Help 90,000 Bulgarian students thrive

Dear supporters,

As we close 2025, we like to look back on what we have achieved this year and spotlight members of the Teach For Bulgaria community who embody our mission to ensure equal access to quality education for each child in Bulgaria.

We interviewed several principals whose teams completed the Model Schools program and asked them questions about 

In this report, we will highlight the question "How do you motivate students to learn and believe in their own abilities?". The quotes have been edited for brevity.

Lyudmila is the principal of the Textiles and Fashion Design Vocational High School in Varna. The school was part of Cohort 2022-2024 of the Model Schools program. On relating learning to real life, she shares:

Our students have good academic results, but their strength lies in creativity and creative activities, so we offer them clubs based on interests, a stage for performance, and real-life tasks. We create conditions for them to practice their chosen profession through partnerships with business representatives and through Erasmus+ mobilities, where they see how their work turns into a skill. They feel supported because they know that even after they graduate, they can return and seek advice from a teacher for a specific situation at their workplace.

Ivanka is the principal at St. St. Cyril and Methodius Primary School in Haskovo. The school was part of Cohort 2023-2025 of the Model Schools program. On teaching with creative freedom, she shares:

I teach them to think through role-playing games, debates, and case studies that require teamwork. I break tasks down into small steps so they can feel the success, not be afraid of the challenge. I give them freedom to choose how to work, and this makes them empathetic. But the most important thing is support – a kind word, a smile, recognition for the effort.

Roumyana is the principal of 68th Secondary School in Sofia. The school is part of Cohort 2024-2026 of the Model Schools program. On developing confidence in her students, she shares:

I motivate students by giving them space to discover their strengths and express them through projects, research, and practical tasks. It is important for me that they understand that learning is not a mechanical memorization, but a process of thinking, searching, and argumentation. I teach history and civilizations, and I see a huge opportunity in history because it teaches children to think critically, make connections, ask questions, and defend their own position.

These are just a few examples of ways that the Model Schools program supports whole school teams in facing the everyday challenges in school while maintaining focus on the students, their development, and creating an environment where they feel supported and empowered to learn.

This would not be possible without your support - thank you for helping us reach over 170 schools over the past 5 years. Your contributions are bringing real change in those schools!

The Teach For Bulgaria team wishes you happy holidays and a prosperous 2026!

Gratefully,
The Teach For Bulgaria Team

Links:

• Read the series on our blog
• Follow Teach For Bulgaria on Facebook
• Follow Teach For Bulgaria on LinkedIn

Dear supporters,

There are just three short weeks between us and the start of the new school year in Bulgaria. While students and teachers cherish the last days of summer vacation and prepare for the year ahead, we at Teach For Bulgaria and the 45 schools that are part of the new cohort are busy with the final week of summer training.

The summer training is the first step that the schools in the new cohort take in the Model Schools program. It is an opportunity to gather together as a team, meet like-minded people, and be immersed in what it means to be an inspiring educational leader.

This summer, the summer training took place in groups over three weeks - the first two sessions took place between 25th and 31st July & 11th and 17th August. The final group is starting their journey tomorrow, and they will be introduced to the following key topics:

• Data analysis - each school surveyed its students prior to arriving in Bankya, and will be challenged to use the data to ask questions and draw conclusions about the school environment and the way that students feel at school. 
• How to develop skills while teaching - both teachers and principals will explore strategies that will help them develop skills such as team-working and information evaluation, and connect them to the subject they teach. This way, come September 15th, they will be ready to start working with their students.
• Principals will also explore strategies that will help them support the teachers in the school, so the transformation of the program is sustainably integrated in the school.

Throughout the intensive 7 days, the participants are challenged not only to explore the new concepts but also to relate them to their specific subject and context. In the end, each school will create a detailed plan for the year that focuses on the outcomes they want to see in their students.

With your support, we have been able to support over 140 schools in the Model Schools program since 2020 and are on track to support 10% of all public schools in Bulgaria by next year. Thank you for making our work possible!

Gratefully,
The Teach For Bulgaria team

Links:

• Read more about the trainings (BG)
• Follow Teach For Bulgaria on Facebook
• Follow Teach For Bulgaria on LinkedIn