Prepare Bulgarian Kids for the Jobs of the Future

Starting a new school year with free cohorts and a functional platform

The highlight of every Fall at Telerik Academy School (TAS) is the beginning of the new school year. A fresh start for students and teachers. This year we not only started 30 of TAS’s free cohorts but also launched a new functional platform with 15 contemporary educational programs for teachers to teach effortlessly in the classroom – Buki.bg.

Buki.bg – onboarding of teachers and better user experience

During the summer our focus was on enhancing the user experience and design of our educational platform Buki.bg, designing and finalizing the 15 programs currently offered, and uploading all educational materials on the platform.

At the end of August, the platform was launched, and we gave access to it to more than 300 schools across Bulgaria. We organized a special onboarding webinar with the school administrators of the platform to demonstrate how to use it and sign teachers into the programs they may choose to teach during the current school year. Afterward, we organized separate webinars for each of the programs to support teachers and give them a chance to dive deeper into the content of each program and the educational resources and the platform’s functionalities.

Currently, more than 230 schools have activated their profiles, signed teachers in, and enrolled in at least one of the 15 programs. More than 1,000 teachers have access to programs on the platform and will use them in their classrooms. We started collecting feedback from the users, and so far, it is encouraging and gives us valuable insights into how teachers engage with the platform. We expect to reach more than 10,000 students this school year with Buki.bg and our new model.  

30 free cohorts in 12 locations continue to support the digital education of Bulgarian students

This year, we launched 30 cohorts in 12 locations (Bansko, Dimitrovgrad, Dobrich, Kyustendil, Montana, Pazardzhik, Plovdiv, Ruse, Silistra, Sofia, Haskovo, and Shumen) and continue to support the digital education of Bulgarian students under our old model – as extracurricular classes. An admission campaign was conducted, with students from 3-12 grades being able to choose between four programs in the field of digital technology and programming, each with a duration of 72 hours. We received over 1,000 applicants during the campaign and had significant support from local partners, educational institutions, regional and national media, as well as our key partners and donors.

In the next few weeks, around 700 students will have the opportunity to start their digital learning journey with Telerik Academy School.

Looking forward to the next months

Going forward, our focus will be on validating the Buki.bg model and planning for the next calendar year. The team will conduct interviews with school principals and teachers and visit schools and classrooms across the country to understand how teachers and schools are using Buki.bg and their willingness to subscribe to the product in the next school year. We plan to expand the portfolio of programs on the Buki.bg platform by adding three new programs for the next school year and continue to seek partnerships and donor support to ensure that more schools and students across the country can have access and benefit from our programs.

Additionally, we are excited to announce that we are planning a big school festival for teachers and students in April 2025. The festival will bring together all Buki.bg users, including students, and participants in our free cohorts, to celebrate their successful journey with Telerik Academy School programs during the academic year 2024-2025. ore details will follow in the next report but we extend an invitation to join us for an inspirational weekend focused on students’ success and innovative ideas.

We highly appreciate your generous support, which allows us to make a difference in the lives of an increasing number of Bulgarian students by providing quality education and new opportunities to discover and thrive in the digital world.

Over the past six months, Telerik Academy School has continued to empower the next generation of digital leaders and innovators. Our commitment to providing excellent education, focusing on essential digital skills and programming, has resulted in equipping hundreds of students with the knowledge and tools to excel in the technology-driven world. Our community of learners, educators, and supporters has grown stronger, driven by our shared vision of a brighter future through quality education. This report highlights the significant milestones and achievements that your generous contributions have made possible.

Celebrating the Finale of a Very Successful School Year

In June we celebrate the end of a great academic year at Telerik Academy School. Over the past year, we have launched 100 cohorts in 40 cities and villages across Bulgaria, providing quality digital education to diverse communities. Our training programs have reached over 2,000 students, equipping them with essential digital literacy and programming skills. We owe our success to the dedication of our 72 talented teachers, who have delivered impactful and engaging training sessions throughout the year.

