Project "Active Learning for a Successful Future"
Period: July 2024 – July 2028
Funding: BGN 200,000, Trust for Social Achievement
Objectives: To provide an educational environment, curriculum and approaches that promote experiential learning in children from vulnerable communities, kindergarten and preschool groups in schools.
- Promoting experiential learning in the system of early learning and care;
- Supporting teams in 2 kindergartens and 2 schools with preschool groups to implement active learning models;
- Improving school readiness and developing the potential and skills of each child through game-based approaches;
- Strengthening the preparation, knowledge, skills and attitudes of educators, resource specialists and support staff to implement early learning models through play;
- Involving parents, local authorities and other stakeholders in supporting sustainable educational changes in early learning by introducing play-based and experiential learning practices;
- Cooperation with universities and the academic community to validate and promote good practices;
- Conducting advocacy activities for policy change and implementation of active learning on a national scale.
Project "Early Learning Spaces 0-3"
Period: March 2025 – March 2027
Funding: BGN 37,320, Trust for Social Achievement
Purposes:
- Training of the teams of two social services – the center of the Health and Social Development Foundation in Kyustendil and the Hayachi Association, Kyustendil. Novi Pazar, for effective work under the program The Game element® with different target groups – children, parents, professionals and local authorities;
- Separation of spaces for early learning and play, in accordance with the principles of the Element of Play® program;
- Increasing the capacity of professionals through introductory and upgrading trainings for working with children and parents;
- Providing professional support for specialists through regular supervision;
- Creation and coordination of a network of early learning spaces for exchange of experience and analysis of results;
- Building sustainable practices for early learning through play, which will continue after the end of the project;
- Advocacy for sustainability and dissemination of the program at national level.
Project "Improving the Quality of Early Education and Care"
Period: August 2025 – April 2026
Funding: UNICEF-Bulgaria
Purposes:
- Development of a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system in the early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector at national, municipal and institutional level;
- Creation of a practical toolkit for data collection and use, tailored to the needs of childcare facilities and municipalities;
- Conducting pilot testing of the framework and tools in 3 municipalities and 15 early education and care services;
- Training and support of staff in the selected institutions for the effective implementation of monitoring and evaluation tools;
- Collection and analysis of piloting data in order to improve the framework and toolkit;
- Increasing the capacity of staff in childcare facilities for the inclusion of children with or at risk of developmental difficulties;
- • Support of crèche and kindergarten teams to ensure smooth adaptation and integration of children who have undergone early intervention in kindergartens;
- Strengthening bonds between professionals, children and families through individualized support and increasing trust.