction Award.

Radulescu received the 2011 Outstanding Faculty Award from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia and is twice a Fulbright scholar.

Radulescu also published fourteen non-fiction books, edited and co-edited collections on topics ranging from the tragic heroine in western literature to feminist comedy, to studies of exile literature to theater of war and exile, refugee art, and two collections of original plays. Two of her plays, Exile Is My Home and The Town with Very Nice People were runners up for the Jane Chambers Playwriting award in 2012 and 2013. Dream in a Suitcase. The Story of an immigrant Life is her first memoir and it has been released from Austin Macauley Publishers in December 2021.

Roxana CazanBefore teaching at the University of Oklahoma, Roxana L. Cazan taught literature, creative writing, and women's studies courses at Saint Francis University in Pennsylvania. She is an interpreter and translator of Romanian and a poet. Her poems have been featured in Poets Reading the News, The Windsor Review, Cold Creek Review, Construction Literary Magazine, Glass Lyre Press, Adanna Literary Journal, Watershed Review, The Portland Review, Harpur Palate and others. Her full-length poetry books are The Accident of Birth (Main Street Rag 2017) and Tethered to the Unexpected (Alien Buddha Press 2022).

Roxana’s scholarly work focuses on ethnic and postcolonial literature and women’s studies and has appeared in Neophilologus, Women’s Studies Quarterly, Comparative Literature Studies, Studies in American Jewish Literature, American Journal of Undergraduate Research, and Demeter Press. A chapter is forthcoming in Remembering Kahina: Women, Representation and Resistance in Post-Independence North Africa, Routledge.

She is the co-editor of the anthology, Voices on the Move: An Anthology by and about Refugees, Solis Press, 2020. Alina ȘtefănescuAlina Ștefănescu was born in Romania and lives in Birmingham, Alabama with her partner and several intense mammals. Recent books include a creative nonfiction chapbook, Ribald (Bull City Press Inch Series, Nov. 2020) and Dor, which won the Wandering Aengus Press Prize (September, 2021). Her debut fiction collection, Every Mask I Tried On, won the Brighthorse Books Prize (April 2018). Alina's poems, essays, and fiction can be found in Prairie Schooner, North American Review, World Literature Today, Pleiades, Poetry, BOMB, Crab Creek Review, and others. She serves as poetry editor for several journals, reviewer and critic for others, and Co-Director of PEN America's Birmingham Chapter. She is currently working on a novel-like creature. More online at www.alinastefanescuwriter.com. Otilia Baraboi, Ph.D.Before coming to Seattle in 2000 from Romania, Otilia worked as a literary journalist and published short-fiction, translations and articles. She holds university degrees in French and English literatures from Romania, Switzerland, and the US. She has a Ph.D. on the politics of translation from the University of Washington, where she taught French language and literature for 17 years, and where she is currently co-teaching a course on Romanian literature and film. In 2013, she co-founded ARCS and was President of the Board for five years before becoming ARCS’ first Executive Director. For Otilia, ARCS has been a wonderful opportunity to remain connected with the vibrant culture of her birthplace, while contributing to the artistic and cultural vitality of the Pacific Northwest. As part of her work, Otilia has been managing the Romanian Film Festival in Seattle and ARCS community-based school for Romanian heritage students, as well as more than 300 cultural and educational events over the past 9 years. Her priorities are to create sustainable, community-building programs and partnerships, as well as develop ARCS' brand identity in accordance with its mission and values. Most of all, Otilia hopes that her work will have a direct, long-lasting impact on the ways in which future generations will define, celebrate and pass on their heritage. Otilia is also the President of the Ethnic Heritage Council of the Pacific Northwest and a board member of Romanian United Fund.

Why Volunteer? How Can It Help Me for College Admissions?
2022-02-18 11:00 - 12:00
Join us for a live discussion with ARCS, RUF and Alianța volunteers about the importance of giving back to our communities and developing our civic spirit for the benefit of present and future generations.
This is a great opportunity to find out about the Romanian American National Heritage Award (5th edition) that recognizes the volunteering work of the Romanian American Youth. Come hear about how this award has helped our past recipients distinguish themselves in their admission process to top colleges and institutions, such as Dartmouth College, Wesleyan Univ, Pitzer College, UC Berkeley, UCLA, UC Davis, UC Santa Barbara, UC Irvine, Whitman College, Purdue Univ, UW Honors, and many others.
Special Guests: Otilia Baraboi, Ph.D. (ARCS Execcutive Diretor, University of Washington Affiliate Faculty); Andreea Rebăltescu ( RUF Communications Director/CEO & Founder of Cora Phenix Digital Entrepreneur & Artist); Mihai Lehene (RUF President, Founder); Boby Constin (RUF Volunteer); Andreea Haidău (RUF Volunteer). Read their bios below.
Register HERE in advance.
Find out more about the Romanian American National Heritage Award (5th edition) HERE.
Program co-organized by ARCS, Alianța and RUF-Romanian United Fund.
Otilia Baraboi, Ph.D.
otilia.baraboi@arcsproject.org

