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YouthHUB

A safe space for young people

YouthHUB is an educational and community hub open to young people in Craiova—a place where education, mentoring, and healthy relationships naturally come together. Here, young people grow in the long term, not just "participate" in activities on an ad-hoc basis.

Character Program

HEROES – Discover the hero within

Created for teenagers (12-15 years old), the program transforms confidence and integrity into inner resources. In 12 sessions, young people in Dolj learn to recognize their unique gifts, beyond grades or rules.

Launched in 2013 by Worldwide Partners under the coordination of Canadian Kory Sikstrom and supported by Claudia Cochină, the project has been continued since 2018 by the Close to YOUth Association.

Impact: Over 3400 graduates in Craiova and Dolj County.

International Development

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

A global framework for non-formal learning present in 120 countries, accessible to young people between 14 and 24 years old. The program supports young people in finding their passion through four pillars: volunteering, skills, physical activity, and expedition.

From 2025, this program is also available in Craiova, offering teenagers the opportunity to obtain an internationally recognized accreditation and become "world-ready."

Result: Autonomy, discipline, and global recognition.

Life Education Conference

Leader Learners to Greatness

A platform where teachers, parents, and students learn together. In the 7 editions in Craiova and Timișoara, we brought experts from Great Britain, Canada, and Romania to discuss emotional health and motivation.

Life Education is not just a conference, but a living community where networking creates educational partnerships, demonstrating that the future of education is built through dialogue and continuous learning.

Impact: 500+ inspired participants at each edition.

We invest in teachers. We involve parents. We inspire young people.
YouthHUB means continuity: a stable place where young people can make mistakes without fear in order to become who they are.

#Sharing Christmas Joy

Together we build a community that gives

A true community leans with care and empathy towards those in need. For over 16 years, we have chosen to be present where hope is needed: alongside children from the villages around Craiova, children with special needs, and those who have needed urgent medical support through our heartfelt project #Sharing Christmas Joy.

Through every act of generosity, we have brought joy, comfort, and confidence. Thanks to the people who have chosen to get involved, we have reached over 1,500 children and offered them more than just material help: proof that they are not alone.

Today, our dream goes further. We want to build a YouthHUB – a youth center where generosity, compassion, and care for those in need become a way of life. A place where young people learn to get involved and turn good into normality.

Every contribution counts. Every donation brings us closer to a space where young people grow beautifully and pass on the good they have received.

"No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted."
— Aesop

Testimonials

What people are saying

When education makes sense, it is felt. And it is seen in stories, results, and trust.

Andreea
Fly High Beneficiary from 2011/2012
David
Fly High Beneficiary from 2020
Claudia is one of the most wonderful people in education I have ever met, with an energy hard to find and an optimism hard to match, a source of inspiration and innovation for Romanian schools.
Diana Brătucu
Director, "Traian" Middle School, Craiova
You leave this conference feeling motivated, energized and ready for great deeds. It was my Aha moment.
Andreea
Teacher, Life Education Conference 2018
It is a pleasure for me to work alongside Claudia Cochină, whom I admire. She brings tremendous energy, intelligence, and organizational competence to all her projects.
Gemma Hussey
Former Minister of Education, Ireland
I resonated a lot with Claudia's vision. I knew how we were raised and I wanted something different for my son. Besides learning English through play, he learned to get involved. This summer he wrote a letter in English on his own and was accepted as a volunteer. It's all thanks to learning through experience.
Parent of a student
Community member