60 students from the second and third grades of Gheorghe Asachi High School will be involved in a pilot project where they can have a hands-on experience of what the cultural heritage of the Republic of Moldova means. This was announced by Ion Ștefăniță, the director of the Agency for Inspection and Restoration of Monuments (AIRM), at a press conference held at IPN.

Ion Stefanita mentioned that, during two days, September 26 and 27, the students would go to Orheiul Vechi, where, on the first day, they would visit the Cave Monasteries, the Archaeology Museum, the Traditional Peasant House Museum. "The next day we plan several workshops, with team work. Children will have the opportunity to put their hands on dough, to learn how to bake knot shaped bread. A craftswoman will show them how to weave carpets," said Ion Stefanita.

The AIRM director said that students would also take part in a sanitation action and in harvesting grapes.

The project is supported by the Embassy of France in the Republic of Moldova. The representative of the cultural service of the French diplomatic mission, Giovanni Cavallaro, has said that his country supports the project because the children involved are learning French in the bilingual classes of Gheorghe Asachi High School. "Supporting this project, we support the cultural heritage of the Republic of Moldova, respectively, we support the Francophone school in Chisinau," said Giovanni Cavallaro.

Anatolie Botnaru is a businessman in charge of the project logistics. "It is an honour for us to be able to participate in the education of children. It's a big responsibility. By visiting villages, children from the city can discover activities that have been happening for thousands of years in the countryside, such as maize harvesting or cooking traditional dishes”, declared Anatolie Botnaru.

Lidia Cherdivara, teacher at Gheorghe Asachi High School, class master of second graders, says that by participating in the project the children will know what cultural heritage is and who their ancestors were. "I believe that children will become fond of our cultural heritage," said Lidia Cherdivara.

Elena Prisăcaru, another teacher of Gheorghe Asachi High School, mentions that the project represents something new for education. "We have to spend time in nature, to show the children how the vine grows, what can be done with the grapes, to show them how to weave carpets, a craft that became extinct in the Republic of Moldova," said Elena Prisăcaru.