CROS success story
CROS (The Centre for Resources for Student Organizations)
Objective: Started as an NGO that supports the impact of student organizations, CROS initiated a revolution in education. Their first step is to develop the first alternative university in Romania based on the following principles: when integrated with reality, learning becomes relevant and motivating; learning is a social and collaborative process; everyone decides what, how and how much learns (self-directed learning).
Approach: Subsidizing an educational model for youth (calculated at aprox. 2000 eur/ year/ person) through services that they offer with their student community to companies (e.g. “rent a team”, “media lab”)
Impact (outputs, jobs created):
- 2 communities of practice created (HRemotions and NewMedia School – 116 ppl)
- 21 student organizations & 10 companies on board;
- 10 full time employees;
Geographic target: Romania
Target of beneficiaries:
- Young people, students
Innovation & sustainability: The education model as a whole is a first in Romania; the first 2 years of operations have focused on attracting a solid base of partners, students and student organizations, coaches, mentors and facilitators.
The entrepreneur behind : Traian Bruma, rollerblading passionate and former engineering student, Traian has been involved with the National Alliance of Student Organizations in Romania, strongly believing in the implementation of the Bologna system. That until he understood that sometimes, the best reform is a revolution. In 2008 he started CROS aimed at igniting the educational revolution in Romania. Traian has been a speaker at TEDx in Bucharest and is fully committed to realizing his dream. Recently he was listed by Forbes Romania in the “30 under 30” list of young successful Romanian entrepreneurs.
