Claudia Lixandru joins the AVE executive team in the role of Development Director

AVE (Association for Values in Education) announces the addition of Claudia Lixandru to the team as the Development Director. She joins the organization’s executive team and will play a strategic role, working directly with the AVE Board of Directors. In this role, Claudia Lixandru is responsible for funding development initiatives, increasing organizational capacity, and representing the organization internationally in relation to key funders and partners, grant-providing authorities, and relevant international foundations. Additionally, she will coordinate both an internal and external team to ensure the sustainable growth of the association’s programs according to the objectives set together with the Board of Directors.

Claudia Lixandru has management and leadership experience in both the business and non-profit sectors, both nationally and internationally. Over the past decade, she has led the Roma Education Fund (REF) in Romania, and for the last three years, she has been the Co-Director of the entire international network, during which time she contributed to the foundation’s growth in terms of both revenue and the number of employees. Under Claudia Lixandru’s coordination, more than 30 projects have been implemented, with budgets of around 50 million euros. She has also been a member of the Monitoring Committee of the Education and Employment Program, the Monitoring Committee of the National Recovery and Resilience Program, and the Roma Sounding Board of the World Bank in Romania.

“Since its founding nine years ago, AVE has invested approximately 5.9 million euros in the development of educational programs and projects. These initiatives have been recognized by the United Nations and the Civil Society Gala and have received support from both the Romanian Presidency and the Ministry of Education. Over time, AVE’s educational programs have become increasingly relevant to the needs of children, teachers, and principals. We are committed to finding ways to work with as many schools as possible in all counties of the country. We aim to transform 1,000 schools in the next 3 years and reduce functional illiteracy among students. These are national-level initiatives, which is why we need the special capabilities and professional expertise of Claudia, who is one of the most experienced NGO leaders in Romania,” said Andreea Nistor, AVE Executive Director.

“Education is the engine that drives progress, and every child deserves access to quality education. Participation in early education is below the EU average, with only 75% of children between 3 years old and the starting age of compulsory primary education enrolled in pre-school education in 2021. I joined AVE because of its proven ability to mobilize various stakeholders around its mission of bringing the Romanian education system into the top 10 in Europe by 2035. Education problems can only be solved together and through long-term and scalable national interventions. I am confident that my experience will help develop the operational structure necessary for the systematic scaling of AVE’s activities,” said Claudia Lixandru, AVE Development Director.

Claudia Lixandru’s role in AVE is essential for enhancing the organization’s ability to scale the impact of interventions in schools, given the objective of AVE’s newest program. Through the Romanian School Transformation Program, AVE aims to provide the best training for school principals, teachers, and students. This integrated 360° educational transformation program ensures that each school receives constant guidance from experts and a customized growth plan developed with specialists, creating a long-term positive impact on principals, teachers, students, and the community. The program offers access to essential resources, training courses, and support from a community of experts, educational consultants, and business mentors. The program has a 3-year duration, and the first 200 educational institutions in Romania that join in 2024, whether they are kindergartens, schools, or high schools, will receive full scholarships.

The Association for Values in Education (AVE) is a non-profit organization whose main objective is to bring the Romanian education system into the top 10 in Europe by 2035. AVE wants to support the transformation of the Romanian education system into one that promotes respect, honesty, team spirit and responsibility. You can keep up to date with AVE’s actions by following our LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram pages.