Before coming to Seattle in 2000 from Romania, Otilia worked as a literary journalist and published short-fiction, translations and articles. She holds university degrees in French and English literatures from Romania, Switzerland, and the US. She has a Ph.D. on the politics of translation from the University of Washington, where she taught French language and literature for 17 years, and where she is currently co-teaching a course on Romanian literature and film. In 2013, she co-founded ARCS and was President of the Board for five years before becoming ARCS’ first Executive Director. For Otilia, ARCS has been a wonderful opportunity to remain connected with the vibrant culture of her birthplace, while contributing to the artistic and cultural vitality of the Pacific Northwest. As part of her work, Otilia has been managing the Romanian Film Festival in Seattle and ARCS community-based school for Romanian heritage students, as well as more than 300 cultural and educational events over the past 9 years. Her priorities are to create sustainable, community-building programs and partnerships, as well as develop ARCS’ brand identity in accordance with its mission and values. Most of all, Otilia hopes that her work will have a direct, long-lasting impact on the ways in which future generations will define, celebrate and pass on their heritage. Otilia is also the President of the Ethnic Heritage Council of the Pacific Northwest and a board member of Romanian United Fund.

Andreea Rebaltescu
Andreea is the CEO & Founder of Cora Phenix Digital Entrepreneur & Artist. She graduated Gheorghe Dima Music Academy in Cluj, Romania, and studied drama at the University Babes Bolyai in the same city. She is also an entertainer and published author.

Mihai Lehene
Mihai Lehene is a Founding Member and the President of RUF. Passionate and caring, Mihai’s goal is to inspire all around him to be better and help each other, especially his fellow Romanian Americans.

Andreea Haidau

Andreea Haidau is a current high school senior from the Chicago area. She may have been born in the U.S., but that has not stopped her from forming a pretty indestructible bond with her Romanian heritage. Her upbringing and passion for the Romanian language, culture, and people (and, of course, food) has, at present, culminated into the beginnings of a new youth organization dedicated to bringing local Romanian-American kids closer together. She is very much enthused to continue enkindling relationships between Romanian people of every age, generation, and location.

Bobby Costin

Bobby Costin is currently a sophmore in the Bay Area. He was born in Romania, and lived there until he was 10 years old, after which he and his family moved to the United States. He is extremely passionate about teaching others important skills, such as programming, and is especially excited about this opportunity to teach Romanian-Americans with a similar cultural background to his. Overall, he loves his Romanian heritage and cannot wait for the chance of creating more possible future career options for individuals from his own country.

Mărțișoare Workshop 2022
2022-02-27 10:00 - 11:00
Join us for a spring celebration -Mărțișor, March 1st.
Mărțișor is an old tradition celebrated all over Romania every year, on March 1st, also widely spread in Bulgaria and the Balkans.
The name Mărțișor is a diminutive of March (Martie in Romanian).
It is believed that the person who wears the red and white string would enjoy a prosperous and healthy year. Read more HERE
Register HERE in advance for this meeting.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
The workshop is destined for kids ages 7+, or younger, supervised by a parent.
Romanian artist and musician Beatrice Iordan will lead the workshop.
Beatrice Iordan is a puppet artist, museum pedagogue at the Museum of the Romanian Peasant, and she plays the cobza in the band “Trei Parale”. She also does shadow theater with “Hopa Trop”, her theater company, paints angels and – more than that – she believes that power and inspiration lie in ourselves, that we are our own mentor.
You can find out more about her from this article in Romanian.
Event organized in partnership with the Romanian NGO – Cu Alte Cuvinte, and our community partners from Washington D.C. – Romanians of DC

Beatrice Iordan

Beatrice Iordan is a puppet artist, museum pedagogue at the Museum of the Romanian Peasant, and she plays the cobza in the band “Trei Parale”. She also does shadow theater with “Hopa Trop”, her theater company, paints angels and – more than that – she believes that power and inspiration lie in ourselves, that we are our own mentor.

College Admissions # 4- Ask a Specialist
2022-02-27 10:00 - 11:00
Are you anxious about the college applications process? Come meet our special guest, Dr. Diana Barbu (see her bio below). She will cover the following aspects and answer any of your questions:
1. Building the Balanced College List (we’ll look at certain metrics to determine academic fit)
+ The Transfer Option (pros and cons)
2. Admission Models (ED, EA, RD, etc.) (what they mean and who should use them)
3. The Application (focus on materials, financial aid applications)
4. Types of Admission Decisions (conditional admit, waitlisted, deferred, etc.)
5. Next Steps
Register HERE
Diana Barbu

Dr. Barbu worked for more than 12 years in college and university administration in executive and senior-level positions. She served as the Associate Vice-Provost for Institutional Research and Effectiveness at St. Thomas University, Director of Research and Data Analytics at Miami Dade College, and Director of Academic Programs at the State University System of Florida – Board of Governors. Throughout this time, she learned a lot about college admissions and student success strategies.
She earned a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from Florida State University, a Master in Communication from Rutgers University, and a Bachelor in Computer Science and Mathematics from the North University of Baia Mare.
She published a book on Financial Aid and is in the process of publishing the 2nd one on College Admissions. The Ultimate College Financial Aid Guide: Understand the Aid Offer & Ask for More Money is available on Amazon.com and was ranked in the top 5 in various categories. The second book will be available on Amazon soon.
She is committed to helping students graduate in 4 years with the least amount of debt.
She lives in Florida with her husband Adrian.
Connect with her on:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/diana-barbu-ph-d-4a65713/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CollegeTalk.Us
Email: diana.barbu@gmail.com

