Step for Bulgaria Foundation is a young organization, founded in order to develop successful initiatives for and by Bulgarian youth. Unlike other organizations working in the field of youth development, SBF was founded after the successful completion of a new project - Summer Academy STEP Bulgaria 2007, which was initially set up with the support of Harvard Bulgarian Club, the organization of Bulgarian students at Harvard. The project conceived across the Atlantic ocean was meant to attract international and Bulgarian students to get engaged in understanding and resolving the issues of underprivileged Buglarian youth living without parnetal care. In the first summer, we had 4 Harvard students volunteer as international English language teachers. They worked with 15 Bulgarian volunteers and over 30 teenagers from 5 children's homes from across Bulgaria. The positive feedback we received at the end of the Summer Academy motivated us to set up the Step for Bulgaria Foundation. Among our initial supporters were also the American Chamber of Commerce in Buglaria and the ambassador of Bulgaria to the U.S. at the time, Mrs. Elena Poptodorova.
At SBF we aim to support the long-term development of our young students. That is why after three years of running the Summer Academy we recently launched a new full-year educational program, Step in the Future! Read on to find out more about our history...
June-July 2007: STEP Bulgaria Summer Academy happened for first time with the participation of over 30 youths from 5 orphanages across the country, taught by 4 American students from Harvard University and 15 Bulgarian volunteers.
August 2007: Step for Bulgaria Foundation is established as an official non-governmental organization and registered with the Bulgarian Court of Justice.
February 2008: Step for Bulgaria Foundation becomes an official partner of the American non-profit organization WorldTeach.
June-July 2008: STEP Bulgaria 2008 Summer Academy was carried out with the participation of over 50 teenagers from 8 orphanages across the country and 30 volunteers, 5 of whom American students, visiting the country as WorldTeach Bulgaria Summer volunteers. For first time our new partners from Junior Achievement Alumni Club Bulgaria and University of 21st century joined the program as specialized instructors.
June-August 2008: WorldTeach Bulgaria Summer was conducted for first time. 14 American volunteers taught English and life skills to more than 200 children from orphanages and day educational centres in Sofia, Plovdiv, Dolna Bania, Dren, Berkovitsa, Provadia.
Jan-Jun 2009: a pilot version of the new full-year educational program Step in the Future was launched in the Berkovitsa orphanage Lyuba Teneva. With the partnership of Junior Achievement Alumni Club Bulgaria, we led courses on the Economic benefits of education and Personal Finance for 15 students at the orphanage.
June-July 2009: STEP Bulgaria 2009 Summer Academy third edition, with the participation of 40 teenagers from 6 partner orphanages. The curriculum is enriched from previous years with the addition of a student entrepreneurship course and individual career planning sessions. In addition, we have professional Yoga trainers lead several yoga sessions. Our students also had the opportunity to visit the offices of ProCredit Bank in Varna and to meet our perennial supporter - Emil Wyss, the vice-council of the Suiss Consulate in Cambridge, MA.
June-August 2009: WorldTeach Buglaria Summer second edition, with the participation of 12 volunteers from the U.S. This year our WorldTeach volunteers worked in a high-school in Pazardjik and in community centers and social homes in Berkovitsa, Dolna Banya, Dren and Sofia. This year, for the first time we partnered officially with Interact Club Pazardjik.
October 2009: the new full-year educational program for underprivileged youth, Step in the Future, is implemented in four partner orphanages in Sofia, Berkovitsa and Plovdiv. A total of 30 students have demonstrated dedication and continuous participation in the courses so far.
Upcoming:
STEP Bulgaria 2010
Step in the Future launch in Varna
