Ambassadors, Deputy Ministers, and UNICEF Representatives honored schools from the “Every student will be a winner” network at new school year celebrations

Ambassadors and representatives of the diplomatic corps, representative of international organizations, as well as the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy and Ministry of education visited schools of the network of Center Amalipe “Every student will be a winner” as part of the opening of the new school year. The visits took place in different locations across the country and aimed to emphasize the importance of accessible and quality education for all children, regardless of their background. They also demonstrated the commitment of institutions to integration and equal opportunities in Bulgarian schools.

On September 16, the first bell rang for the new school year at Primary School “Hristo Maximov” in Samokov, welcoming 165 students. Official guests at the ceremony included: the Ambassador of Switzerland – H.E. Mr. Raimund Furrer, Deputy Minister of Education and Science Ms. Emilia Lazarova, the Mayor of Samokov Municipality – Dr. Eng. Angel Djorgov, the head of the Regional Education Department – Sofia Region – Mrs. Rositsa Ivanova, Irina Vasileva-Asenova – Regional Educational Coordinator at the “Amalipe” Center, municipal councilors, and former teachers. A prayer was offered for a successful school year, blessing all present, after which Mrs. Antoniya Nikolova welcomed everyone in the schoolyard. The official guests delivered their congratulatory speeches, and Ms. Lazarova rang the first bell to mark the beginning of the school year. Following the festive part, Mrs. Nikolova invited the guests to a cocktail in the school’s new STEM center, where they discussed some of the pressing issues and challenges.

Mrs. Nikolova expressed her concerns about the problematic roof of the building, as well as the poor condition of the gym, while highlighting that students excel in sports competitions and that classrooms are being updated. The mayor promised to include the school in funding projects for renovation. H.E. Mr. Furrer shared his positive impressions of the smiling teaching staff and the good material base. He emphasized that he saw many Roma students on the first school day and, together with Irina Asenova, discussed how easily this community can attend school in practice. They noted the significant role of mediators in schools and how their work is now being recognized professionally, as their profession has officially been entered into the registry. Asenova also highlighted that Mrs. Nikolova makes tremendous efforts to prevent segregation in the school and congratulated her on behalf of the “Amalipe” Center for being a positive example to other schools in the “Every Student Will Be a Winner” network.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The opening of the school year at 124th “Vasil Levski” Primary School  in Sofia was an important and solemn event attended by a number of high-ranking guests, including the mayor of the Poduene district, Mr. Hristov, the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Denmark, and the Deputy Ambassador of the Republic of Austria. The presence of these officials underscores the significance of education and international cooperation. The event was organized with the assistance of the “Amalipe” Center, which plays an important role in supporting the school and the local community. Each guest offered welcoming words, emphasizing the importance of education as the foundation for the development of children and society.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In Professional High School of Textile and Leather Products in Sofia, H.E. Mr. Paul Lambert, the Belgian Ambassador to Bulgaria, attended alongside Rumyana Petkova, the Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Policy of Bulgaria, and Yoan Terio, Attaché for Institutional and Technical Cooperation at the French Embassy.

Primary School “Ivan Vazov” in Izvor, Pernik district, was visited by Christopher Kimber, Second Secretary at the British Embassy in Bulgaria. With smiles and excitement, the official guests and students stepped into the school, knowing the importance of accessible and quality education for all children, regardless of their background.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On a rainy September morning, Professional High School of Textile and Clothing “Dobri Zhelyazkov” in Sliven eagerly awaited its wonderful students to start the new 2024-2025 school year! Special guests included representatives from the United States Embassy – Mr. Daniel Scott and Mr. Evgeni Todorov. The school’s celebration was also honored by Mrs. Silvia Stancheva – Regional Educational Coordinator representing the “Amalipe” Center, Mrs. Kristiana Dobreva-Stankova – Head of the Regional Education Directorate in Sliven, and Mrs. Veselina Boneva, Senior Expert in Foreign Languages and Mother Tongue, who addressed the students after Mrs. Daniela Karamanova – the principal of the 145-year-old institution.

The excitement of the new eighth graders was evident in their wide smiles! The older students were happy to see each other again in their beloved school. Teachers ensured that everything was beautiful, festive, and solemn, promising that their home school would be a second home for the girls and boys!