Francophone Writers of Romanian Origin: Annie Lulu's Debut Novel
2022-03-05 10:00 - 11:00 | Online
Did you know that Romanian is the 5th most widely spoken Romance language in the world, after Spanish, Portuguese, French and Italian? Also, there are strong historic links between Romania and France, dating back to the 18th century, and in 1991 Romania joined the International Organization of La Francophonie. In March we are thrilled to celebrate the month of Francophonie and the French-speaking world with Romanian Congolese writer Annie Lulu, and her special guest, Romanian American writer and scholar Domnica Rădulescu. Join us on March 5th at 10am PT| 1pm ET.Register here. You can buy the novel here. Event organized in partnership with Alliance Française de Seattle. Find out more about how the Alliance Française of Seattle celebrates the Month of Francophonie throughout March. GuestsAnnie LuluAnnie Lulu was born in Iasi, Romania. Her father is Congolese and her mother Romanian. She arrived in France at a young age, then studied philosophy. She devotes herself fully to writing. "La mer Noire dans les Grands Lacs" (The Black Sea in the African Great Lakes), her first novel, received the Senghor Prize, the Littérature de l'Exil Prize, and was a finalist for many prestigious literary prizes in the Francophone world (Prix Orange du Livre, Grand Prix du Roman Métis, Prix Ahmadou Kourouma, Prix des Étonnants Voyageurs. Domnica RădulescuDomnica Rădulescu is an American writer of Romanian origin, living in the United States where she arrived in 1983 as a political refugee, having escaped the communist dictatorship of her native Romania. She settled in Chicago where she obtained a master’s degree in Comparative literature and a PhD in Romance Languages from the University of Chicago. She is the Edwin A. Morris Professor of Comparative Literature at Washington and Lee University.

Radulescu is the author of three critically acclaimed novels, Train to Trieste (Knopf 2008 &2009), Black Sea Twilight (Transworld 2011 & 2012) and Country of Red Azaleas (Hachette 2016) and of award-winning plays. Train to Trieste has been published in thirteen languages and is the winner of the 2009 Library of Virginia Fiction Award.

Radulescu received the 2011 Outstanding Faculty Award from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia and is twice a Fulbright scholar.

Radulescu also published fourteen non-fiction books, edited and co-edited collections on topics ranging from the tragic heroine in western literature to feminist comedy, to studies of exile literature to theater of war and exile, refugee art, and two collections of original plays. Two of her plays, Exile Is My Home and The Town with Very Nice People were runners up for the Jane Chambers Playwriting award in 2012 and 2013. Dream in a Suitcase. The Story of an immigrant Life is her first memoir and it has been released from Austin Macauley Publishers in December 2021.

ARCS Heritage Language and Culture School - Spring 2022
2022-03-07 - 2022-06-17
Are you interested in stimulating your children’s creativity, nourish their bicultural and bilingual heritage?
Our Romanian Heritage Language School offers innovative virtual classes and workshops for children, youth and adults with Romanian background or with an interest to learn Romanian, nationwide. Our teaching methods are based on the core principles of Heritage Language Education to nourish bilingualism and address holisitically the bi-cultural identity of our students through project-based activities, play, authentic sources, critical thinking, and meaningful interactions with their families and communities. Our students gain pride and confidence as heritage language speakers and learners of Romanian, while developing a global understanding of the world.
We are the first Romanian secular community-based school to have developed a teaching curriculum according to the priciples of HERITAGE EDUCATION, since 2016. We are looking for partners and happy to share our methodology with other communities in the Romanian diaspora. Please write to Otilia Baraboi at otilia.baraboi@arcsproject.org to find out more about our programs and possible collaborations with your communities.
Our current students come from numerous regions in the US. We can accommodate to various time zones and have demonstrated experience teaching multiple levels and age groups.
Registration
REGISTRATION OPENS on February 4, 2022. Please REGISTER HERE.
We will contact you to schedule a brief language evaluation.
Scholarships
We offer scholarships to families in need. Please contact Otilia Baraboi at otilia.baraboi@arcsproject.org if you would like to be considered.
Payment Options
Most of our courses cost 25$/hour, 350 for 14 sessions in the spring semester 2022. Please scroll down to chose the payment option right for you. Thank you.
Calendar and Holidays
We will work with parents and students to find the best times and days that work for you. The times indicated in the schedule are only orientative. Please fill out the registration form to let us know your availability.
Instruction Weeks ( Mar 7- Jun 17):
•Week of March 7, 14, 21, 28
•Week of April 4, 18, 25
•Week of May 2, 9, 16, 23
• Week of June 1, 6, 13
Holidays:
• Spring Break: April 11-15
• Memorial Day: May 27, 30

