Beyond vacation: Moldova's youth centers foster growth
When we say "summer," we often think of vacations, adventure, and free time. But this much-awaited season can mean more than just relaxation.
Summer can be the ideal moment for self-discovery, engagement, and personal growth. In this regard, the Youth Centers in the Republic of Moldova are precisely the right place where all of this happens – with free access, open to everyone, and full of opportunities.
What is a Youth Center? What happens there?
The Republic of Moldova currently has a National Youth Center Network, comprising over 70 centers and local branches that offer support and activities tailored to the needs and interests of young people from all regions. These regional hubs are dedicated to youth empowerment, providing spaces where young people can interact, learn, and develop. Each center is a haven of resources, activities, and programs, designed to inspire and motivate, promote civic participation, and facilitate access to essential information for youth.
Youth Centers, already active in communities across the country, are experiencing a new impetus through the National Program for Youth Center Development 2030 – an initiative that aims to transform these spaces into true hubs of innovation, non-formal education, and civic engagement. This program is a strategic initiative of the Ministry of Education and Research, allocating an annual investment of 4.5 million Moldovan lei from 2025-2030, intended for the expansion and modernization of the youth center network in the Republic of Moldova.
Behind every center is a dedicated team and a community of active, creative, and courageous youth. Here, you are heard, your opinion matters, and you are encouraged to contribute. You can participate in interactive workshops, civic projects, thematic excursions, summer camps, or volunteer activities. And most importantly, you can be yourself in a safe and friendly space.
From North to South, summer feels productive at youth centers across the country
Just as every summer comes with the promise of unforgettable stories, Moldova's Youth Centers open their doors wide to transform free time into meaningful time. Here, young people experience summer among friends, projects, bold ideas, and personal discoveries.
Far from being mere scheduled spaces, these centers become, especially during the summer months, true creative laboratories. Whether we're talking about creative workshops, summer schools, volunteer activities, or personal development sessions, the energy of these places comes directly from the young people themselves – and the coordinators are there to offer them support, confidence, and direction.
In the north, south, and center, the spirit of summer feels different, yet equally vibrant. This is also true for the Youth Centers in Drochia, Taraclia, and Strășeni – all sharing a common goal: engaging, empowering, and connecting young people.
Drochia: real connections and opportunities
At the Drochia Youth Center, summer is synonymous with movement – and not just physical. Young people participate in experience exchanges with centers from within the country and abroad, host visitors from Europe, explore picturesque places, and organize themed evenings with music, movies, and karaoke. Thus, local culture becomes a bridge in excursions and traditional culinary events.
Mariana Bruma, the center's coordinator, told us that summer activities are not just recreational but also have an educational dimension: training in career guidance, project writing, leadership, and entrepreneurship. Additionally, through the "Traveling Center" project, the team reaches marginalized communities to bring opportunities directly to them.
"The impact of the Youth Center in the community is visible: young people become more self-confident, more socially connected, and more civically active. They feel part of a space that belongs to them – provided they are listened to and involved," says Mariana Bruma, the Center Coordinator.
The National Program for Youth Center Development 2030 has so far offered them access to quality training, where they learned about sustainability, organizational development, and best practices in working with young people. Perhaps the most valuable gain is the lasting connections created within the network, offering constant support and inspiration for the future.
Furthermore, the Youth Center had the opportunity to access Component II of the Government's Program, which supports equipping centers with modern equipment and educational materials, contributing to the creation of a safe, innovative environment adapted to the needs of young people.
Strășeni: The summer when young people choose to grow
In the central region of the country, engagement and civic spirit feel just as strong. At the Strășeni Youth Center, summer is built by young people and is full of color and energy. An example of this is the "Summer at the Center" Program, created based on a survey where adolescents and young people proposed their desired activities. This is how creative workshops, nature outings, volunteering, and even a "Mafia" night, entirely organized by a group of volunteers – from concept to promotion – were born.
The center's director, Alina Daranjiu, told us that youth workers in Strășeni emphasize genuine participation. Young people are not just beneficiaries but co-authors of everything that happens. To ensure equitable access, the team travels to rural localities, collaborates with Local Public Administrations (LPAs), and organizes shared transport. Through the "Traveling Center" project, they reach ten localities in the district directly, offering useful and attractive activities.
Moreover, collaboration with other Youth Centers, such as the recent one with Ungheni, brings new ideas and a sense of community. Strășeni thus becomes an active part of a network that grows together.
Regarding the National Program for Youth Center Development 2030, Alina emphasized: "The program brought more than just resources – it offered vision and direction. Activities were structured around the real needs of young people, and the team benefited from essential training for facilitating participatory processes and counseling them. With the support of the National Youth Agency, Strășeni is becoming a best practice example in active youth engagement."
At the same time, young people from the Strășeni Youth Center encourage us to follow them on social media, as they post all their achievements there and also publish a weekly activity plan open to all curious and active individuals.
Taraclia: Diversity, development, and digitalization
The south of the country also boasts involved and dedicated people. This is evident at the "Vasil Levski" Youth Center in Taraclia, where summer is a vibrant mix of initiatives. Young people from rural areas participate in personal development workshops through the "Traveling Center Returns to YOUTH #25" project, and through "Start Digital," they learn career guidance, digital literacy, and employment skills – courses open even to adults up to 50 years old.
The center's coordinator, Elena Naseca, told us that every Friday, an initiative group organizes movie nights followed by themed quizzes, and the Board Game Club offers a unique experience by testing the climate game "Keep Cool," where participants make global decisions for a sustainable future.
Even the little ones are not forgotten. For children aged 8 to 13, a day camp operates with creative activities, psychosocial games, and outdoor events. On their Facebook page, we can see the weekly activity plan, including location and time.
As Taraclia is a multicultural area in the south of the country, the coordinator mentioned the power of a center to bring young people together in one place: "In a space where ethnic diversity is actively valued, young people learn from each other about culture, traditions, and mutual respect. The inclusive atmosphere, intercultural dialogue, and combating discrimination are integral parts of the center's mission."
Furthermore, the support offered by the National Program for Youth Center Development 2030 is directly felt here as well: relevant training for the team and valuable instruction – from social entrepreneurship to advocacy and designing services for young people. The results are already visible and felt, as a generation is developing that is increasingly engaged and prepared for the challenges of today's world.
"Summer's here, we're waiting for you at the Youth Center!"
Summer is certainly more than just a break from school. Moreover, in this season where we enjoy more free time, we also have an opportunity for growth – personal, professional, and social. Youth Centers in the Republic of Moldova successfully transform this time into a fertile ground for shaping a courageous, informed, and engaged generation.
As we've seen in Drochia, Strășeni, and Taraclia, and as happens in the other Youth Centers across the country, young people aren't bored; instead, they propose, create, guide, and inspire, because where there's support, there are also ideas.
By 2025, we are proud of Youth Centers that have become reference points in the community – places where the voice of young people is heard, and their initiatives are supported. More than that, the National Youth Center Network, consolidated by the National Program for Youth Center Development 2030, is becoming a true pillar of youth involvement at local and national levels. Constant training, equitably distributed resources, logistical support, and strategic direction offered by the program contribute to the professionalization of youth work and the diversification of services available to them – regardless of whether they live in a city or a village, are active volunteers, or are just discovering opportunities around them.
Summer can be more than vacation, and Youth Centers are where your time truly matters. Discover the Youth Center in your region at tineret.gov.md and stay updated with their online activities. The network is ready to inspire you – what do you want to create this summer?
Translation by Iurie Tataru
