As a follow-on project under the Kennedy Academy for Students — an initiative under the aegis of the U.S. Embassy in Romania and the American Councils for International Education — Romanian Youth Rise brought civic engagement straight into the classroom.

Over the course of three interactive workshops held at Școala Gimnazială Radu Selejan in Sibiu, Ovidiu-Daniel David, founder of Romanian Youth Rise, spoke to students from the school’s English and French intensive classes about the meaning of civic involvement, the value of volunteering, and the role each young person plays in shaping the society around them.

The workshops were held in the students’ respective languages of study — a deliberate choice that made the conversations not only educational, but genuinely immersive.

From a student of Business Management to a speaker standing in front of the next generation, Ovidiu brought one simple message: your voice matters, and your actions matter more.

The views expressed during this event do not represent the official position of the U.S. Embassy in Romania or of the American Councils for International Education.