Irena Mihaylova, Educational Mediator-Coordinator

Dear readers,

Center Amalipe was one of the first organizations that applied the pilot model for community moderators and later educational mediators. In the process of work, it became very clear how great is the need for the quick inclusion of educational mediators in the teaching teams of schools with a large percentage of school students from ethnic minorities in Bulgaria. That is why in 2021 Amalipe Center started a series of online meetings and training for educational mediators to increase their capacity in their work among the community. From March 2021 to August 2021 a total of 225 educational mediators and social workers from all over the country participated in the online meetings and training organized by Amalipe Center.

Within a few weeks, you will have the pleasure to meet educational mediators that Amalipe Center has selected to be mediator-coordinators. Their role will be to coordinate and support individuals who are taking their first steps in the profession of an educational mediator. Through this, we will try to promote the work and activities of educational mediators.

Today we will introduce you to Irena Mihaylova!

My name is Irena Ilianova Mihaylova. I graduated my secondary education in the city of Strazhitsa in High School “Angel Karaliychev”. I work at the Center for Interethnic Dialogue and Tolerance “Amalipe” as an educational mediator since 2014. In order to support the development process, we still need to work a lot with the community. I am confident that one day in the school on the street and in the institution, we will all be equal. My vision is in the direction of education – student and parent: to solve problems, motivate and inform students and parents. As a mediator, I recognize that the role of the family is great and we must work together on the development and integration of the Roma community. I believe that being educated is a good and useful thing. It is the responsibility of educational mediators to ensure that every child is educated by the Roma community and not only by the Roma community. In my work, I try to work for the prevention of school dropouts and the motivation of young people to continue their education. I try to have a modern approach in my outreach and communication to build and establish trust among the community. The work of educational mediators is very important for the future of all students.

Mediators must become a natural and full complement to the teaching team. They can, and should, work alongside teachers to sustainably integrate children into the education system who are at risk of dropping out of school.

Atanas Atanasov, coordinator of work with parents.