In the press
Television, radio and online interviews, newspaper op-eds, campaigns and public appearances featuring Nicholas Carstoiu across Romanian and international media.
Interviews, opinion pieces, TV and radio appearances, campaigns and moments from my work - as a Children's Board of Romania, supported by UNICEF member, student and youth advocate.
Nicholas Carstoiu is a Romanian youth leader, competitive athlete, social entrepreneur, writer and public speaker. He is a member of the UNICEF Romania Children's Board and of the Children's Advisory Council of the Bucharest City Hall, Ambassador for Romania of United Citizens of Europe, and founder of HANDIFY, a smart-glove startup and national finalist at JA Gen-E 2026. He is also the creator of The Fake News Factory, a double award-winning media-literacy project recognised by Freedom House Romania and by the Grant My Passion 2026 Better World grant, and of I BELONG, a national finalist at the DI_PLOMA AWARDS 2026. Romanian and international media have featured him for his work on children's rights, education, media literacy, youth mental health, civic engagement and sport. This page collects his television and radio interviews on TVR, Digi 24, Rock FM, Radio Romania Actualitati and Realitatea PLUS, his opinion articles in EduPedu and for United Citizens of Europe, interviews in Business Lounge and Wholesome, and public campaigns carried out with UNICEF and the Romanian-Finnish High School.
Articles & interviews
Opinion pieces I have written, and interviews and analyses where my perspective was featured.
What Money Still Can't Buy
My second article as a United Citizens of Europe Local Ambassador - a 2026 World Cup essay on why the richest teams don't always win, and why money builds better football but meaning builds better competitors.
Money builds better football. Meaning builds better competitors.
Left on the Sidelines: Sport, Mental Health and the Young Europeans We Leave Out
My first article as a United Citizens of Europe Local Ambassador - on how Europe leaves one of its most powerful tools for adolescent mental health and belonging, sport, on the bench for the young people who need it most.
A bench is a small thing, until you are the one sitting on it.
Adolescenții și imaginea din oglindă
A personal reflection on how healthy habits, discipline and the support of those around me helped me realize that good health is essential for pursuing my passion and building self-confidence.
All children are wonderful, no matter how they look.Read the article →
O versiune mai bună a ta. Ghidul unui adolescent pentru sănătate emoțională mai bună prin sport
A personal reflection on how sport helped me build resilience, emotional well-being and discipline, becoming the best investment in my own personal growth.
For me, the simplest way to feel good in my own skin is to do sport.Read the article →
Voleibalista Alexia Căruțașu, ajunsă în naționala Turciei, în centrul unei scrisori virale: „România a alungat-o!”
A reflection on merit, responsibility and the need for a sports system that recognises, supports and retains talent, inspired by Alexia Căruțașu's story.
A country that cannot keep its talents is not unlucky. It is guilty.Read the article →
Interviewing A UNICEF's Child Board Member
An interview about leadership, volunteering and the power of young people to create change, drawing on my experience with the UNICEF-supported Children's Board and projects focused on children's rights, education and mental health.
Small actions can make a big difference.Read the article →
Interzicem accesul copiilor pe rețelele de socializare? „Generația noastră trăiește online” vs. „Nu poți controla ce informație primește copilul”
Nicholas Cârstoiu was among the youth voices featured in a national TVR analysis on children's online safety and the regulation of social-media access. As a member of UNICEF Romania's Children's Board, he argued that the solution is not to ban young people from social media, but to equip them with digital literacy and the skills needed to navigate online environments safely and responsibly.
Our generation lives online. The solution is to be taught how to use the internet safely, not to be banned from it.Read the article →
Ce spun adolescenții despre interzicerea accesului pe rețelele sociale: Măsura nu protejează pe nimeni. Mută problema unde adulții nu o mai văd
Nicholas Cârstoiu was one of the leading youth voices featured in a TVR in-depth report on children's online safety and the regulation of social-media access. As a member of UNICEF Romania's Children's Board, he argued that digital education is far more effective than outright bans, emphasizing that social media has become a space for learning, civic engagement, collaboration and personal development for his generation.
A ban protects no one - it simply moves the problem where adults can no longer see it. Our generation lives online; the solution is to teach us how to use the internet safely, not to ban us from it.Read the article →
Video & audio appearances
Radio, television, podcasts and campaigns.
Morning Glory cu Răzvan Exarhu
Rock FM · 20 Nov 2024On World Children's Day, UNICEF runs activities every year „for children, by children”. On 20 November I celebrated, together with the children of UNICEF Romania, 34 years since the UN General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child - the most important agreement signed by the states that pledged to defend children's rights, ratified by Romania back in 1990.
Let's talk about Anxiety
UNICEF on YouTube · Nov 2023According to a 2021 UNICEF study, nine million teenagers in Europe live with a mental-health condition, more than half affected by anxiety or depression. It matters to prioritise your emotional well-being and to ask for support - from a mental-health professional or a trusted person such as a friend, a parent or a teacher. Together we can build a safe space to talk about the things that matter. Your voice counts: U-Report encourages young people in Romania to share their views, including on mental health. The material was filmed bilingually, teenagers from Ukraine were part of the cast, and the campaign ran across Europe.