The guests toured the classrooms and specialized vocational labs and were impressed by the fresh, modern facilities.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Deputy Representative of UNICEF for Bulgaria, Ramis Behbudov, the Deputy Mayor of Pazardzhik, representatives from the local business community, as well as the Chairman of the “Amalipe” Center, Deyan Kolev, and the Director of the “Arete” Foundation, Radost Chaprazova, visited the Professional High School of Chemical and Food Technologies in Pazardzhik. The program for the opening of the school year was entirely conducted by students – from the national anthem to virtuoso performances by talented students in extracurricular activities. In his welcoming words, Deyan Kolev noted that the Professional High School of Chemical and Food Technologies is an example for all other vocational schools, with its active students, dual education, connection with local businesses, dedicated teachers, and a director who is a true manager. He congratulated the active youth group for their peer education and campaigns for tolerance and civic engagement organized in the past year. He also congratulated the entire school for the success of the state exams – 29 of the graduating twelfth graders successfully passed their finals in 2024, a sharp increase compared to 9 last year. Mr. Behbudov welcomed the PHCFT’s slogan, “One School for All Children,” wishing that all schools would follow this principle.

 

 

Denitsa Ivanova, Youth Activities Coordinator at the “Amalipe” Center, attended the solemn opening of the new school year at Secondary School “Vladimir Komarov”  in Veliko Tarnovo. The event was also honored by Prof. Georgi Kamarashev, Deputy Mayor for Social Policies and Education, and Rositsa Dimitrova, Director of the Directorate of Social Policies, Health Care, and Transport. They sent heartfelt wishes to students and teachers, emphasizing the importance of education and cooperation with the local community. The “Amalipe” Center is proud of its partnership with the school, which has made significant progress over the past few years, increasing its number of students from 150 to over 230, as noted by Principal Yanaki Lazarov in his speech. It was no coincidence that it was one of the schools in the “Amalipe” Center Network that chose its own student ombudsman last year. The representative of the “Amalipe” Center expressed admiration for the organization’s work with the active youth of the school and the entire staff and confirmed the desire to continue joint initiatives between the two institutions.

 

 

 

 

On September 16, the rainy weather could not dampen the enthusiasm of the students at the Professional High School of Food Technologies “Prof. Asen Zlatarov” in Gorna Oryahovitsa, who stepped into the school with shining eyes and eager anticipation for the start of the new school year. The smiles and excitement of students and teachers filled the courtyard with a festive atmosphere, and the ceremony passed under the sign of new hopes and goals. At this important moment, a representative from the “Amalipe” Center stood with them to highlight support for their shared journey toward knowledge and personal growth.

After the ceremony, the “Amalipe” representative participated in a brief tour of the school, and the subsequent meeting inspired in-depth discussions on important social issues. In the spirit of cooperation, challenges related to early marriages, student dropouts, and the need for active work with parents were discussed. The conversations emphasized the significance of motivation and creating opportunities for students to engage in civic initiatives that inspire positive change both in school and society.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Education is a right, not a privilege!

Center “Amalipe” is a non-governmental organization that for more than 22 years has supported schools across the country in reducing dropout rates, dealing with early marriages, reaching tens of thousands of Roma parents, and increasing their motivation for education. As an independent civic organization, Center Amalipe manages to address important systemic issues that are beyond the capacity of individual participants, such as support for small (rural) schools, the introduction of the position of educational mediators, and more.

What we do and what we have achieved can be seen here.

Look #BeyondVisible and be part of the change!

#BeyondVisible is a campaign of Amalipe Center, the Association of European Journalists and the Bulgarian Platform of the European Women’s Lobby. The campaign helped us meet successful people from the Roma community who told us more about their achievements, dreams, difficulties… We will meet you with them to open doors to the unknown that can help us create a more just and accepting society.

The campaign is part of the #EQUIROM (Equality and Freedom from Discrimination for Roma) program, with the financial support of the European Union and the Council of Europe. The views expressed here can in no way be taken to reflect the official position of any of these institutions.

The initiative related to the visits of diplomats to schools for the opening of the school year takes place within the framework of the project “Intercultural Academy for Citizenship and Tolerance”, which is implemented with the support of the U.S. State Department through the U.S. Embassy in Bulgaria.