3Fold has identified immediate opportunities to address Mental poverty (educational gaps) facing students that live in and attend school in the villages and are being addressed in the Pathways to Hope program through several focus areas.

(Although this is where most of our resources will be directed, 3Fold will continue to work with our local Romanian partners to support Spiritual and Physical needs in the communities we serve as opportunities arise and funding allows.)

The mission of Pathways to Hope is to walk alongside children in rural Romanian villages, meeting them with love and support wherever they are in their lives. Through access to quality education and personal mentoring, we aim to foster a love for learning, help them build resilience and confidence, and support their growth. With compassion and academic guidance, we strive to break the cycle of poverty, inspire hope, and journey with each child toward a brighter future where they can thrive both academically and personally.

[Should we use the below bulleted list to replace the “focus areas” below?  Still use the what and why explanation for added context.]  

·        Build a program that is sustainable & reproducible

·        Provide Mentorship of children (academic & non-academic)

o   Caring for the children is the fundamental force that inspires change, rather than focusing solely on academic deliverables

·        Academic tutoring (all grades)

o   Encourage peer teaching or peer tutoring to encourage collaboration and allows students to learn from each other in a supportive environment.

·        8th and 12th grade exam prep (dependent on number of eligible students)

·        Meal/snack for all children in attendance

·        Use Creative ways to reward effort and consistent attendance

What are the main Focus Areas of Pathways to Hope and Why?

Focus Area #1: Provide well-trained, passionate teachers to provide supplemental after school tutoring to improve the foundational education for all grades through lesson review and homework assistance.

WHY?

·        Supplement and improve foundational education for 4-8th graders

·        Motivation to stay in school - Caring instructions goes a long way keeping students engaged in their school work and vision of the future

·        To impact the high dropout rates of students beyond 5th grade instruction

·        Narrow the knowledge gap for 8th graders when it’s time to prepare for high school admittance exam

Focus Area #2: Provide well-trained, passionate teachers to provide effective after school tutoring to prepare 8th graders for the High School Admittance Exam and 12th graders for the University Entrance Exam.

WHY?

·        Exams have massive impact on educational opportunities (high school admittance) and future professional opportunities

·        Enable impoverished, neglected students to begin to hope in a better future

·        Motivation to stay in school

·        Sustainability - successful students begin to give back to the community inspiring future generations to believe in more than their current circumstances!

Focus Area #3: Provide needed support for high schoolers on an as needed basis

WHY?

·        Assists impoverished families financially to be able to send their children to high school located in Sibiu

·        Build hope and motivation to do well in school if they know they can physically attend high school to continue their education

Focus Area #4: Support high school graduates that attend University

WHY?

·        Motivation to continue their high school years and not drop out b/c of no hope to make it to or through the next step of their educational journey

·        Overcome any financial barriers that may keep them from pursuing their professional development dreams

Pathways to Hope IS NOT: 

• A Quick Fix - These initiatives support students along their journey. Success is not measured by overnight success but rather a series of milestones that the students will achieve along the way. Motivation to stay in school and perform well on the important 8th and 12th grade national exms and then making it to university are

• A Hand Out - We want to partner with the families and students that are in desperate need of support to break through the educational barriers that allow them to dream big and achieve higher levels of education and professional development. However, a partnership requires participation from those giving support and those receiving. Hand outs help no one - they don’t drive personal development nor self-esteem. We want to develop the student to significantly contribute to their own success, their families, their community - not make them perpetually reliant on others.

• One Size Fits All – Many students have similar situations while just as many do not.  3Fold will properly vet the needs of each student and design a path to success with milestones for them to continue to earn support along the way. 

3Fold will continue to widen the net of inclusion as funding grows which could include supporting families and students from other communities or the development of other initiatives to develop elementary aged students to rely less on tutoring to succeed in middle and high school.