As most of our cohorts have come to an end, we are currently gathering feedback and data from both students and teachers to improve our programs and enhance the overall student experience.

Introducing a New Model and Digital Platform to Reach Every Student in Bulgaria

As highlighted in our previous reports, we are actively exploring innovative models to ensure our programs are accessible to all Bulgarian schools and students across the country.

During the 2023/2024 academic year, we successfully integrated two of our programs, Cybersecurity and Web Programming with HTML & CSS, into 48 schools across 17 locations. A total of 2,800 students enrolled in these programs. The valuable feedback we received from teachers has helped us identify sustainable solutions to reach even the most remote parts of the country.

In January, we joined forces with another educational organization, Technorati. By uniting our teams, we aim to offer more opportunities for quality digital education to all Bulgarian students. Through this partnership, we aim to leverage our collective expertise and resources to create a broader spectrum of learning opportunities for students, schools, and educators nationwide. Technorati is a well-established institution with a skilled team dedicated to developing and teaching cutting-edge programs in robotics, electronics, and sustainable technologies. They are credited with establishing Bulgaria's first STEM showroom as part of the collaborative innovation space Rezonator, and have successfully organized the national student competition for hydrogen-powered cars for five consecutive years.

In March, we launched Buki.bg, an educational platform designed to provide schools with fully developed and original educational programs. These programs focus on digital literacy, green technologies, programming, and essential skills for the 21st century. All programs can be integrated into schools as supplements to the general curriculum, elective courses, or extracurricular activities. The platform supports schools in implementing these programs by providing all necessary materials and valuable guidance for teachers to ensure that lessons meet the needs and interests of the students.

For the 2024-2025 academic year, we are proud to announce the 15 ready-to-use programs tailored for students from grades III to XII, covering a wide range of school profiles and specialties. These programs have been developed by experienced educators and have been successfully conducted in schools and our free cohorts. Teachers have reported that the programs are engaging and captivating for students, with well-prepared materials that require minimal adaptation and effort to teach.

The Interest from Schools Exceeded Our Expectations

In March, we launched a campaign to promote Buki.bg among Bulgarian schools. Within less than a month, over 300 schools from all 28 regions of Bulgaria and 171 different locations showed applied to introduce new subjects and additional activities for their students using the ready-made educational programs available on Buki.bg.

All public schools across the country had the opportunity to apply for a free subscription to the new educational platform. The regions of Sofia, Plovdiv, Blagoevgrad, and Veliko Tarnovo showed the highest demand for the programs. The largest applicant school has 1,700 students, while the smallest has just 10 students.

The applicant schools have diverse profiles, ensuring that the programs reach students of all ages, interests, and social backgrounds. The majority of applicants are primary schools, followed by secondary schools, vocational schools, and specialized high schools. Additionally, two sports schools, a special needs school, and a school for the education and support of students with hearing impairments have also applied.

Meanwhile, the municipalities of Burgas and Stara Zagora have ensured that all schools under their authority will have full access to Buki.bg and all its programs for the upcoming year.

Looking Forward: Preparing for the Next School Year

During the summer we are excitedly preparing for the upcoming 2024-2025 academic year. Our main focus is enhancing the user experience and design of our educational platform, Buki.bg. We want to make sure it is intuitive and accessible for all teachers who will be using our programs.

We are gearing up to open 30 cohorts in the upcoming school year. This fall, around 700 students again will have the chance to apply and start their digital learning journey with us. Our expectations are to reach more than 10,000 students with Buki.bg.

Furthermore, we are fully committed to expanding access to quality education and inspire students to find new passions in the digital world. We are actively seeking partnerships and engaging in fundraising efforts to ensure that more schools and students across the country can benefit from our programs. None of this would be possible without the incredible support of you - our donors. Your contributions drive our mission forward, empowering us to make a tangible difference in the lives of many students. Thank you and join us as we continue to pave the way for a brighter, digitally literate future for all.