People Are the Key Teach for Bulgaria Foundation Annual Report 2017/2018
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PEOPLE ARE THE KEY TEACH FOR BULGARIA FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORT 2017/2018 INITIATED AND GENEROUSLY SUPPORTED BY PEOPLE ARE THE KEY TEACH FOR BULGARIA FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORT 2017/2018 INITIATED AND GENEROUSLY SUPPORTED BY PEOPLE ARE THE KEY TEACH FOR BULGARIA FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORT 2017/2018 Authors: Pavlina Radoslavova Lyuba Yordanova Martin Dimitrov Editor: Pavlina Radoslavova Translation: Maya Stoyanova-Warner Correction (in Bulgarian): Penka Vatova, Milena Evtimova Design Ivan Panov | еpiquestudio.com Photos: Elena Nenkova, Mihail Novakov, Jordan Georgiev, Pavlina Radoslavova, Teach For All Contacts [email protected] +359 2 988 06 88 /zaednovchas.bg /TeachForBulgaria /zaednovchas Teach For Bulgaria was awarded as “Best training program” and “Best professional development program” in the Employer of the Year awards for 2018. The organization has a quality certificate ISO 9001:2015. 2 TEACH FOR BULGARIA FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORT 2017/2018 TABLE OF CONTENTS TEACH FOR BULGARIA AND BULGARIAN EDUCATION 4 People Are the Key / An Address by Trayan Trayanov 6 For the Success of Every Child / Mission, Vision, Goals 8 What We Believe in / Our Values 10 Why Teach For Bulgaria / The Problem We Are Addressing 12 Our Work / Our Program for Leadership and Professional Development TEACH FOR BULGARIA’S YEAR 24 Our Year in Retrospect 26 Reach 28 Story: “Sometimes teachers have to be kind, but at other times they have to be strict.” 32 Story: Changing Students’ Lives Is One “Event” Away 36 Change Goes On/ Teach For Bulgaria Alumni 40 Story: The First Class of Teach For Bulgaria Participants: Where Are They Now 44 Awards and Recognition 46 From One Classroom to Another/ Sharing Best Practices THE CAUSE WHICH UNITES US ALL 54 The America for Bulgaria Foundation 55 Every Little Bit Helps/ Teach For Bulgaria’s Individual Donors 56 The Sustainable Partnerships which Help Us Grow 58 Fundraising Events 60 Corporate Partners 61 Financial Information 62 Support Us PEOPLE ARE THE KEY AN ADDRESS BY Trayan Trayanov magine our education system stripped of all prejudice stopping us from seeing the po- tential of every student. Regardless of where they were born. Regardless of their ethnic- ity. Regardless of the extent to which their Iparents are able to support them and whether they, themselves, have had the chance to go to school. Regardless of the language they speak at home, be it Bulgarian or not. Regardless of ex- perts defining their educational needs as “spe- cial” or “regular” from their privileged position of people in charge of putting labels. What kind of people would these children grow up to be, if we truly believed they could be successful in any career? And if we support- ed them completely - from preschool through high school? Every new class of participants in Teach For Bulgaria’s program has been faced with this same challenge for the eighth year in a row now and our teachers operate with the notion that it is all up to them. They have to face the reality that Trayan Trayanov, whatever holds children back from progressing Chief Program Officer and developing - in class, at school, or in their at Teach For Bulgaria community - is an issue they have to be con- 4 TEACH FOR BULGARIA FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORT 2017/2018 cerned with as teachers and as citizens. And that profession and search for possible solutions; we the best way to help make Bulgarian education encourage them to find ways to inspire potential better is for teachers to never stop developing new supporters of the cause and to become au- their own skills, to help students broaden their thentic change agents on different levels. horizons, to build bridges and join efforts with We are aware we don’t have all the answers, all stakeholders. but we know we are not alone in this mission - The professional development of our partici- there are people we can learn from, people who pants, our long-term and stable partnerships, the support us. We exchange best practices and progress our students make, and the feedback share resources with partner organizations which we receive from them and their families demon- - just like us - are also initiated and generally sup- strate that nothing is impossible when we change ported by the America for Bulgaria Foundation. our perspective about learning and teaching. Our We work on strategic projects in collaboration conviction that sustainable change starts with with the Ministry of Education and Science, mu- the people who work to turn their ideas into re- nicipalities, trade unions, experts from Bulgarian ality grows stronger every year. People are the and international universities, and research or- key. ganizations. We are growing and learning along- We rarely talk about people when we dis- side our sister