Andreia Mitrea on educational leadership, learning culture, and OSCA: from schools to communities that learn together

Andreia Mitrea shares her perspective on educational leadership, learning culture, and OSCA—an innovative model that brings adults and children together for meaningful, lasting transformation.

Andreia Mitrea has 20 years of experience in educational leadership and learning entrepreneurship.

She co-founded Avenor College and Colina Learning Center, an innovative school that integrates the development of both children and adults.

She has also worked in the NGO sector, where she led leadership and transformation programs for public schools, contributing to the development of educational leaders and to changing organizational culture in education.

She is a mentor and consultant for founders of private schools and kindergartens in Romania and other countries, providing strategic support in defining educational, cultural, and leadership models.

She is a graduate of the Master’s in Educational Leadership at the Institute of Education, University College London (IOE, UCL) — one of the most prestigious educational leadership programs in the world.

Today, she leads OSCA (One School for Children and Adults), an initiative dedicated to building learning cultures for a better life and a better world.

C&B: Looking back, what were the key moments in your career?

Andreia: I have three turning points: when I understood that I could build an innovative school from scratch—and actually did it, at Colina Learning Center, which was the first school in the world designed to integrate learning for children and adults; when I realized the real impact of school culture, not just infrastructure; and when I discovered that adult development is the foundation of good education for children. As I often say: “Let’s be serious, adults are the real curriculum.”

C&B: What were the biggest challenges in launching OSCA?

Andreia: The main challenge was clearly conveying that children’s learning depends on adults’ learning. And showing that a learning culture can be built at home. That you can take ownership of your own development through a practical methodology with real results, not just through discourse or theory. When people take responsibility for their own growth and we provide the method, unexpected transformations happen.

C&B: Is there a constant ambition that has guided you?

Andreia: Yes. I deeply believe that learning done together can change lives. I am an active learner. That is my identity.

C&B: What were you like at the beginning, and how have you changed today?

Andreia: At the beginning, I was convinced that the solution lay in methods and curriculum. Now I know that the solution lies in people who keep learning continuously. I moved from “building schools” to “building learning cultures.” And that’s because I myself have undergone a radical transformation—physically, emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually. And I believe this transformation is accessible to everyone.

C&B: What do you think your team would say about you?

Andreia: That I have high standards, I always ask “What did we learn?”, and I care deeply about people’s real growth. And that I’m funny and laugh a lot when the work is good.

C&B: Is there a decision that changed your trajectory?

Andreia: Putting adult development at the center of education. And stopping the search for ready-made models, choosing instead to create them, grounded in serious research and practical results.

C&B: What would be a defining moment for OSCA?

Andreia: The first Expedition where I saw real changes in people’s everyday lives. When they said, “This is transformation.” It was the confirmation that the model works.

C&B: What differentiates OSCA from the rest of the market?

Andreia: At OSCA, learning is shared. Adults and children learn within the same process and use the same method—the Shared Learning Expedition. We don’t offer just inspiration or theory. We offer a method that can be applied every 6–8 weeks, with clear results.

C&B: What does a typical day look like for you?

Andreia: In the morning, I start with movement—Body First. It’s the foundation. Sometimes meditation and walking the dog as well. The day is about working with people and OSCA products. The evening is about relationships and community. I enjoy walking meetings, out in nature.

C&B: How do you see the evolution of education in Romania?

Andreia: Education is moving from institutions toward community and family. And the ability to learn together will become essential.

C&B: How did the idea for OSCA come about?

Andreia: I noticed that a child cannot surpass the level of the adult around them. Children learn by imitating real life. So we need to learn together. Simple and profound.

C&B: Future plans regarding OSCA?

Andreia: We currently work with adults (ages 24–99). Starting in 2026, we will expand to young people (18–24) and children (over 9). And we are building programs for private and public schools across the country.

Andreia Mitrea’s story is not about schools in the traditional sense, but about people who choose to learn intentionally, together. OSCA offers a paradigm shift: education begins with the adult and is built through culture, not just structure.