Ziua Internațională a Drepturilor Copilului - live la Radio România Actualități
Radio România Actualități · Nov 2023In an interview with Radio România Actualități on World Children's Day, I spoke about the importance of children taking part in the decisions that affect them, about mental health, and about the responsibility of adults to listen to and value the voice of the younger generation.
First of all, for us children: to trust us and not laugh at us when we tell them our problems, but to be attentive and interested.
Ziua Internațională a Drepturilor Copilului - live la Realitatea Plus
Realitatea Plus TV · Nov 2023On 20 November, World Children's Day, I was invited - together with my colleague Sara - for an interview on Realitatea Plus, as a member of UNICEF Romania's Children's Board. I spoke about how we, children, can bring unique perspectives and creative ideas to the decisions that concern us, whether about school, free time or challenges in our community. I am proud and grateful to be part of UNICEF Romania's Children's Board since 2023, and since June 2024 also of the Children's Advisory Council of Bucharest City Hall. For me, UNICEF is not just an organisation - it's like a second family, where I can genuinely help other children and teenagers.
"The Tree of Clothes" charity drive
Digi 24 · Dec 2016At the fifth edition of "The Tree of Clothes", held in Cismigiu Park in Bucharest, people brought thousands of packages - clothing, footwear and food for people without shelter, to be distributed through emergency reception centres. Digi 24 covered the event and interviewed me about it, back when I was a child. My interview starts at 0:38.
Lessons from lockdown
2020 · filmed for his classmates - some picked up by schools for teachingStarting from these videos, ProTV picked up part of Nicholas's footage and included it in a report on what performance athletes were doing during the pandemic.
Watch the ProTV report · 29 Mar 2020
In pictures
Moments from UNICEF, the Bucharest Children's Council, my school and international programmes.
Tap any photo to enlarge.
Children's Board of Romania, supported by UNICEF
Member since 2023The Children's Board is a story about different talents devoted to a shared mission - and about how uniqueness and a diversity of values drive a team's success. It grew out of Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which establishes children's right to be heard. In January 2019, four Junior Ambassadors of Romania to the EU were selected and the Children's Board was founded. Acting under the motto „Nothing for children, without children”, we promote children's participation in decision-making, amplify the voice of the vulnerable and encourage diversity.
I joined the Children's Board out of a wish to turn my passion for sport into a tool for social change and to give an authentic voice to the problems Romanian children face. As an active member, I want to develop initiatives that promote children's health through sport.
Children's Advisory Council - Bucharest City Hall
Member since June 2024The Children's Advisory Council of Bucharest is an initiative of the City Hall in partnership with UNICEF, for young people aged 11 to 17. Its purpose is the active participation of teenagers in the life of the city: ideas and priorities brought directly to the General Council, evaluation of local policies (education, green spaces, safety, recreation) and dialogue with the authorities so Bucharest becomes a „Child-Friendly City”. The 20 members are aged 11 to 17 and were selected from over 200 students who applied.
Today I had an extraordinarily pleasant meeting with the teenagers of the Children's Advisory Council [...] I was pleasantly surprised to see how connected the children are to the real problems of the city. I want this council to become the voice of Bucharest's children, and their proposals to be taken into account.
Romanian-Finnish High School - moments over the years
From the high school's official page
Erasmus+ - International Exchange
Kepez, Antalya, Turkey · Oct 2022Developing Interventions in School for Students' Mental Health. Selected to represent my school in an Erasmus+ international exchange focused on the role of mental health in education. For a week, together with students from several European countries, I worked on practical school-based mental-health support strategies - workshops on anxiety, stress management and emotional well-being, cross-cultural dialogue and recommendations for educators. The experience deepened my understanding of students' mental-health challenges and directly informed my later involvement with UNICEF Romania's Children's Board.
For interviews, collaborations or media requests, you can reach me directly.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Nicholas Carstoiu?
Nicholas Carstoiu is a Romanian youth leader, student-athlete, social entrepreneur, writer and public speaker. He is a member of the UNICEF Romania Children's Board, Ambassador for Romania of United Citizens of Europe and founder of HANDIFY.
Which media outlets have featured Nicholas Carstoiu?
He has been interviewed or featured by TVR, Digi 24, Rock FM, Radio Romania Actualitati, Realitatea PLUS, EduPedu, Business Lounge and Wholesome, and he contributes articles to United Citizens of Europe.
What topics does Nicholas Carstoiu speak about?
Children's rights, education, media literacy and disinformation, youth mental health, inclusion, digital citizenship, civic participation and sport.
Has Nicholas Carstoiu written opinion articles?
Yes. He has written more than 20 bilingual articles on youth, education, sport and mental health, published on his own site and by outlets including EduPedu and United Citizens of Europe.
Which organisations recognise Nicholas Carstoiu's work?
UNICEF Romania, United Citizens of Europe, Freedom House Romania, Junior Achievement Romania, the OPEN MINDS Association and McDonald's Romania, through the Grant My Passion Better World grant.
How can journalists contact Nicholas Carstoiu?
For interviews, collaborations or media requests, use the contact section of his official website, looksmart.ro/nicholas.
The press articles, interviews, broadcasts, logos and trademarks featured here are the property of their respective publications and organisations. They are referenced for documentation, with links to the original sources, and no ownership over them is claimed.
Personal photographs are published with the consent of the people involved; please do not reuse them without permission.