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The Project

Posted by N.Tsolov

OVERALL OBJECTIVE:
Encouraging the cooperation in modernization of education to contribute to integration and socio-economical development in Bulgaria-Serbia cross-border region.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVS:
- To consolidate motivated professionals in education from both countries trough creation of a sustainable cross-border network;
- To create supporting environment for cooperation and development of secondary education trough exchange of best practices and innovations in teaching and education;
- To encourage contacts between professionals in education and educational structures from both sides of the border.

ACTIVITIES
Promotion of the project idea in Bulgaria In order a network to be created, dissemination of information and application of measures for attraction of participation of the target group are needed. In this reason, two promoters will visit 10 biger cities/towns in the Bulgarian border region to organize and hold meetings with local educational stakeholders and representatives of the target group. They will present the project and will also distribute printed materials, such as posters and leaflets, about the project and support research activity (see 3 below). Each promoter will be engaged for 12 working days. At least 300 educational workers are expected to be informed during this campaign directly and more than 1000 indirectly.

Promotion of the project idea in Serbia To atract participation in project and network two promoters will visit 10 biger cities/towns in the Serbian border region to organize and hold meetings with local educational stakeholders and representatives of the target groups. They will present the project and will also distribute printed materials, such as posters and leaflets, about the project and support research activity (see 3 below). Each promoter will be engaged for 12 days. At least 300 educational workers are expected to be informed during this campaign directly and more than 1000 indirectly.

Research of educational systems A research will be conducted to describe both countries educational systems - their structure, priorities, strategies for development, etc., available practices in encouraging of innovative methods in education. As a result, a report will be produced in Bulgarian and Serbian for general orientation of project participants in educational system of the neighboring country.The research will be conducted by two researchers, one per country, who will be engaged for 6 days each. The promoters will help for identification of available practices for encouraging of innovative teaching on local/regional level interviewing teachers, principals, etc.The report will be distributed amoung participants in events and published on the project web-site.

Implementation of joint thematic forum in Bulgaria The aim of this activity is to support the exchange of best practices and cooperation between educational professionals from the border region. The forum participants will be teachers and other specialists (i.e. principals, psychologists, etc.). The representatives of regional structures of ME and Teachers' development institutes also will be invited. The two-days joint forum will take place in Kustendil with 20 participants (10 per country) on themes of common interest (for example only: “Application of ICT in education”, “Using project work for teaching”, “Best practices in vocational training”, etc.). The concrete theme will be chosen on the base of results of the research activity.

Implementation of joint thematic forums in Serbia The aim of this activity is to support the exchange of best practices and cooperation between educational professionals from the border region. The forum participants will be teachers and other specialists (i.e. principals, psychologists, etc.). The representatives of ME and teachers qualification bodies also will be invited. Two two-days joint forums in Serbia are planned to implemented with 20 participants (10 per country) each on themes of common interest (for example only “Application of ICT in education”, “Using project work for teaching”, “Best practices in vocational training”, etc.). The concrete themes will be chosen on the base of results of the research activity. The forums will take place in Sokobanja and Zajecar.

Creation of a web platform To ensure communication, exchange of information and best practices between members of the network during the project implementation and after it, an interactive web-site will be created. It will combine three parts: informational part (information about project, news section, access to project's products), communicational part (web forum) and a part for sharing of methodical materials – every user can upload and download lesions, presentations, tests, etc. in both languages. Our experience in cross-border cooperation shows that the closeness of Bulgarian and Serbian languages and availability of on-line translators will make such methodical data-base useful for both sides (and learning of the neighboring language will be encouraged).

Training of experts For the sustainability of the network it is important to exist a core of members prepared in NGO development. That is why a group of 20 representatives of the target group (10 per each country), chosen on the base of their motivation for participation in the network, will pass training for NGO development – strategic planning, project planning, advocacy, work with media, etc. during 5 days in Belogradchik or other proper place in Bulgaria. The training will also produce a draft Statute of the new joint organization.

Conclusion forum implementation The creation of the professional network as a formal structure will take place in Vidin in a two-day conclusion forum. The forum will include 30 representatives of the target groups (15 from every country), who will elaborate necessary documents (i.e. Statute, Strategic plan..) of the network and will prepare its court registration as an international NGO. A management board of new organization will be elected as well. Participation of representatives of school employers and other decission makers in education system will support the forum to find the ways for continued cooperation.

Publication and disseimination of a Collection The aim of this activity is dissemination of project results to achive multiplication. A collection with selected materials from the project (i.e. research report, best practices of teaching, etc.) will be prepared in both languages and distributed among the target groups and decision makers in Bulgaria and Serbia (250 issues).

CROSS-BORDER EFFECT EXPECTED

The project will create conditions (network, communication channel, exchange of best practices, etc.) for closer collaboration and start of the process of integration in the secondary education between both regions of the Bulgarian – Serbian border. The cross-border impact can be seen more concretely in:
- Creation of conditions for collaboration between professionals from educational structures in border region – teachers, school principals, psychologists, etc;
- Sharing of information and good practices in teaching, school management, etc. in the context of on-going educational reforms in both countries;
- Encouraging partnerships between educational institutions - schools, regional structures of ME, teachers development institutes, etc.