EMOTIONS AND TEAMWORK IN ALBENA: TEACHERS COMPETE AT A SPORTS FESTIVAL AND COMPETITION
Albena, Bulgaria – The resort of Albena became a lively hub of emotions and competitive spirit, welcoming hundreds of teachers from Bulgaria and abroad for two key events on the educational calendar: the 21st International Teachers’ Sports Festival and the final event of the 12th National Competition “Extracurricular and After-School Activities.” Amidst the sea breeze and sun, teachers and educational experts gathered to prove that sports and the arts are an integral part of children’s personal development and are of key importance for their well-being.
Sports, Friendship, and Team Spirit
Over 450 participants from 28 Bulgarian municipalities, as well as teams from Poland and Azerbaijan, competed in the international sports festival. The competition included 12 different sports, including traditional team disciplines, as well as tournaments in chess, darts, tug-of-war, and petanque. The tension was palpable, and the support from the audience was loud and inspiring. Despite the competition, the atmosphere was filled with a spirit of collegiality and mutual respect. In the team rankings, teachers from Plovdiv took first place, followed by their colleagues from Burgas and Stara Zagora. At the awards ceremony, the Deputy Minister of Education and Science, Emilia Lazarova, presented the cups and medals to the winners. In her emotional speech, she emphasized that
"The sports festival is a model that teaches teamwork, responsibility, discipline, and friendship". She added that
"it doesn't matter if someone won, what's important is that they participated". The awards ceremony also included Plamen Dimitrov, president of the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB), and Dr. Yanka Takeva, president of the Union of Bulgarian Teachers at CITUB and organizer of the festival.
Excellence in Emotional Intelligence
Parallel to the sporting events, the culmination of the Twelfth National Competition “Extracurricular and After-School Activities” was also held at the resort. Under the motto “Developing Social Skills and Emotional Intelligence in Extracurricular and After-School Activities,” the competition brought together 200 teachers from various cities who presented their innovative projects and best practices.
The Ministry of Education and Science (MES) recognized a total of six educators. The special MES award was given to Greta Georgieva, director of the “Slance” kindergarten in Pavlikeni, for her project which demonstrates how children achieve remarkable sports success through games and fun. In the category for best practices with preparatory groups, Penka Hariteva and Yana Lazarevich from the “Osem mart” kindergarten in Plovdiv were awarded for their project “Emotional Journey.”
In the category for extracurricular activities from first to twelfth grade, Tsvetelina Mineva from “Emiliyan Stanev” Secondary School in Veliko Tarnovo received an award for her project that turns a student into a true researcher. For best practices in after-school activities, Antonia Boyanova from the Center for Special Educational Needs in Targovishte was awarded for her presentation on the topic “Fairy Tales Come Alive in Children’s Hands.” A certificate for a scientific essay on the topic “Natural and Artificial Intelligence in Education – Current Status and Trends” was won by Galina Yahova, director of the “Elisaveta Bagryana” Vocational School of Clothing in Byala Slatina.
The awards and certificates were presented by Blagovesta Borcheva, a state expert from the “Inclusive Education” directorate at the MES. During discussions led by Dr. Takeva, the emphasis was placed on the importance of engaging in sports and arts for children’s personal development and the key role of social-emotional skills for their well-being.
Priorities and Future Investments
During the forum, it became clear that the MES continues to invest heavily in the development of extracurricular activities. Nearly 64,000 students from all over the country are included in 5,242 groups for arts and sports under the MES National Program “Together in Arts and Sports” for the 2024/2025 school year. Over 18 million leva have been allocated for the new program. For the first time in the 2025/2026 school year, the program will also include a module for students with special educational needs. Additionally, nearly 70,000 students have participated in interest-based activities, funded by the MES, with priority given to areas of STEM (Digital Creativity, Mathematics, Technologies, and Natural Sciences), as well as “Arts and Culture,” “Sports,” “Chess,” and others.
Dr. Takeva outlined the main priorities that concern the educational community:
- care for early childhood development
- inclusive education
- enrolment of children over four years old in the education system
- ensuring high quality education, especially regarding the training and subsequent qualification of teachers
These initiatives aim to ensure that Bulgarian education keeps pace with the contemporary challenges and needs of society.