Research Mailing Circle - 2026
There is a memory I keep coming back to.
In 2006, during my second year of university, I was invited to join a Comenius project (what would now be an Erasmus+ grant). It was how I got my first passport. How I first traveled outside Romania.
Italy. France. Cyprus. Bulgaria. I visited schools. I met educators working in roles that didn't exist in Romania at the time. Every single day of every single trip, I wanted to share what I was seeing, what I was thinking, what I was feeling.
Smartphones didn't exist. Social media didn't exist. So I waited, came home, and tried to remember the enthusiasm. And as the days passed, it was harder.
I wished people could read my diary - but I also wanted to keep it private.
In 2006, during my second year of university, I was invited to join a Comenius project (what would now be an Erasmus+ grant). It was how I got my first passport. How I first traveled outside Romania.
Italy. France. Cyprus. Bulgaria. I visited schools. I met educators working in roles that didn't exist in Romania at the time. Every single day of every single trip, I wanted to share what I was seeing, what I was thinking, what I was feeling.
Smartphones didn't exist. Social media didn't exist. So I waited, came home, and tried to remember the enthusiasm. And as the days passed, it was harder.
I wished people could read my diary - but I also wanted to keep it private.
Twenty years later, I am preparing four research trips in 2026 - to Spain, France, The United Kingdom - to collect data for my research project on Psychological Safety, Emotional Security, and Sense of Belonging in alternative schools.
And I still have that wish. To share. In a meaningful way.
And I still have that wish. To share. In a meaningful way.
What is the Research Mailing Circle?
A small group of people who will receive a physical letter from me, by post, after each of my four research trips.
Each envelope will contain:
Four trips. Four letters. Four envelopes: from four schools I will visit in Spain, France, The United Kingdom - arriving at your door across 2026.
Each envelope will contain:
- a printed and signed Research Diary: my thoughts, experiences, and reflections from the field. No data, no school analysis, no case studies, just the human experience of being a researcher in the world.
- a printed Polaroid photograph from the trip. Polaroid is one of my data collection methods - it felt right to share one.
- one of the reflection questions I carried with me during the research.
Four trips. Four letters. Four envelopes: from four schools I will visit in Spain, France, The United Kingdom - arriving at your door across 2026.
What this is not
This is not a newsletter in an envelope.
It is not a social media post on paper.
It is not a polished report.
It is slow. It is personal. It will arrive when it arrives.
My research trips are not dependent on this circle.
But the circle makes them lighter to carry.
It is not a social media post on paper.
It is not a polished report.
It is slow. It is personal. It will arrive when it arrives.
My research trips are not dependent on this circle.
But the circle makes them lighter to carry.
How to join
Joining the Research Mailing Circle costs €100 - a one-time contribution that supports the research costs (travel, accommodation, film, equipment) and covers the production and postage of all three letters, wherever you are in the world.
To join, follow the link below. You will be asked for your postal address when you complete your contribution - so your letters know where to find you.
To join, follow the link below. You will be asked for your postal address when you complete your contribution - so your letters know where to find you.
Mentions:
The visits are planned across several European countries, including Spain, France, and the United Kingdom. The full list of schools and destinations will be confirmed and announced soon.
The Research Mailing Circle is hosted administratively and fiscally by The Fearless School Association (Cluj, Romania).
Contributions are processed via WhyDonate.
For questions: [email protected]
The visits are planned across several European countries, including Spain, France, and the United Kingdom. The full list of schools and destinations will be confirmed and announced soon.
The Research Mailing Circle is hosted administratively and fiscally by The Fearless School Association (Cluj, Romania).
Contributions are processed via WhyDonate.
For questions: [email protected]
