By Mykhaylo Gryshchenko | Monitoring and Data
Behind every improved skill, every confident student, and every motivated teacher stands a network of people who care. Our partners - from companies providing opportunities and rewards, to inspiring voices like Georgi Nenov, to committed donors - help us create not just better learning outcomes, but stronger belief in what is possible. Together, we are building classrooms where students engage more deeply, teachers feel supported, and success is recognized and shared. We will continue growing this community of support, so that even more students across Bulgaria experience learning as something meaningful, motivating, and full of possibility.
Thank you for making this possible.
Step by Step: School Visits That Highlight Engagement and Progress
During the winter we visited schools working under the “Better at Math with Khan Academy” program. We met with principals, teachers, school coordinators, observed Math lessons and discussed challenges and opportunities. We managed to answer questions, provide technical and methodological support on the spot, engage with students, discuss data and plan for a collaborative and successful partnership.
At Secondary School “Vasil Levski” in Byala Slatina, we saw a strong commitment from Principal Ms. Yachkovska and the teaching team to turn the school into a successful “Khan example” for the town and the wider region.
In the Primary School "Dimitar Marinov" in the city of Lom, we observed a math teacher who assigned tasks from Grades 8 and 9 to students from Grade 10 to catch up on missed skills.
At the Primary School "Ivan Sergeyevich Turgenev" in Razgrad, we observed across all three classes that despite internet difficulties, many students actively used the platform.
Competitions and Celebrations
In December 2025, 14 schools, 48 classes, and more than 1,000 students took part in Christmas Learnstorm (Khanoniada). The competition helps students engage with math more often and with greater confidence. We are grateful to our partners Bulgarian History, Decathlon Bulgaria, and Unique Gifts, who provided participants with discounts on their products as rewards.
At the end of the first academic term, seventh-grade students at 75th Primary School “Todor Kableshkov” met Galina Isaeva, Director of School Program at Education Without Backpacks. She shared her personal story and encouraged them to believe in their potential, persevere through challenges, and see education as a path to future success.
At the 71st Secondary School “Peyo Yavorov”, our educational expert Maria Brauchle combined an inspirational talk about her own professional journey with an interactive “fun mathematics” lesson. Students also received certificates recognizing their progress in Khan Academy, along with small gifts and a shared treat.
The Superhuman Podcast’s Georgi Nenov visits Lom, Montana
As part of our efforts to support students not only academically but also personally, Education Without Backpacks initiated a motivational visit by Georgi Nenov, creator and host of The Superhuman Podcast, to Dimitar Marinov Secondary School in Lom, Montana. During the meeting, tenth-grade students reflected on happiness, personal responsibility, perseverance, and the courage to pursue their dreams.
Free Access to KNext Platform for Khan Academy Students
More than 1,300 students and teachers participating in the Better at Math with Khan Academy program now have free one-year access to the youth content platform KNext. This is the result of a partnership between Education Without Backpacks and Economedia AD, the publisher of Kapital.bg and Dnevnik.bg.
Testimonials
Emiliya Spasova, homeroom teacher of Class 2.B at Primary School “Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev” in Razgrad, says she is glad to see “the positive progress of every child and their achievements.”
Radka Rizova, Principal of XI Primary School “Hristo Botev”, Blagoevgrad, shares: “When colleagues ask me how we feel now that we are working with Khan Academy, I always answer: ‘Don’t hesitate - it is truly worth it.’”
Khan Academy Localisation (December 2025 – March 2026)
In 2025, a total of 1,137,501 words were edited and translated by our editor, Sevdalina Peeva. As a result, Bulgaria ranked fifth globally in translated content on the Khan Academy platform, following Polish, Spanish, Portuguese, and German. In 2026, we will continue working toward more accessible and modern education in Bulgaria.
The Grade 7 National External Assessment Preparation Course on Khan Academy is now complete!
The Grade 7 National External Assessment preparation course on Khan Academy in Bulgarian is now complete, with 121 video lessons and practice exercises across 60 newly added topics. All materials were created by Bulgarian math educators. The new topics are aligned with the Bulgarian curriculum. The course is completely free, just like all content on Khan Academy.
Khanmigo AI in Bulgarian: A Webinar at Prepodavame.bg
On March 10, more than 300 participants joined our webinar on the Prepodavame.bg platform, “How to Turn Your Ideas into Resources in Minutes with Khanmigo AI?”. Led by Tsvetomir Marinov, the session explored how Khanmigo can help teachers quickly create and adapt informational texts, connect lessons to real-life contexts, generate questions and quizzes, build lesson plans, and support student progress tracking. We are grateful to the Prepodavame.bg team for their excellent organization and support.
Giving with a Heart for Bulgaria
For yet another year, Neli and Kuzman Ganchev mobilized a corporate fundraising initiative and raised nearly $27,000 in support of Education Without Backpacks. Their contribution reflects a deep and lasting commitment to better educational opportunities for children in Bulgaria. As they shared, “Although we live and work in the United States, our hearts remain in Bulgaria.”
Links:
By Mykhailo Gryshchenko | Monitoring and Data
By Mykhailo Gryshchenko | Business Development
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