Space, New Technologies and Sustainability
2022-03-12 10:00 - 11:30
Celebrate International Women’s Month with us! Join us for this event honoring the work of women scientists and their pioneer spirit.
Our first workshop features Dr. Ioana Cozmuta, Romanian American world expert in materials, microgravity and space.
This event inaugurates a special Speakers Series as part of the Heritage Language Program Grant, awarded by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) Migrant/Bilingual Department to the Wenatchee School District and other local organizations, ARCS among them, to develop a year-long remote learning program for Heritage Language speakers of Romanian, Russian, Spanish and Ukrainian. Other upcoming events will feature speakers representing the Ukrainian, Russian and Spanish-speaking communities included in the grant.
Register HERE.
Event organized in partnership with World Affairs Council -Global Classroom, the Ethnic Heritage Council, the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) Migrant/Bilingual Department and Wenatchee School District.
More about This Event:
Since 1961, when Yuri Gagarin became the first human to fly to and successfully return from space, humanity has made unprecedented leaps in the exploration of space such as setting foot on the surface of the Moon through the Apollo missions and permanently inhabiting the International Space Station for the past two decades!
The year 2010 marked yet another important transformation with SpaceX’s first successful orbital flight operated by a commercial company set to increase the frequency, reduce the price and broadening opportunities to access space. Not only has space technology continued to advance rapidly; SpaceX’s success has laid the grounds for a wave of commercial companies and private investments currently building and expanding infrastructure in low earth orbit and beyond.
The benefits of space extend well beyond technological advancements. They impact every single aspect of our life on Earth from forecasting natural disasters and sustainable utilization of natural resources to enabling remote healthcare, climate change monitoring and disaster management to name a few. The United Nations Office of Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) has captured how space is supporting the Sustainable Development Goals under the Space4SDG’s branding.
As the New Space movement continues to grow so does its reach and impact on our day-to-day life. Next on the horizon is a new wave of companies developing technologies and manufacturing processes that will ultimately result in moving Earth manufacturing into space. From designing superior materials and products without gravity to leveraging on direct access to space solar power, vacuum, and ultra-low temperatures such a shift will be a strong correcting force to counterbalance pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, severe degradation of Earth ecosystem services, loss of biodiversity, climate change, etc.
Enabling civil society the experience of flying into space it is foreseen that it will trigger a mass-scale shift in humanity’s own awareness and accelerate the path towards enlightenment through propagating the Overview effect – that miraculous sense of awe and deep respect towards the uniqueness of life on planet Earth, our only home amongst the stars.
Ioana Cozmuta

Dr. Ioana Cozmuța is the founder and CEO of G-space Inc (https://www.zerogspace.com), a women-owned B-corporations and a reflection of Ioana’s passions: to discover and build opportunities for socio-economic benefit at the confluence of Space and Earth and to mentor and inspire the new generation towards a more prosperous future for humanity. Ioana holds a Ph.D. in Applied Physics from the University of Groningen, the Netherlands and she is an alumnus of Caltech and Stanford University. During her career at NASA and in the industry spanning two decades, Ioana has built a legacy on transforming the status quo, opening new avenues for innovation, collaboration, space technology commercialization and public-private partnerships. The current fiber optics manufacturing in space has its origin in a paper published in 2017. Dr. Cozmuța is a TedEx Future Spoiler (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlsGhC3G1d8), a keynote/speaker and lecturer. She has co/authored over 200 scientific articles, technical reports and newspaper interviews; webinars and podcasts.