organizations from the global net- cuss education. We talk about money, books, work Teach For All. We have the opportunity to tablets, we even talk about the classroom win- learn from the experience of organizations such dow frames which need to be replaced. Mon- as Reach for Change - they share their expertise ey, however, does not equal success, if there is a in the development of social entrepreneurs with shortage of capable and motivated people in the our community. We are also able to learn from education system who never stop growing pro- the experience of influential business leaders fessionally and always do what is in the best in- who support our work. DO WE WANT TO terest of their students. We present our impact report in which we BE A SOCIETY OF Do we want to be a society of lifelong learn- have tried to highlight some results and stories LIFELONG LEARNERS ers in charge of our own lives, not waiting around from our work illustrating our conviction that IN CHARGE OF for someone else to fix or improve our surround- people are the key to success. So, find out more OUR OWN LIVES, ings? Then our education system should attract about how popular our program has become NOT WAITING more of these active committed lifelong learn- and how we have managed to receive nearly AROUND FOR ers. 2000 applications every year for the past three SOMEONE ELSE TO This is Teach For Bulgaria’s main priority - to years. Learn more about the fact that nearly 80% FIX OR IMPROVE OUR get more and more highly motivated and capa- of our alumni (262 people) are keeping their long- SURROUNDINGS? ble people to join effort and work towards pos- term commitment and pursue careers in educa- THEN OUR itive change and access to quality education for tion. Find more information about our successful EDUCATION SYSTEM every child in the long term. This is why we stra- partnerships and key projects for systemic im- SHOULD ATTRACT tegically recruit and carefully select all partici- pact in Bulgaria and Europe, as well as the ways in MORE OF THESE pants in our program; we train them to be ef- which we share our experience, innovations, and ACTIVE COMMITTED fective teachers who serve their students; we best practices with even more people involved in LIFELONG LEARNERS. support them overcome the challenges of the the education system. 5 PEOPLE ARE THE KEY MISSION, VISION, GOALS For the Success of Every Child each For Bulgaria is a non-govern- The organization focuses on providing equal ac- mental organization, initiated and cess to quality education to every child in Bul- generously supported by the Amer- garia, regardless of where they live, which school ica for Bulgaria Foundation. Teach they go to, their ethnic background, and their For Bulgaria has been operating family’s socioeconomic status. Tsince 2010 with the mission to recruit, train, and Within the two-year professional develop- develop capable and motivated professionals ment and leadership program all participants with the long-term commitment to work to- receive professional support in the classroom wards positive change in Bulgarian education. and in other aspects of their work with stu- OUR VISION for Bulgarian edu- cation is for every child to have ac- cess to quality ed- ucation - regard- less of where they live, which school they go to, and their family’s soci- oeconomic status. 6 TEACH FOR BULGARIA FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORT 2017/2018 AT TEACH FOR BULGARIA WE BELIEVE THAT: every child has the dents from vulnerable communities. This gives The organization has built a strong communi- potential to be suc- them the opportunity to experience some of ty of current teachers and alumni, as well as key cessful; the toughest challenges in the system firsthand partners from all sectors in order to ensure long- the people who have and map out possible solutions. They continue term, sustainable access to quality education to an active and long- working towards equal access to quality edu- every child in Bulgaria. term engagement cation after the program by pursuing careers in Teach For Bulgaria is part of the internation- to improve the ed- some of the following tracks - effective teaching al network Teach For All whose approach is suc- ucation system are and school leadership, social entrepreneurship, cessfully implemented in nearly 50 countries on its most valuable re- public policy, and community development. six continents. source; the role of school education is to pro- vide quality instruc- tion to all students to ensure that they are successful in the 21st century; well-prepared and continuously sup- ported teachers are the most important factor for children’s success at school; every single one of us is responsible for children’s access to quality education in Bulgaria; true positive change comes as a result of the joint effort of people and institu- TEACH FOR tions, concrete goals, BULGARIA’S MISSION transparency, and is to recruit, train, and develop capable and motivat- traceability of invest- ed resources.