AO IQ Games
Location: Chișinău
Focus Area: Special Educational Needs, inclusion, advocacy, practical life skills
AO Association of Intellectual Games of the Republic of Moldova received a $7,500 grant from The Friends of Moldova to support children and adolescents with special educational needs and to promote a more inclusive Moldova. The project worked directly with Special Education Schools No. 6 and No. 7 in Chișinău, combining practical equipment, inclusive events, volunteer engagement, and national-level advocacy.
Through this project, IQ Games supported 263 children and adolescents with special educational needs, 200 parents of children with autism, and 3,100 typically developing children and adolescents through inclusive activities and public events. The project also engaged 168 youth volunteers, including 128 volunteers ages 14–18 and 40 volunteers ages 19–25. In total, IQ Games reported 2,791 project volunteer hours, with the association’s 15 members investing an additional 3,760 hours into the project.
The project included 10 major activities, including an information campaign for World Autism Awareness Day, volunteer training on working with children with special needs, the “Festival of Big Hearts” at Special Education School No. 7, sports competitions at Special Education School No. 6, the handover of new school equipment, and Moldova’s first IQFest, which included an inclusive zone focused on social orientation, daily living skills, career opportunities, and volunteer recognition.
The project also reached far beyond the schools themselves. IQ Games informed approximately 14,000 people through its public campaign and involved 80 representatives from government structures, civil society, educational institutions, teaching staff, stakeholders, and parents of children with special educational needs. The project also involved 40 secondary and higher education institutions, helping expand the conversation about inclusion among young people, teachers, families, and decision-makers.
A major achievement of the project was IQ Games’ advocacy for access to lyceum-level education for children with special educational needs in grades 10–12. Through its participation in governmental and public working groups, IQ Games helped advance the idea that young people with SEN deserve continued educational pathways, practical skills development, and opportunities for employment and full participation in society.
The project also helped IQ Games strengthen important partnerships. During the grant period, the organization established collaboration with the People’s Advocate Office, including the Advocate for Children’s Rights, and developed partnerships with Kaufland Moldova through its “ACCES” program supporting people with disabilities. IQ Games also built relationships with private companies such as Grafit Holding, Lux Voyage, and Loteria Națională as part of its fundraising and inclusion efforts.
Main Results
The project directly supported 263 children and adolescents with special educational needs and 200 parents of children with autism, while reaching 3,100 typically developing children and adolescents through broader inclusion activities. It mobilized 168 youth volunteers and thousands of volunteer hours, showing the power of young people to become active participants in building a more inclusive society.
IQ Games organized 10 major activities, including school events, volunteer trainings, public awareness activities, advocacy meetings, sports competitions, and IQFest, Moldova’s first festival of intellectual games with an integrated inclusive zone. Through its public campaign, the project informed approximately 14,000 people and brought together schools, families, civil society, government representatives, and business partners around the rights and potential of children with special educational needs.
The project also produced an important systemic result: support for the development of lyceum-level education opportunities for children with SEN in grades 10–12. This helped create a stronger educational pathway for students who previously had limited opportunities after completing lower secondary school.
Most importantly, the project helped shift how children with special educational needs are seen. Through inclusive events, practical activities, and direct work with families, IQ Games helped parents and community members see children not through the lens of diagnosis, but through their abilities, personalities, dreams, and potential. What began as a $7,500 school-based project became part of a larger movement for dignity, inclusion, education, and employment for young people with disabilities in Moldova.
