Project "Strong Start": 1550 Kindergartens

Another 58 kindergartens and pre-school groups in schools across the country will join the "Strong Start" project of the Ministry of Education and Science (MES).

This was announced by the MES press center, specifying that with their addition, the total number of educational institutions receiving support under the project, launched at the beginning of 2024, reaches 1550.

The project covers kindergartens and schools with pre-school groups from all regions of the country. In some areas, such as Gabrovo, Kyustendil, Lovech, Silistra, Targovishte and Yambol, participation is 100%, demonstrating its wide scope and ambitious goals.

The five-year program, funded under the Operational Programme "Education" and co-funded by the European Social Fund, has allocated 140 million leva for early childhood education and care.

"Strong Start" is aimed at providing additional support for the personal development of children with special educational needs (SEN), children at risk, children with chronic illnesses and gifted children. The goal is sustainable inclusion in pre-school education. To this end, kindergartens are given the opportunity to hire specialists - psychologists, speech therapists and resource teachers, to ensure individualized support for each child.

The project also includes a program to promote physical activity, which will be piloted in 12 Sofia kindergartens. Here, educational institutions will cooperate with lecturers from the National Sports Academy (NSA) and Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski", to develop and implement modern and effective methods of sports training, tailored to the age characteristics of the children.

A key focus of "Strong Start" is access and sustainable inclusion of children in pre-school education, in order to reduce their premature dropout from the education system. The program is diverse and includes additional training, extracurricular activities, sports activities, initiatives related to environmental protection and others. Through various initiatives, the project actively engages parents, encouraging their participation in the life of the kindergarten and in the educational process.

"The "Strong Start" project is one of the most conceptual projects in the Ministry of Education and Science, because its main goal is to provide an opportunity for a strong and equal start for different groups of children - both with special educational needs, and children from vulnerable groups, gifted children, talented children. This is related to both the additional support in kindergarten, and to general support, including psychological support for children, which is very important at this age,"

said in October 2024 the acting Minister of Education and Science Prof. Galin Tsokov during the presentation of the project in kindergarten 50 "The Quikey Rabbit". The importance of early childhood support, embedded in "Strong Start", is evident, with the goal being to build a solid foundation for the future development of children.