Nine Bulgarian schools and kindergartens won funding from the Foundation for Environmental Education

The local educational institutions were awarded among more than 110 applicants from 16 countries

07.06.2023

Environmental projects of nine Bulgarian schools and kindergartens were approved for funding by the Foundation for Environmental Education, among more than 110 applicants from 16 countries. As part of the joint initiative of Devin EAD and the Bulgarian Blue Flag movement – “Enter the green circle. The future is in our hands.” for the large-scale introduction of eco-education in Bulgaria under the Eco Schools Program, they submitted projects related to the circular economy and the fight against pollution.

The expert jury of the Foundation for Environmental Education honored 60 educational institutions from around the world, among which were:

• the Varna Primary School “Captain Petko Voyvoda”, Primary School “Hristo Botev”, 39 Kindergarten “Prikazka”, 35 Kindergarten “Detska Radost” and 14 Kindergarten “Druzhba”, with their projects related to waste reduction, a healthier, more sustainable and greener way of life;
• the Burgas Primary School “Hristo Botev” and Primary School “Alexander Georgiev-Kodzhakafaliyata”, with their eco-education projects and recycling workshops;
• Secondary School “Hristo Botev” in Karnobat, with its project entitled “Create an eco-miracle!”;
• 10 Primary School “Aleko Konstantinov” in Pernik, with its project for separate collection of different types of waste and their composting.

According to the regulation, the implementation of the financed projects must be completed by October 2023.

“We look forward to the winning educational institutions completing their projects and we will share the exciting outcomes of each of them,” said Petya Yordanova, coordinator of the Eco Schools Program for Bulgaria.

A total of 68 eco schools and kindergartens also participated in the Global Action Days 2023 organized by the Foundation for Environmental Education, which this year were connected to the 5 R’s – Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Repurpose. For ten days, the schools organized and shared at least five actions that everyone can do to reduce pollution and consume more responsibly. The Global Action Days campaign demonstrates how individual actions, no matter how small they may seem, can lead to impressive positive change. Worldwide, 1,700 schools participated, and Bulgaria was 5th in terms of the number of participants, who once again proved that they were an integral part of the global environmental community.

“In Bulgaria, the Global Action Days demonstrated the actions taken by participants in the Eco Schools Program and helped educational institutions that had newly joined the program under the joint Devin and Blue Flag “Enter the Green Circle” initiative to feel the power and inspiration which the program gives to its members,” shared Petya Yordanova, coordinator of the Eco Schools Program. “Traditionally, Bulgarian educational institutions are among the most active and the initiatives published by them are among the most interesting, for which they receive special praise and congratulations from the Foundation for Environmental Education,” she added.

The goal of the “Enter the green circle. The future is in our hands.” initiative is subordinated to the mission of building the largest network of Eco Schools in the Balkans and preparing future generations as active citizens capable of taking public responsibility for the protection of the environment. The initiative is being developed with the support of the Ministry of Education and Culture and the Ministry of Environment and Water and is laying the foundations for positive change, which brings benefits not only to children, but also to their parents and to society as a whole.

Schools and kindergartens that wish to be part of the initiative in the new academic year can register by following this link.