Gabrovo Young Leaders Project
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Gabrovo Young Leaders is a project of Municipal School Trustees - Gabrovo. It is finances by the Democratic committee at the USA Embassy.Partners: Gabrovo Municipality and Bulgarian Representation of the Peace Corps under the USA Government.Duration: September 2005 - May 2006Participants: forty students from 9th and 10th grades. Instructors: P. Pomakova, I. Yordanova and M. Stephanova. The project comprises two levels of studying the local democracy process. The first is knowing the structure, responsibilities and every day tasks of the local administration and its divisions. The second is a practical investigation of the local needs and issues. The project's aim is to form in young people future leaders characteristics and to prepare them for a civil society at a local level. The project aim can be achieved by interaction between the university education and democratic principles in the local self-governing. Through their participation in the project young people take up an attitude toward the civil society and adapt to it; they acquire skills for coping with different problems situations, making decisions and responsible conduct in the community life. The young leaders already know that a lot of issues linked to the life of a certain community depend on its members and the problems can be solved by them. |
Carried out activities.In October, 2005 participants were selected. At the beginning of November, 2005 leaders meeting was held and the participants were introduces one another.The projects, its purposes tasks and activities were presented. They worked out a detailed plan for the coming activities, which was approved later.In December 2005, a young leaders training was carried out in the following subjects:- Team Work- Conflict Management- Successful Negotiations- Successful CommunicationAfter the training carried out young leaders are already able to be good team players, to cope with problems, to communicate. Together they can make decisions in the most appropriate way.Young leaders were acquainted with sociological inquiry questionnaires. A each student inquired about 10 households from his/her neighbourhood. They tried to find out common local problems and at the end, the results were generated.On 15th February, 2006 the Leaders council held a meeting in Gabrovo Municipality. The topic of the meeting was: Acquaintance with Gabrovo Municipal administration and Town Council structures and activities; discussion of important social issues from different areas. The young leaders had an opportunity to visit Mr Belchev's, Mrs Projnova's and Mrs Eneva's offices. Then they were invited to the Ceremonial Hall of Gabrovo Municipality and they met Mayor of Gabrovo and the heads of Municipal departments who informed the students about the specific of their work.On 18th February, 2006 students from 10b class Boryana Ivanova and Stela Toteva took part in a TV programme on Gabrovo Cable TV Channel. "Saturday, at no time" were they had an opportunity to talk about the project implementation.On 30th March, 2006 a School Forum was held where the results were reported. The leaders talked about town problems and commented on the generalized questionnaires, shared their impression about their visit in Gabrovo Municipality. They presented project posters. Our students received rewards for their active work during project implementation.Students' work on this project and their active participation quarantees the effective social integration of young people.Everything done till now may be considered as a good basis for a further continuity. |
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