Programs and projects

At the invitation of the Association “New Perspectives for Development”, the team of the “Garden of Knowledge” Foundation held a three-day training on the topic: “In the footsteps of Bulgarian culture and crafts”. Within the framework of the activity, over twenty young people aged 14 to 18, together with their teachers, got acquainted with the goals of the project, studied the almanac of Bulgarian traditions, visited the Ethnographic Museum and got acquainted with some of the most significant Bulgarian crafts – felting, icon painting, artistic fabrics, wood carving and making souvenirs. The young people embarked on a study of traditional Bulgarian names, family and clan as the most significant structures for building the way of life and culture of Bulgarians. They developed individual creative projects, which they presented to their peers.

In partnership with the Omega Association, the city of Kardzhali, the training team of the Garden of Knowledge Foundation joined the implementation of the project “The Voice of Kardzhali – Youth Ideas for Civic Activity”, part of the National Program for the Implementation of Youth Activities under Art. 10 a of the Gambling Law (2023-2025) at the Ministry of Youth and Sports. Two trainings were held with the participation of 60 young people on topics related to: volunteering, leadership, how to turn an idea into a youth project, safe internet and others. Part of the implementation of the project was also the training for 10 youth workers, who became familiar with the methods of non-formal education, youth work at the national and international level, project writing and working with vulnerable groups.

Training for children and teachers

The Garden of Knowledge Foundation was invited by the Sofia University “St. Paisii Hilendarski”, Plovdiv to take part in the implementation and execution of the National Program “Support for Personal Development of Children and Students” under the project “Equal Access to School Education in Crisis Conditions” of the Ministry of Education and Science.
For two months, in October and November 2023, students from 1st to 12th grade /31 classes in total/ underwent training on the topic: “Socio-psychological support of students and pedagogical specialists in crisis conditions”.
Eight of our trainers were engaged in the development of the educational program, including videos, a presentation, interesting games and challenges for young and old. The training sessions were conducted with great interest in the topics related to natural, technological and human disasters and how to cope and support ourselves and our loved ones in crisis conditions. The time we shared with the countless curious children’s smiles remained an unforgettable experience for us!

Student Council Training

The Foundation’s educational team conducted a two-day training for the Student Council of Sofia University “St. Paisius of Hilendarski” in the town of Chepelare. The main topic on which the young people worked was “The Role and Importance of Student Self-Government”. Within a series of training sessions, we analyzed the essence, functions and importance of the council and discussed how it contributes to the creation of a community in a school. We emphasized the basic principles on which the Student Council should be based, such as democracy, participation and equality. We outlined the current picture of the state of the council and discussed what the strengths and opportunities for future development are. We concluded the training by generating ideas for future initiatives, developed a plan for their implementation and discussed what the foundation team can help with in the future.

The Garden of Knowledge Foundation began its partnership with Champions Factory in 2023. From that moment until now, our educational team has implemented and implemented three projects: “Future Founders”1, “Young Entrepreneur” and “Future Founders” 2, which are implemented at the local and regional level /city of Plovdiv, city of Kuklen and city of Perushtitsa/. The program covers over 120 young people from vulnerable groups, who go through long-term training modules on topics: entrepreneurship, financial literacy, career guidance, professions of the future, presentation skills, leadership, volunteering and others. Finally, after each program, the participants present their business idea, youth project or initiative. More about the implementation of the activities can be found here:

The Garden of Knowledge Foundation is part of the National Network of Eurodesk Multiplayers, established by the European Commission and operating under the Erasmus+ program. After an application process in 2023, the Foundation was approved and joined as an active organization working with and for young people. The network aims to support the dissemination of information among young people on activities, initiatives and issues related to youth, mobility and education. Organizations and young people are supported under the Erasmus+ Program and the European Solidarity Corps Program. The national partner of the network is the Center for Human Resources Development (CHRD), which coordinates the activities of the multipliers. Thus, the Garden of Knowledge Foundation becomes a major participant in the process of disseminating youth information through the European Eurodesk network in the city of Plovdiv and small settlements in the region. From 2023 to the present, three events have been held under the Time to Move campaigns /”Camp Day in the Village of Novakovo” in October 2023, “In the Footsteps of Youth Activism” in April 2024, “I – a Citizen of Europe – September 2024/.