The Garden of Cognition Foundation is an NGO dedicated to promoting universal cultural, civic, and spiritual values through education, social innovation, and active citizenship. With a focus on empowering individuals and communities—especially in rural and small-town areas—it advocates for solidarity, inclusion, equality, environmental responsibility, and democratic participation.
Our mission is to support both youth and adults through inclusive, learner-centered programs that foster critical thinking, creativity, civic initiative, and local engagement. Following a bottom-up approach, the Foundation encourages people to co-create solutions to social and environmental challenges and actively participate in public life. Our long-term vision is to help build a more inclusive, green, and socially just Europe through lifelong learning, intergenerational cooperation, and transnational collaboration.
The Foundation works across key areas:
A special focus is placed on involving underrepresented groups—such as vulnerable youth, ethnic minorities, and women—in civic life.
The team brings together a rich mix of expertise in non-formal education, youth policy, expressive arts, digital rights, sports mentoring, and community development. With experience at local, national, and European levels our team offers deep knowledge in art therapy, psychodrama, theatre for change, digital safety, storytelling, and sports-based youth engagement. Our work is driven by a shared belief in the transformative power of collective learning, intercultural dialogue, and community-led action.
To empower young people and communities—especially in rural areas—through inclusive education, creativity, and civic engagement, fostering personal growth, social responsibility, and the capacity to shape local solutions.
A socially just, inclusive, and sustainable Europe driven by active citizenship, lifelong learning, and community-led change.
This goal focuses on developing the civic capacity of individuals across generations through participatory education and awareness-building. It aims to equip people with the skills, knowledge, and confidence to participate in public life, make informed decisions, and engage in democratic processes.
Implementation of educational programs to build communication, decision-making, and collaboration skills.
Fostering creativity and personal development through self-discovery workshops that connect participants to their inner resources.
Providing knowledge on social and civic rights, promoting a shared understanding of civic engagement and public responsibility.
Popularizing tools, mechanisms, and methods for citizen participation in decision-making processes.
Establishment of representative groups to lead local advocacy campaigns on pressing social issues.
This goal supports youth in becoming independent, resilient, and socially engaged individuals. It provides structured guidance and skills-building opportunities to help them navigate personal development and professional growth.
Conducting studies to assess the levels of independence and life-readiness among young people.
Delivering training modules focused on personal goal-setting, prioritization, planning, and follow-through.
Offering career guidance, as well as training in presentation, rhetoric, and communication skills.
Promoting leadership, entrepreneurship, and civic initiative among youth—especially those from rural and disadvantaged backgrounds.
This goal promotes active citizenship by encouraging individuals and communities to organize, collaborate, and initiate meaningful local change. It provides tools for participation and supports grassroots organizing efforts.
Introducing citizens to opportunities for forming associations, organizations, and informal groups.
Supporting the development of group activity plans that reflect community needs and priorities.
Providing training in planning and foresight to strengthen community-based project development and implementation.
Encouraging inclusive participation of underrepresented groups such as women, ethnic minorities, and vulnerable youth.
This goal focuses on strengthening local capacity and improving quality of life in small settlements through collaborative regional networks and targeted interventions. It aligns with the Foundation’s vision of socially just and inclusive development.
Establishing a regional partnership network to unite stakeholders in addressing local challenges.
Implementing coordinated initiatives to improve living conditions in small and rural communities.
Providing consultations to municipalities on how to access national and international funding programs.
Supporting the design and execution of local development strategies based on sustainability, inclusion, and community engagement.
Founder
She is the woman who loves to create, learn and discover…
She is the one who dreamed of creating a shared space for dreams, inspiration and adventure and thus started a magical place – The “Garden of Cognition” Foundation.
Motivated to protect the rights of children, to look for all possible ways to reveal and support their talents and potential, and to educate in them fundamental values such as kindness, honesty, dignity, hard work, respect, responsibility and perseverance.
