Creating bridges: the potential of educational mediators to support the learning process – training of educational mediators held in Pleven

On April 11, 2024, the city of Pleven hosted the second regional meeting of educational mediators. Under the guidance of trainers Atanas Atanasov and Valeri Angelov from the Amalipe Center, this event presented exciting prospects for cooperation and development in the educational sphere.

More than 70 educational mediators from the Pleven, Lovech and Vratsa regions took part in the meeting, and each of the participants introduced themselves at the beginning of the meeting. Atanas Atanasov presented the “Educational Mediators Network” to the participants, explaining what will happen by the end of the year and what initiatives all educational mediators can join. In addition, he conveyed to the participants important messages about the future of education and the opportunities for cooperation between educational mediators and various institutions.

Sharing his knowledge and experience, Valeri Angelov focuses on working with vulnerable groups, expanding the participants’ horizons and arming them with tools for more effective interaction with these communities. During this session, the participants were introduced to the main Roma groups and the most common problems. The participants were divided by district and had different tasks with which they could get to know more about the different Roma groups in the district in which they are located.
At the end of the meeting, the various campaigns planned by the Amalipe Center were presented, as well as the future trainings for parents on topics related to the European Union and the European institutions. The unusual prize, which was offered to educational mediators who did the most trainings with the most parents involved, included the opportunity to visit the Parliament in Brussels for the participants.

The event in Pleven brought together educational mediators from all over Bulgaria, who not only shared their practices and ideas, but also had an inspiring impact on the future of education in the country. The importance of this meeting cannot be understated. It not only brought together professionals from the educational field, but created a real platform for the exchange of ideas and visions. Education was presented not as an isolated process in educational institutions, but as a key factor in the formation of the community as a whole. In their role as educational mediators, participants do not simply fulfill given duties, but take an active role in creating a better education for all. Their efforts are aimed at ensuring equal access to knowledge and opportunities for all members of society. What makes an educational mediator so valuable is not only the ability to provide information, but also the ability to inspire and engage. He reminds us that the strength of education lies in its diversity and its ability to unite people from different communities and cultures. The event in Pleven did not just confirm these ideas, but raised them to a new level, turning them into a driving force for change and progress in Bulgarian education. Educational mediators do not simply pursue common goals, they are catalysts for change and ambassadors for inclusion and diversity.
The meeting in Pleven is the second of a total of six regional meetings of the educational mediators that will follow. This forum represents an important step towards building a better future for our children and society as a whole, highlighting the importance of collaboration and knowledge exchange in education.

The meeting is part of the project “EMPOWEREU: Fostering participation of youth and vulnerable groups in the EU elections” funded by the European Parliament. The authors are fully responsible for the content of the episode and the European Parliament is not responsible for the use of the information therein.