Writing on the Walls at Night, A Journey from Romania to the US
2022-03-26 10:00 - 11:00 | Online
Join us for poetry reading and discussion with poet Claudia Serea about her latest book “Writing on the Walls at Night”Guest speakers: Clara Burghelea and Adina Dabija Moderator: Otilia Baraboi Register HERE In this new collection of prose poems, Claudia Serea uses surrealism, irony, and black humor to express her experiences, from growing up behind the Iron Curtain to immigrating to New York City. The first section of the book, “There Were No Magic Beans,” recalls her childhood in Romania under Nicolae Ceaușescu’s rule, a world in which terror mixes with fairy tales, nightmares, and dreams. The second section, “The Keepers of Moon Keys,” introduces a cast of peculiar characters, including folk tale protagonists, witches, ghosts, a collector of clouds, a bone music maker, a man who paints the time, and the Lord of Meanwhile. In “Dark Calligraphy,” the poet conjures history, remembering war and oppression through the eyes of a child. The reader is guided by a little girl and a museum custodian through the great traumas of recent history. In the last section of the book, “The Russian Hat,” Serea transports the reader into a metropolis as strange as the past she carries with her, to the “museum of our lives,” where “we are the curators, the visitors, and the paintings that paint themselves.” This astonishing place vaguely resembles New York City distorted by memories and dreams, but it might as well be Las Vegas where “what happens in the poem stays in the poem.” In this collection, Serea’s readers win “pound after pound of shiny poems,” the magical beans they will use to escape again and again, discovering hidden meanings with surprise and delight in each new reading. Event organized by ARCS in partnership with Arizona American-Romanian Cultural Collaborative (ARCC), Immigration Research Forum, Bucharest Inside the Beltway, and Romanians of DC, with the support of the Romanian Cultural Institute in NY/USA GuestsClaudia SereaClaudia Serea’s poems and translations have been published in Field, New Letters, Prairie Schooner, The Malahat Review, The Puritan, Oxford Poetry, Asymptote, and elsewhere. She is the author of six poetry collections and four chapbooks, most recently Writing on the Walls at Night (Unsolicited Press, 2022). Serea’s poem My Father’s Quiet Friends in Prison, 1958-1962 received the New Letters Readers Award, and she was featured in the documentary Poetry of Witness (2015). Serea’s poems have been translated in French, Italian, Russian, Arabic, and Farsi, and have been featured in The Writer’s Almanac, as well as in several international festivals and anthologies. Her collection of selected poems translated into Arabic, Tonight I’ll Become a Lake into which You’ll Sink, was published in Cairo, Egypt, in 2021. Serea is a founding editor of National Translation Month, and she co-hosts The Red Wheelbarrow Poetry Readings in Rutherford, NJ. Clara BurgheleaClara Burghelea is a Romanian-born poet with an MFA in Poetry from Adelphi University. Recipient of the Robert Muroff Poetry Award, her poems and translations appeared in Ambit, Waxwing, The Cortland Review, and elsewhere. Her second poetry collection, Praise the Unburied, was published with Chaffinch Press in 2021. She is Poetry Co-Editor of the museum of americana and Review Editor of Ezra, An Online Journal of Translation. Adina DabijaAdina Dabija is a writer and philosopher born in Aiud, Romania. She now lives in New York, where she practices acupuncture and hypnosis. Her first book, poezia-papusa, was awarded the Bucharest Writers’ Association Guild Prize in 1998. She published Stare nediferentiata in 2010 for which she was awarded Tomis prize in Constanta, Romania. In 2011 she published Beautybeast (North Shore Press), her first collection of poetry translated into English by Claudia Serea, and in 2012 her first novel, Saman (Ed. Polirom). Adina is currently working on four books: Songs from My Garden, a poetry collection, Nine Seeds for Life, a practical self-help book which combines narrative medicine from her native Romania with gardening and bio cognition for anyone suffering with post-traumatic stress disorder, Rumi’s Field, a novel on the mystical relationship between Rumi, the 12th century Sufi poet, and his spiritual companion Shams al Tabriz, and Wise and Wild in America, a book of interviews with exponents of the traditional American values such as self-reliance, individual freedom and equality of opportunity to inspire the young generations. Some of her recent writings and interviews can be found at www.sol.center

College Admissions #5 - College Financial Aid Workshop
2022-04-02 10:00 - 11:00
Paying for college can be daunting, but in this workshop we’ll break down the process of applying for financial aid. We’ll look at what are the different options and outline what steps you need to take.
Our special guest, Dr. Diana Barbu, returns to our college admission series with more insightful infomation. The discussion will be moderated by Dr. Ileana Marin.
-Understand college financial aid (how to apply and what you can get)
-Determine out of pocket costs and compare colleges
-Ask for more aid
Register HERE.

Diana Barbu

Dr. Barbu worked for more than 12 years in college and university administration in executive and senior-level positions. She served as the Associate Vice-Provost for Institutional Research and Effectiveness at St. Thomas University, Director of Research and Data Analytics at Miami Dade College, and Director of Academic Programs at the State University System of Florida – Board of Governors. Throughout this time, she learned a lot about college admissions and student success strategies.
She earned a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from Florida State University, a Master in Communication from Rutgers University, and a Bachelor in Computer Science and Mathematics from the North University of Baia Mare.
She published a book on Financial Aid and is in the process of publishing the 2nd one on College Admissions. The Ultimate College Financial Aid Guide: Understand the Aid Offer & Ask for More Money is available on Amazon.com and was ranked in the top 5 in various categories. The second book will be available on Amazon soon.
She is committed to helping students graduate in 4 years with the least amount of debt.
She lives in Florida with her husband Adrian.
Connect with her on:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/diana-barbu-ph-d-4a65713/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CollegeTalk.Us
Email: diana.barbu@gmail.com

Ileana Marin, Ph.D.
ileana.marin@arcsproject.org

Ileana Marin teaches interdisciplinary courses at the University of Washington in Seattle and at the Center of Excellence in Image Studies at the University of Bucharest. Her long-standing academic career on both sides of the ocean has given her the opportunity to establish contacts between Romanian and American scholars, artists, and institutions. She, thus, initiated the first UW Exploration Seminar to Romania, and to Eastern Europe, and opened the fund for Romanian Studies, hoping that Romanian language will be taught regularly in Seattle. With a BA in Romanian and a PhD. in Comparative Literature from the University of Bucharest (2000), and one in Textual Studies from the UW (2011), Ileana is a strong believer in the power of education and bilingualism. In ARCS, she advocates the expansion of the Romanian language programs in the US and for disseminating the most recent Romanian cultural achievements. On her agenda as president, Ileana Marin has two major tasks: board development and recruitment to ensure the successful implementation of ARCS mission through meaningful programs.

