Veselin Sandev was selected as Educational Mediator of the Year
The Grand Prize “Educational Mediator of the Year” was awarded by Prof. Dr. Galin Tsokov, Minister of Education and Science to Veselin Sandev, Educational Mediator at the 1st Hristo Smirnenski Primary School, Omurtagh, Omurtagh Municipality, Targovishte District. Veselin has been an educational mediator for 2 years. With active initiatives he strives to make the school not just a place for learning, but an interesting and uniting society. One of his significant contributions is the creation of a football team called FC Real Omurtag. This project was born when Sandev noticed that the boys at the school were playing football in the yard. To support and inspire them, he decided to organize a tournament between the classes. The initiative garnered a lot of interest, and after the school selected a team, systematic practices began.
“When I started working in the school, I noticed boys playing football in the yard. That’s how it all started – I decided to organize a tournament between the classes. There was a lot of interest, I chose a team for the school and we started training with them,” says Sandev, looking back with excitement at the beginning of his adventure as a mediator.
His passion and commitment not only created a united school community, but also helped young people develop their sporting skills and leadership qualities. Sandev is a shining example of how a mediator can change an educational environment and inspire students to get involved and grow as individuals. He won the grand prize after he garnered a total of 1,642 likes and 549 comments on Amalipe Center’s social networks. Awards were also given to all nominated participants as follows:
Radoslava Nachkova Spasova with a total of 1467 likes and 246 comments – wins a special prize “Empowering the Roma Woman”
Radoslava Spasova. She is a Roma woman, married and mother of two children, and her commitment and devotion led her to be honored by winning a special “Empowering the Roma Woman” award. With 7 years of experience in education, Radoslava started as a volunteer focused on organizing events dedicated to supporting the Roma community, especially on the occasion of April 8th. She quickly moved on to literacy work with Roma mothers when she realized they were having difficulty understanding letters, documents, or subpoenas. Radoslava is not only proud of her work, but also enjoys the variety and challenges that daily life as an educational mediator offers. Her biggest goal is to keep Roma children motivated to learn and develop by working on forming their clear position and skills.
Diana Zdravkova Tsaribrodska with a total of 1398 likes and 230 comments – wins the special prize ” Charity and Advocacy”.
As an educational mediator at the Community Centre, Diana faces serious cases in the villages and the town. Her commitment doesn’t stop there – she is also the librarian at Vasil Levski Secondary School, where a library that has been closed for more than 15 years is coming to life. For Diana, her two roles – as librarian and educational mediator – have something in common: children and her love for them. Difficult but fascinating, her work is intertwined with unending care and activities that do not end when the working day is over. With a variety of initiatives and events, including movie nights, best drawing contests, book readings and entertainment, Diana strives to provide children with an alternative to street entertainment. She is a ‘strict parent’, a good friend, helper and confessor to the children. Her reward is not measured in money, but in the fact that former pupils seek her out for advice and help after leaving school. Due to health reasons she was unable to attend the ceremony and Valerie Angelov received the award on her behalf.
Iveta Nikolova Ivanova with a total of 477 likes and 167 comments – wins a special prize “Fieldwork and achieving dialogue”.
With her role as an educational mediator at the Hristo Botev School in. Rakovitsa, Mrs. Nikolova brings with her trust, love and care for children. Located in a small, mountainous village near the Serbian border, the school in Rakovica is central and sheltered, serving numerous socially disadvantaged families. Mrs. Nikolova cares for students and parents of all ethnicities, combining her efforts with the cause of “Education for All”. She encourages children to dream, to respect, to not give up in the face of adversity and to continue their educational development. It proudly follows their successes, seeing them as its own victory. Educational mediator is the cause to which Mrs. Nikolova strives with endless devotion. Even when swimming against the tide and encountering difficulties, she does not give up. Ms. Iveta Nikolova is a true hero in the cause of Education for All.
Sylvia Krumova Pavlova with a total of 409 likes and 91 comments – wins a special prize “Awakener / Inspirer”.
Silvia Pavlova from the village of Dobrolevo, Vratsa region. Sylvia has been working as an educational mediator at St. Cyril and Methodius Primary School in Dobrolevo village for four years. She skillfully combines her professional skills with her commitment to education. It is a real pleasure for her to help parents and children in the school, thus contributing to the retention of students in the education system. Sylvia Pavlova plays a key role in maintaining the stability of the school and community through regular visits and dialogues with parents. With four years of experience as an educational mediator, she is able to keep students in the school and even bring them back after they leave. As a resident of Dobrolevo village and a dedicated educational mediator, Ms. Pavlova has had a significant impact on the education and upbringing of local children. She takes on a mentoring and supportive role, actively participating in the process of shaping future educated and intelligent individuals.
Atanas Matev Atanasov with a total of 403 likes and 107 comments wins the special prize “Field work and achieving dialogue”.
Atanas Atanasov, educational mediator from the village of Ustrem, born in Topolovgrad. With a commitment to school and education, he works at the Primary School “Ivan Vazov” in. Ustrem since 2021. In 2022, in addition to his work as an educational mediator, he also entered the teaching profession as a teacher in the All-Day Learning Organization (ADLO), part of the Primary School “Ivan Vazov” village. Ustrem. Atanas’ life leads him into the whirlpool of education and school, where he combines the role of educational mediator and teacher. This commitment makes him a bridge between the school and the community. Through constant dialogue and interaction with parents, Atanas successfully blends the two worlds and helps elevate education as a priority for local children. He is aware of the difficulties minorities face, but believes that with the right approach and motivation they can be overcome. His book “Yuman – The Power of Blood” contributes to the positive in ethnic differences and the beauty of human relationships. With his enthusiastic work, he is not just uniting but transforming vulnerable groups and giving new meaning to education in the community.
The network of educational mediators currently unites more than 300 educational mediators from all over the country, here you can find a link to the group of educational mediators – https://www.facebook.com/groups/331621514717494
An application form for membership of the Education Mediators Network can be found here: – Application for membership in the Network of Educational Mediators
The Network of Educational Mediators is an informal network established by Center Amalipe with the support of the Trust for Social Achievement to support educational mediators through the provision of information, training and capacity building. Within the network, monthly meetings are organized to inform mediators about current events, increase their capacity, knowledge and skills for outreach work and provide them with information about programme opportunities; exchange experiences and good practices, discuss topical issues.
The Trust for Social Achievement (TSA) is a non-governmental organization whose mission is to break the cycle of poverty by promoting opportunities that help Bulgaria’s most disadvantaged citizens achieve educational and economic success. TSA supports programs that, with their integrity, potential for expansion and transparency, help improve the well-being of Bulgaria’s poorest people, with a special focus on Roma.
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Photos:Diko Yordanov