German High School "Goethe" host of national initiative for digital and media literacy

The national initiative "Laboratory for Digital and Media Literacy" will be held at the German Language High School "Goethe" from June 5 to 7, 2025. The project is implemented under the National Program "Innovations in Action" of the Ministry of Education and Science. Since the beginning of 2025, a team of teachers from the high school has been working jointly with teams from 10 partner schools - 51st Secondary School "Elisaveta Bagryana" and II AEG "Thomas Jefferson" from Sofia, VI Secondary School "St. Cyril and Methodius" from Pernik, Secondary School "Georgi Benkovski" from Teteven, Professional High School of Mathematics and Science "Acad. Ivan Gyuzelev" from Gabrovo, Secondary School "St. Prince Boris I" from the village of Startsevo, Secondary School "Father Paisiy" from Kardzhali, Professional High School of Construction and Architecture from Pazardzhik, Primary School "Svetlina" from the village of Topolitsa and Secondary School "Bishop Konstantin Preslavski" from Burgas.

United by the understanding that in the dynamic world of the 21st century, digital and media literacy are of key importance for the success of every young person, but also convinced of the power of continuity, the participants in the Laboratory chose the keyword "Bridge" as their motto - a symbol of the transition between today and tomorrow, between traditional and digital education, between students, teachers and a new culture of critical thinking and conscious communication.

During the laboratory, students and teachers will work together on topics such as recognizing fake news and disinformation, responsible behavior on social networks, creative and ethical use of digital tools, and creating multimedia content with a clear message. Teachers will be supported by the shared experience of specialists such as TV journalist Lora Stamatis, Prof. Dr. Sotir Sotirov from the Burgas Free University and Irina Filipova, founder of Happy Teachers Training.

The Laboratory program includes the presentation of social and cultural projects by students from NEG "Goethe", workshops, simulations, role-playing games, presentations and lectures. Special attention is paid to interactive forms of education, such as Digital Citizenship and Mini Media Projects, where participants will solve real-life cases and create their own content.

The Laboratory is designed as the beginning of a long-term initiative that will continue through the creation of a network of partner schools, sharing best practices and jointly developing educational resources. These resources will become part of a handbook for conducting digital and media literacy lessons, including ready-made lesson scenarios, interactive exercises and practical tips.

In this way, the Laboratory for Digital and Media Literacy is an investment in the future of Bulgarian education, a bridge between traditional teaching methods and the challenges of the digital age. By uniting the efforts of teachers, students and experts, NEG "Goethe" together with the partner schools will pave the way towards an education that not only follows the times, but also leads them.