Tethered to the Unexpected
2022-04-16 10:00 - 11:00 | Online
Join us for a poetry reading and discussion with poet Roxana Cazan about her latest book "Tethered to the Unexpected".Guest speakers: Clara Burghelea and Domnica RădulescuModerator: Otilia Baraboi Register HERE. Tethered to the Unexpected is a lyrical treat despite its grim truth. Roxana Cazan offers a loving, lasting tribute to familial bonds though "some days the windows / don't withstand the rain." [...] Beyond a body in decline, Roxana's unassuming voice explores her grandmother's life, tethered to her own, attempting to close the "distance / between home and crib."– Ken Hada, author of Contour Feathers Read more about Roxana Cazan's book on her website.Buy the book HERE. Event organized by ARCS in partnership with Arizona American-Romanian Cultural Collaborative (ARCC), Immigration Research Forum, Bucharest Inside the Beltway, Romanian United Fund, and Romanians of DC, with the support of the Romanian Cultural Institute in NY/USA GuestsRoxana CazanBefore teaching at the University of Oklahoma, Roxana L. Cazan taught literature, creative writing, and women's studies courses at Saint Francis University in Pennsylvania. She is an interpreter and translator of Romanian and a poet. Her poems have been featured in Poets Reading the News, The Windsor Review, Cold Creek Review, Construction Literary Magazine, Glass Lyre Press, Adanna Literary Journal, Watershed Review, The Portland Review, Harpur Palate and others. Her full-length poetry books are The Accident of Birth (Main Street Rag 2017) and Tethered to the Unexpected (Alien Buddha Press 2022).

Roxana’s scholarly work focuses on ethnic and postcolonial literature and women’s studies and has appeared in Neophilologus, Women’s Studies Quarterly, Comparative Literature Studies, Studies in American Jewish Literature, American Journal of Undergraduate Research, and Demeter Press. A chapter is forthcoming in Remembering Kahina: Women, Representation and Resistance in Post-Independence North Africa, Routledge.

She is the co-editor of the anthology, Voices on the Move: An Anthology by and about Refugees, Solis Press, 2020. Clara BurgheleaClara Burghelea is a Romanian-born poet with an MFA in Poetry from Adelphi University. Recipient of the Robert Muroff Poetry Award, her poems and translations appeared in Ambit, Waxwing, The Cortland Review, and elsewhere. Her second poetry collection, Praise the Unburied, was published with Chaffinch Press in 2021. She is Poetry Co-Editor of the museum of americana and Review Editor of Ezra, An Online Journal of Translation. Domnica RădulescuDomnica Rădulescu is an American writer of Romanian origin, living in the United States where she arrived in 1983 as a political refugee, having escaped the communist dictatorship of her native Romania. She settled in Chicago where she obtained a master’s degree in Comparative literature and a PhD in Romance Languages from the University of Chicago. She is the Edwin A. Morris Professor of Comparative Literature at Washington and Lee University.

Radulescu is the author of three critically acclaimed novels, Train to Trieste (Knopf 2008 &2009), Black Sea Twilight (Transworld 2011 & 2012) and Country of Red Azaleas (Hachette 2016) and of award-winning plays. Train to Trieste has been published in thirteen languages and is the winner of the 2009 Library of Virginia Fiction Award.

Radulescu received the 2011 Outstanding Faculty Award from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia and is twice a Fulbright scholar.

Radulescu also published fourteen non-fiction books, edited and co-edited collections on topics ranging from the tragic heroine in western literature to feminist comedy, to studies of exile literature to theater of war and exile, refugee art, and two collections of original plays. Two of her plays, Exile Is My Home and The Town with Very Nice People were runners up for the Jane Chambers Playwriting award in 2012 and 2013. Dream in a Suitcase. The Story of an immigrant Life is her first memoir and it has been released from Austin Macauley Publishers in December 2021.

Paris Chansons
2022-04-30 17:30 | The Tripple Door, 216 Union St, Seattle, WA, 98101, United States
Paris Chansons returns to the beautiful Triple Door in Seattle on Saturday, November 5th, with a NEW, exciting show! Featuring original renditions of favorites from Aznavour, Dassin, Piaf, Brel, Macias, Adamo, Dalida to Zaz & Stromae PLUS some of the most beautiful Italian & Eastern European and Balkan classics!
TWO concerts: 5:30PM & 8:30PM
You can see video clips and get your tickets here:
https://tickets.thetripledoor.net/eventperformances.asp?evt=1602
Paris Chansons is an exciting French band with an international twist based in Los Angeles! They are known for their original renditions of French favorites from Aznavour, Dassin, Piaf, Macias, Adamo, Dalida, all the way to contemporary artists like Zaz. Their exhilarating performances are punctuated with gypsy jazz standards as well as classics in Russian, Italian, and other languages.
Three multilingual singers bring an unparalleled diversity to their shows. Julia Kantor, originally from the Ukraine, lived and studied in France where she discovered in French music a soul connection that still imbues every performance. She entrances from the stage with a sultry voice and dynamic presence. Together with her husband, Jacob, a Russian-born singer/songwriter, they launched Paris Chansons. Max Cohen grew up in Morocco steeped in French music, particularly the songs of Enrico Macias. Max’s rich velvety tone delivers beautifully nuanced renditions of his favorites, complete with a signature North African lilt.
Superb musicianship anchors the ensemble, effortlessly moving from jazzy improvisation to slow-burning balladry to blistering gypsy fervor. All seasoned pros, the musicians are Jeff Lams on piano, Adam Cohen on upright bass, Endre Balogh on violin, Sinclair Lott on drums and Jacob Kantor on guitar. Paris Chansons takes you an a journey without leaving your seat (except, of course, to dance!), a spectacular celebration of French and international music that brings the world that much closer.

