"I Don't Plan my Ideas. I Let Them Show Up When It Is Time." — an Interview with Gabriela Ileana Crisan

Describe your project in one sentence.

Gabriela Ileana Crisan: The Scratch and ... Goooal! event challenged 21 students aged between 9 and 11 to play football by some peculiar rules.

Describe your nonprofit organization in one sentence.

G.I.C.: Our organization, the Association Pro Teodor Murasanu, was created by parents in order to help schools access funds needed to better develop the learning process.

Describe yourself with five words.

G.I.C.: Enthusiastic, creative, caring, ambitious, innovative.

When did you first decide to start your project? Will it be one among many?

G.I.C.: I heard about the Meet and Code competition from my Facebook contacts and friends. I was curious about the topic, so I checked the internet for more details. I liked the competition rules very much, so I participated with a lot of joy and with all my heart — with total involvement. So it was something spontaneous, and I proposed two projects.

Where do you see the project in five years?

G.I.C.: The project is already developed. We have another one approved and granted. Its name is Snap and ... Gooal! and will involve 90 girls. We intend to run a competition first at the local level, second at the national or international level.

What three tips would you give others on the way?

G.I.C.: To be creative, to work in a team, to always connect the programming to real life.

How much time did you spend on organizing the event?

G.I.C.: I don't know, and I don't want to count it because all was for our children. A lot of time for sure.

Who or what inspires you?

G.I.C.: My previous experience in eTwinning projects and my love for children.

Which tools do you need most in your everyday life?

G.I.C.: Laptop, telephone, books.

How would you describe your goals — "next week," "next year," "when I'm old“?

G.I.C.: I don't plan my ideas. I let them show up when it is time. Surely, I have some ideas in my mind, but I let them stay there until they are ready.

What drives you?

G.I.C.: Responsibility for the community I belong to.

What do you say about the funding culture in your country?

G.I.C.: We don’t have a culture of funding well represented in the country. Education is underfunded, and it would be desirable to have more initiatives in order to solve this issue.

What do you say about the funding culture in your region?

G.I.C.: I like the fact that in the last years some local NGOs have initiated projects which support education. I would like to find more such initiatives in my region.

What experiences from your past have made you a better person?

G.I.C.: Being a mother.

What do you think about MEET AND CODE?

G.I.C.: A very good initiative and an opportunity to discover valuable ideas and people.

If you had unlimited funds for your organization right now, what would you do?

G.I.C.: I would change all the classrooms in my region, starting with furniture. I would buy electronics, like telescopes and microscopes. I dream to build a green zone in which children learn to work with plants. I would like to offer some clubs for children (theatre, programming, robotics, creative writing, astronomic, law, recycling ...) with the help of specialized people. I would help disadvantaged children and reduce school dropouts by offering interesting activities based on each child's talent. I would initiate measures to increase safety in schools.

Thank you!