On October 15, 2024, a special event dedicated to Interreg Cooperation Day 2024 was held at the "Familia" Regional Training and Rehabilitation Center in Chernivtsi (Ukraine). Organized by the management structures of the Interreg NEXT Romania-Ukraine programme, the event was an opportunity to celebrate European values and cross-border cooperation, highlighting the real impact of European Union-funded projects in the border regions between Romania and Ukraine.
The central theme of the event was the promotion of social inclusion, cross-border partnership, and investment in education, through the improvements made at the center in Chernivtsi, where European funding contributed to the acquisition of technological equipment for multisensory stimulation rooms and various school workshops (wood processing, textile art, gastronomy and photography).
The event was attended by teachers, parents, journalists, beneficiaries, regional and national authorities from Ukraine and Romania.
Children from the "Familia" Center prepared artistic performances presented by a group of children with hearing impairments, as well as a recital given by a refugee student from Kharkiv. The children also played and enjoyed activities alongside entertainers, celebrating the friendship between Romania and Ukraine. At the end, they were rewarded with diplomas and school supplies in an atmosphere of solidarity and joy. The participants had the opportunity to visit painting workshops focused on cooperation, as well as the physiotherapy rooms of the center, where children receive specialized support.
The SpeEd-2-Labour Market project, titled "Special Education in the Cross-Border Area Suceava – Chernivtsi: Modern, Inclusive, and adequate to Labor Market," funded by the Joint Operational Programme Romania-Ukraine 2014-2020 and implemented by the Suceava County Council and the "Familia" Center in Chernivtsi, has significantly contributed to modernizing school infrastructure and improving educational services for children with special educational needs in Suceava and Chernivtsi.
This project also qualified for the grand finale of the European Interreg SLAM 2024-2025 cooperation project competition, recognizing its impact on the community.
The Interreg NEXT Romania-Ukraine program continues to celebrate Interreg Cooperation Day year after year, alongside the community of European Union-funded Interreg programs, emphasizing the benefits that cross-border cooperation brings to border regions.