GiveBIG 2022
2022-05-03 - 2022-05-04
Give BIG 2022 supports WA-based non-profit organizations providing needed services, fighting for a better world, caring for the environment, and expanding our horizons through art, culture and learning. ARCS is proud to participate in this campaign for the fourth time. Encourage your friends, family, and co-workers to join you in supporting ARCS to offer access to Romanian heritage, education and culture locally, and at the national level through our virtual programs.
Donate here to support ARCS: https://www.wagives.org/organization/arcsproject
Thanks to your generosity, we would like to raise $3500 to partially cover the move-in costs in our new location at the MLK Community Center in Seattle, as well as our rebranding process that includes new logo to accommodate other locations in the US, and new web design for our education and film pages.
Stay tuned in May as we launch our amazing new logo and web design!

Mail-Order Family
2022-05-14 10:00 - 11:00 | Online
Join us for a discussion with author Irina VanPatten about her latest book "Mail-Order Family".Moderator: Ileana Marin Register HERE. Mail-Order Family, a proud 2nd Place Award Winner at The Spring 2022 BookFest (Book Festival) in the Humor/Non-Fiction/True Stories/Memoir Category is an unlikely love story that doesn’t follow the usual rules, and even defies geography. It’s a story about difficult times but also one of triumph and hope, even when people are literally two worlds apart! Read more about Irina VanPatten's book on her website.Buy the book Here. Event organized by ARCS in partnership with Arizona American-Romanian Cultural Collaborative (ARCC), Immigration Research Forum, Bucharest Inside the Beltway, Romanian United Fund, and Romanians of DC, with the support of the Romanian Cultural Institute in NY/USA GuestsIrina VanPattenIrina VanPatten is an American Pacific Northwest writer born in a small Eastern European country called Moldova. Her writing style marries the best of these two worlds. She draws from the rich roots of her culture but bakes her own American literary cake with a blended sense of humor: sharp yet warm; edgy yet tender. She brings her perspective of past life experiences from behind the Iron Curtain, creating a unique blend of East versus West points of view in her writing.

Her most recent book is Mail-Order Family - a Silver Award winner at the Spring 2022 BookFest book festival in a very tough category True Story/Memoir which had a lot of competition this year. Mail-Order Family is a humorous, charming and relatable tribute to Irina’s family’s resilience and a heartfelt love story about two misfits literally two worlds apart.

She also writes on immigration subjects. She is the author of the book Welcome to America, Welcome Home, which is based on multiple interviews with American immigrants of different backgrounds and cultures. Experts, lawyers, professors, activists, refugees, and asylum seekers share their personal stories and reveal the hardships of those who try to assimilate and succeed in America.

Her other passion is writing for the English-Romanian language magazine Hora in America, which focuses on stories from Romanian and Moldovan communities but lately included also the Ukrainian community, reporting on personal stories of the Ukrainians dealing with the war at home.

She volunteers as a translator for the Northwest Immigration Rights Project, collaborating with the division that takes on cases under the Violence Against Women Act and signed up with World Relief to host refugee families from Afghanistan and now is ready to host Ukrainian refugees too.

Irina VanPatten’s website: https://irinavanpatten.com/

Mail-Order Family can be purchased from the author directly from the author’s website at:

https://irinavanpatten.com/mail-order-family

Or on Amazon at:

https://www.amazon.com/Mail-Order-Family-Irina-VanPatten/dp/1598493108/ref=sr_1_1? Ileana Marin, Ph.D.Ileana Marin teaches interdisciplinary courses at the University of Washington in Seattle and at the Center of Excellence in Image Studies at the University of Bucharest. Her long-standing academic career on both sides of the ocean has given her the opportunity to establish contacts between Romanian and American scholars, artists, and institutions. She, thus, initiated the first UW Exploration Seminar to Romania, and to Eastern Europe, and opened the fund for Romanian Studies, hoping that Romanian language will be taught regularly in Seattle. With a BA in Romanian and a PhD. in Comparative Literature from the University of Bucharest (2000), and one in Textual Studies from the UW (2011), Ileana is a strong believer in the power of education and bilingualism. In ARCS, she advocates the expansion of the Romanian language programs in the US and for disseminating the most recent Romanian cultural achievements. On her agenda as president, Ileana Marin has two major tasks: board development and recruitment to ensure the successful implementation of ARCS mission through meaningful programs.

