The Bureau for Diaspora Relations has launched a program to create ten education centers abroad and to elaborate a syllabus for teaching the Romanian language for children from the diaspora. The goal is to maintain and develop linguistic, cultural and emotional ties between the diaspora members and their native country Moldova, IPN reports.

In a press release, the Bureau says that together with the Ministry of Education and the International Organization for Migration, it will work out a Romanian language syllabus with elements of culture and civilization for children from the diaspora within a new subprogram of grants called Education Centers in the Diaspora.

Within the subprogram, financial assistance will be offered to associations, centers, initiative groups of the diaspora with at least one year’s experience in organizing educational activities, which will be ready to create or develop education centers for Moldovan children in the countries where these live.

A five-day training course for ten teachers from the diaspora who will work at the created centers will be staged within the program next summer. The training costs will be covered by the organizers.

The value of a grant is US$3,500. Grants will be provided to associations, initiative groups and/or existing education centers for a period of one year (September 1, 2016 – September 1, 2017. The wining projects will additionally benefit from teaching aids, depending on necessities. Applications for grants can be submitted online by August 5, 2016. More details are available at www.brd.gov.md.