Upcoming: Center Amalipe gathers youth from across the country for a leadership academy for civic participation and tolerance

Center Amalipe is preparing an inspiring event from November 14 to 16, 2025, where about 100 students – representatives of student parliaments and mentors – will unite under the mission of the “Intercultural Academy for Civic Participation and Tolerance”. This meeting will take place at the City Hotel in Stara Zagora, providing a space for the exchange of ideas and the promotion of cooperation.

In a world full of opportunities and challenges, Center Amalipe brings together students from grades 7 to 12 from schools participating in the project “Every Student Will Be a Winner”. This meeting aims to enrich the students’ knowledge and skills, create new friendships and develop their leadership qualities. The program is aimed at raising their awareness of civil rights, promoting tolerance and building valuable skills for the future.

Many school-age youth often lack sufficient knowledge and interest in important democratic values ​​such as civic participation, the right to vote, overcoming racism and discrimination, and hate speech. The issue of recognizing and dealing with disinformation and fake news, which can distort their perceptions of public events and instill prejudices, is particularly relevant. The aim of the Leadership Academy is to unite students from grades 7 to 12 – representatives of student parliaments and student mentors from schools included in the project “Every Student Will Be a Winner”. The Academy will give them the opportunity to learn more about Roma history and culture, their civil rights, tolerance, recognizing fake news and the role of active civic participation, while developing their leadership skills. They will also learn methods for organizing mass advocacy campaigns and peer trainings.

Over the three days, students will develop critical thinking, discuss different aspects of their identity, acquire skills to recognize misinformation, and learn ways to overcome negative stereotypes and prejudices. Their participation will increase their self-esteem, encourage more active involvement in school life, and stimulate them to work in teams and resist manipulative messages.

Center Amalipe hopes that the “Intercultural Academy for Civic Participation and Tolerance” will be another step towards a brighter and more tolerant future, in which young people play a key role in public life and communicate in a spirit of understanding, tolerance and acceptance.

For more information – Anna Velikova, 0896538064

The participants in the Leadership Academy are part of the “Every Student Will Be a Winner” Network, administered by the Amalipe Center with the support of the Trust for Social Achievement. The “Every Student Will Be a Winner” Network unites over 250 schools from all over the country. It is coordinated by the Amalipe Center with the support of the Trust for Social Achievement. The network includes primary, secondary, combined and secondary schools, as well as vocational high schools. During the past school year, the schools participating in it reduced the dropout rate to below 1%, and in 173 schools there was not a single dropout student. The percentage of young people who continue in secondary education after completing primary education is also steadily increasing: in 2010 this was only 39%, and currently – nearly 95%. For more information about the network, see HERE