Romanian American National Heritage Award - 6th Edition
2022-06-30 08:00 - 2022-11-30 17:00
Romanian American National Heritage Awards 2022, 6th edition The Romanian American National Heritage Award is an annual competition for high school students with Romanian heritage or background. Applicants of non-Romanian descent may qualify, as long as their work and experience relate to Romania or the Romanian community in the US. The award recognizes exceptional contributions to the cohesion of the Romanian community and the preservation of its heritage, language, culture and traditions. The jury representing the three organizations involved based their decision on the national and international impact of the volunteering activity described, the candidate's academic achievements and leadership potential and tracked record, as well as their future vision for the benefit of the Romanian community, locally and beyond. Congratulations to the Winners of This Year's Edition : • Platinum, National - Andreas Miclea (Northside College Preparatory High School, IL) • Gold, National - Briana Feier (Brecksville-Broadview Heights High School, OH) & Alexandra Rîmbu (Highland Park Senior High School, MN) • Silver, National - Robert Alexandru Cusmir (French-American School of New York, NY) • Platinum, East Coast - Mircea Gruia Florescu (The Hudson School, NJ) • Gold, East Coast - Ian Saracila (Spring Valley High School, SC) • Silver, East Coast - Liam Alexe (Avon High School, CT) • Platinum, Mid-West- Vlad Lovin (Culver Military Academy, IN) & Alexandra Lehene (Glenbrook South High School, IL) • Gold, Mid-West- Erin Tamasi (Community District 99 Downers Grove North High School, IL) , Daniel Rîmbu (Highland Park Senior High School, MN) and Nicholas Moigradan (Maine South High School, IL) • Silver, Mid-West - Inara Zayic (Minnetonka High School, MN), Dan Haidău (Wheeling High School, IL) , and Petru Matei Busu (Maine South High School, IL) • Platinum, West Coast - Victor Ene (Sunset High School, OR) • Gold, West Coast - Ana Gîrniță (Portola High School, CA) • Silver, West Coast - Larisa Sâmbotin (Skyline High School, WA) Granted by the American Romanian Cultural Society and Romanian United Fund, with the endorsement of the Embassy of Romania to the United States. The Award Ceremony will be hosted at the Alianța Gala on November 30th. With the support or ARCS Arizona and ARCS Detroit. Community Partners: Casa Română Please email us at contact@arcsproject.org if you want to join us as a community partner. Recognition and Awards All eligible participants will receive the official recognition of the Romanian Embassy in the United States and the top winners will receive awards of up to $1000. In the past years the award has helped the recipients distinguish themselves in their admission process to top colleges and institutions, such as Dartmouth College, Wesleyan University, Pitzer College, UC Berkeley, UCLA, UC Davis, UC Santa Barbara, UC Irvine, Whitman College, Purdue University, UW Honors, Harvard and many others. Timeline June 30 - Submission of Applications Opens October 15th - Submission of Applications Closes October 30 - Winners Announced Apply here. Eligibility: ​​Age and residence: For the 2022 edition, participants must be enrolled in High School in United States for the 2021-2022 academic year. Academic standing: Minimum unweighted High School GPA of 3.0 – or equivalent, running average for the last school year.Team work: Both individuals and teams can participate in the competition. Participation in teams is encouraged. To encourage leadership and simplify the evaluation process, the maximum team size is 5, including the leader. There are no Romanian or US citizenship requirements. There are no fees required, this competition is entirely free to participate for eligible students. ​Eligibility for national participantsThe top 5 winners of the regional competitions advance to the national competition. Evaluation criteria The following criteria will be used in the evaluation process (not all criteria are required, but they will strengthen your application): 1) Community work and leadershipThe number of volunteering hours and their visible outcome and results will be a strong factor in the evaluation. Where applicable and possible, volunteering and community work in Romania (e.g. groundbreaking projects with children, youth and seniors from underprivileged social backgrounds, or religious and ethnic minorities) will receive the jury's highest consideration. Please highlight this aspect in your application. Please provide a detailed description of your working experience, highlighting the ways in which your activity and leadership initiatives impacted the targeted community, strengthening its civic spirit and sense of unity. 2) Essay Please submit a short motivationalessay that will describe how your community work influenced your own personal growth and brought awarness to your bicultural and bilingual identity in the US. We strongly encourage applicants to model their essay from their college application essays, following a similar structure and attention to detail. The essay shall have no less than 200 words and no more than 650 words. 3) Recommendations from local community leadersYour essay and recommendations (up to 2) will play an important role in the evaluation process. A formal letter is not required, a name and contact info (email and/or phone number) will be sufficient. The contest organizers will reach out to confirm the recommendations. Romanian Heritage ConnectionApplicants of any cultural background may qualify, as long as they are able to prove their interest, work experience and connection to Romania. Examples of such proof: Passing an officially recognized Romanian language test – where availableAn essay in Romanian Volunteer work in Romania