She studied “Agrarian Economics” and “Professional Pedagogy” at the Plovdiv Agrarian University, after which she completed her master’s degree at the “Paisiy Hilendarski” Uniiversity with a specialty in “Public Administration”. Her professional experience began at the beginning of 2009 in the “Sports and Youth Activities” Directorate at the Plovdiv Municipality. Since January 2015, she has been the director of Youth Center Plovdiv.
Under her leadership, in 2018, the center was awarded the Quality Label of the Council of Europe, which is the largest international recognition and the highest assessment for the quality of the offered activities, services and contribution to the development of youth policies.
She initiated the creation of the Olympic Alley of Glory, the only one of its kind in Bulgaria, and together with his team worked for 9 years to preserve and protect Plovdiv’s sports history. Supervised the construction of three educational biogardens and completed a course in permaculture design, which inspired her to develop a series of nature school trainings. She is part of the team for the management of several public and socially significant projects at the Ministry of Education and Science, which are implemented in the period 2014-2024.
There is a series of training courses, participation in platforms of the international network of youth centers in Europe, seminars, conferences. Dimitriya specializes in expressive art therapy. She is trained in the methods of suggestopedia, Orff-Shulwerk, forum and image theater, psychodrama for children. Participates in psychotherapeutic seminars and trainings for working with vulnerable groups, children with special educational needs and providing support in their personal development.
Member of the Management Board
Maria’s professional journey is closely connected to the youth sector. Some of the most significant training courses and experiences that have shaped her in this field include:
Based on these experiences, Maria has built practical expertise in developing training programs and projects at both national and European levels. In recent years, her focus has been on digital human rights protection, and she has prioritized gaining expertise in this field. Her role as a program officer in the Youth Department of the Council of Europe, based in Strasbourg, France, has played a significant part in this journey. During her time there, she was responsible for implementing the Council of Europe’s programs in member countries. This experience enhanced her skills in project assessment, monitoring, negotiation, and networking with various institutions and organizations. Part of her responsibilities included implementing the organization’s strategy for human rights protection in the digital environment, adapting activities for online delivery, and developing an interactive online version of the organization’s handbooks. Working at the Council of Europe has also contributed to her building solid experience in an international and intercultural context.
After this experience, Maria started providing expertise at project level. In recent years, as part of the management team, she has managed and monitored educational activities within municipal projects.
She describes establishment of Foundation “Garden of Cognition” as one of the most enriching experiences of her life. Through this work, she believes she can support young people in being bold and determined in pursuing their goals. In her work, Maria references the learning styles methodology developed by David Kolb, aiming to respond to the contemporary and dynamic learning needs of young people.
For Maria, youth activities are not just a job but also a way of life and a personal mission.
Manager
Vesi is driven by her love for art, the joy of interacting with children, and her belief in young people. She organizes and conducts activities based on the methodology of non-formal education. Over the years, she has participated in numerous national and international training courses, seminars, forums, and festivals related to youth work.
International Training: Training course for the staff of youth centers in the network of the Council of Europe Quality Label – 2019 and 2020, as well as a long-term online training for the teams of quality-labeled centers in 2020-2021.
Vesi took part in Training in Theater of the Oppressed, including the basics, characteristics, differences, and the construction of Image theatre, Forum theatre, Invisible theatre, Newspaper theatre, and Rainbow of Desire.
National Training: Training on topics related to the fundamentals and principles of youth work, introduction to art therapy, rhetoric, presentation skills, working with vulnerable groups, suggestopedia, and more. She also underwent training at the National Center for Safe Internet under the “SafeNet” program, after which she participated in a team that conducted prevention training in the online environment for over 300 students and their teachers over several years.
Vesi is involved in organizing and conducting both large-scale events, such as youth forums and educational seminars, as well as working closely with young people in small rural communities in the region.
For her, the Foundation is a place where she can express herself fully. She describes “Garden of Cognition” with keywords like magic, creativity, self-expression, freedom of spirit, and the opportunity to acquire and transmit knowledge. She loves fairy tales and often include them into her work with children and young people.