Education Bulgaria Project #55595

Help 90,000 Bulgarian students thrive

by Teach For Bulgaria/Zaedno v chas

Project Report | Jan 2, 2025
Dreaming of transformation in a village school

By Denitza Manova | Development and Fundraising Specialist

Dear supporters,

Happy New Year! May 2025 bring you health, happiness and prosperity!

2025 is a very special year for us, as it marks the 15th anniversary of Teach For Bulgaria’s establishment. Over the past 15 years and with your support, we have recruited and trained more than 550 new teachers who worked in the schools where they were needed most. Since 2020, we have also supported over 140 school teams across Bulgaria to seek whole-school transformation with the Model Schools program.

To mark this special occasion, we want to share with you the story of one school that is currently part of the two-year program and the positive effect it has on its students.

Hristo Botev Consolidated School in Tsonevo, Varna region
226 students from different vulnerable and ethnic social groups study in the Hristo Botev Consolidates School in Tsonevo. Their results in the national external assessments are low, however, this is not the biggest challenge teachers struggle with. Many students do not speak Bulgarian and cannot fully participate in the educational process, and many leave school early.

The school has 27 teachers. Despite the difficulties they face, they are dreaming of a reality in which their students are motivated and prepared for life after school, a reality in which they are active participants in school and future active citizens. They dream of helping their students develop the skills needed today - teamwork, self-assessment and self-criticism, critical thinking and digital competence.

These dreams are what drive the team’s application to the Model Schools program and they joined in 2023. Just one short year later the school’s environment is completely different.

“Students from small towns are often shy and not very confident. This has changed since we joined the Model Schools program. They have become more independent and proactive, giving themselves objective self-assessments, coming to school willingly, and wanting to develop. The students got accustomed to being in the center of the learning process,” shares Ismigyul, one of the teachers at the school.

The Teach For Bulgaria team has ambitious goals for the new year of bringing quality education to even more students across Bulgaria. With your continued support we will be able to do that. Thank you for believing in our mission!

Gratefully,
The Teach For Bulgaria team

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Sep 5, 2024
35 schools, 3 weeks of training, 1 common goal

By Denitza Manova | Development and Fundraising Specialist

Dear supporters,

September means only one thing for teachers and students across Bulgaria - the new school year is upon us!

In preparation for it, the 35 school teams who joined the Model Schools program as part of Cohort 2024-2026 have now completed their summer training sessions. The training sessions took place in three groups over three weeks in July and August. Each group went through seven days filled with learning through interactive sessions, experiential learning, role-playing, and case studies.

Immediately after the official opening and the team presentation, the participants had the opportunity to get to know each other through a fun activity. Teachers and principals from across the country then began the real work by discussing their understanding of what it means to put students at the center of the educational process.

Throughout the following days, the leadership teams observed lessons and immersed themselves in the magic of having conversations and giving useful feedback. Meanwhile, the teaching teams discussed how to engage all students in the classroom and analyzed ways to organize the learning process so students feel heard and accepted. Through looking at different case studies from colleagues' classrooms, they reached important conclusions and generated fresh ideas for their subject and specific context.

A very exciting part of the training was the community day where participants met with several members of the TFB wider team and alumni. The goal of these sessions is to gain a better understanding of the community, the available resources and support, and the messages that unite the participants in TFB’s different programs in the pursuit of sustainable positive change in the education system.

The new cohort of Model Schools is now ready for the new school year and the first classroom visits by their mentors.

Without you, this would not be possible! Thank you for your continued support!

Gratefully,
The Teach For Bulgaria team

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May 20, 2024
Meet the largest cohort of Model Schools to date!

By Denitza Manova | Development and Fundraising Specialist

Dear supporters,

Over the past few months, the Teach For Bulgaria team has been busy with the recruitment and selection process for cohort 5 of Model Schools who will start their two-year program in August this year. In an effort to scale our impact and reach 10% of Bulgarian schools by 2026 with the program, we are pleased to announce that 42 schools will begin their journey this summer.

The new schools that will be joining the community for the success of every child come from diverse backgrounds in terms of the students they serve, as well as geographical locations. Among the 42 schools are 11 primary schools, teaching children in the 1st to 7th grade, 17 secondary schools, teaching students of all ages, and 6 professional high schools. Additionally, more than half of the schools are from the bottom 50th percentile in student performance.

This year we have participants from 19 regions in Bulgaria and Burgas is taking the top spot with 6 schools from that region joining the program. This year, three regions of Bulgaria will have schools in the program for the first time - Dobrich (3), Kardzhali (2), and Blagoevgrad (1). In Kardzhali we also find the largest school in the program with 1598 students!

“We want to participate in the Model Schools program because we believe in continuous educational progress and innovation. Our goal is to create an educational space that integrates modern pedagogical practices and technologies. Participation in this program is an opportunity to share experiences and learn from successful educational models. We wish to enhance the learning environment by developing teaching skills and supporting students in their diverse learning,” shared one of the new schools during their application process.

The Teach For Bulgaria team is very excited about the first training with the new cohort that will take place over the summer months, but the program has already started with the participants. We kicked off in March with an introductory meeting for all members of the leadership teams in the new cohort, during which the TFB team outlined the expected outcomes of the program, and set out clear expectations for participants. This year, we also held individual introductory meetings with the pedagogical teams in each participating school to introduce them to the program and inspire them before the official start.

We want to thank you for your continued support of Teach For Bulgaria’s work and the Model Schools program. With it, we are able to work towards our goal of providing quality education for every child in Bulgaria!

With gratitude,
The Teach For Bulgaria team

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