Empower Students through Leadership Training

The 2024-2025 academic year started with a very successful SL opening weekend in October 2024. Over the following months, the Student Leaders attended regular online meetings with their SL coordinator, Desislava T., and SL intern, Vyara B. In mid-December, they submitted their project proposals. To support them, the SL coordinators held office hours every Friday, offering a dedicated time for questions and guidance. The Student Leaders also provided updates on their selected topics and the progress of their community projects. Additionally, in January, we conducted Mid-Year Conference calls with each team to review and discuss their project's progress.

Community Project Progress

Currently, the Student Leaders are in the final stages of their community projects, with the results set to be showcased at the SL Wrap-Up Seminar in Sofia in mid-May.

For those eager to learn more, here are some of the projects that will be presented and will compete for the awards we have prepared:

• Maths and Science High School Blagoevgrad The Community Project, led by Velislav S., aims to preserve and promote the linguistic and folklore heritage of Bulgaria’s Pirin region through an interactive digital map. This initiative will document local dialects, folklore tales, and traditional costumes, making them accessible for education, research, and cultural tourism. The project involves volunteers, researchers, and local institutions to collect and digitalize information, ensuring its long-term preservation. Workshops and cultural events will further engage the community. 

• Petar Bogdan Foreign Language High School, Montana Kristina P. and Ivan I. from FLHS Montana are creating a song about how humans take nature for granted. The project aims to raise awareness of environmental issues through music, encouraging people to appreciate and protect the natural world. By using art as a medium, they hope to inspire reflection and action toward a more sustainable future.

• FLHS "Yordan Radichkov", Vidin Maria S. and Martina S. are organizing a charity festival to raise funds for the local hospital’s children’s department while creating a fun community event. The festival will include a bazaar, children's activities, and a concert, with funds raised through vendor fees, an entry fee, donations, and activity participation.

• FLHS “Asen Zlatarov”, Haskovo The team is launching a project to inspire young people to engage with literature and recognize its value in knowledge, critical thinking, and communication. Concerned about growing apathy toward learning and the arts, they plan to collaborate with local institutions, host an event featuring presentations, games, and discussions, and offer books and prizes as incentives. 

• Geo Milev Foreign Language High School, Dobrich Ana-Kristina Z. and Ema P. are leading a project to teach young children the importance of hygiene and disease prevention. Through an interactive seminar with a biology teacher and engaging activities, the initiative aims to raise awareness about hygiene practices in a fun and educational way. 

• FLHS “Nikola Ionkov Vaptsarov”, Shumen The team is organizing an educational astronomy workshop at Shumen’s Astronomical Observatory. The project aims to provide attendees with a deeper understanding of the solar system and inspire interest in astronomy as a field of study. 

As always, the Student Leaders play a vital role in supporting their BEST teams within their schools. They serve as dedicated BEST ambassadors, attracting new participants to the tournaments while also assisting their English Coaches. Additionally, Student Leaders actively participate in weekly BEST club meetings at their schools, helping their peers select, prepare, and perform their pieces for the tournaments.

This academic year, we successfully held four Regional tournaments as planned—two in November (Fall West and Fall East) and two in February (Spring West and Spring East). For each tournament, the Student Leaders designed posters for their school’s BEST clubs, which were displayed in school corridors. These posters not only promoted the events but also added an element of excitement and engagement for all participants throughout the tournaments.

Student Leaders are the driving force behind fostering team spirit, creating a strong sense of community, and inspiring enthusiasm and motivation.

At the opening ceremonies of each tournament, we provide Student Leaders from the host school or the nearest city with the opportunity to take the stage for a short performance. This year, they delivered creative and entertaining speeches, which were thoroughly enjoyed by all participants.

Looking ahead, we anticipate the completion of the Community Projects, two more workshops, and a final wrap-up seminar and award ceremony to celebrate the participants’ achievements in May. 

We organized 2 online workshops. One of them had the topic “Show me the money: How to fund your big idea” and featured guest lecturer Reny Mitkova - a host and author of the “Pocket money” podcast. 

On March 11, we also organized a pitching event where Student Leaders presented their Community Project ideas to compete for funding, with the guest lecturers Reni Mitkova and Dobrin Mirevski, serving as judges. 

Dear Friends,

Thank you all for your incredible support! The success of our Student Leader program would not be possible without you.

We would be truly grateful if you could share our GlobalGiving link with your friends and consider continuing your support through monthly donations.

Your generosity makes a meaningful difference in the lives of every student in our Student Leader program, and we are beyond grateful to have you as our guiding angel!