On September 19, 2024, at the American Corner of the Metropolitan Library, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., the “Global Libraries – Bulgaria” Foundation is organizing the final meeting of the 12-month DEPEND ON YOU project /Civic Engagement of Young People/.
The project focuses on the civic activism of young people and the role of public libraries as local centers for civic participation and public debate. Trainings were held for librarians and young people. In view of the European Parliament elections (June 9, 2024), the regional and national public speaking competition for students was held under the title “What do I expect from the European Parliament?”, in which participated 120 high school students from Burgas, Varna, Veliko Tarnovo, Plovdiv and Sofia. The competitions showed that young Bulgarians are excited about topics such as: humane treatment of animals, sustainable food chains, artificial intelligence, genomic techniques in plant breeding, enlargement of the European Union, safe digital environment and other issues on the agenda of the European Parliament.
Partners of the “Global Libraries – Bulgaria” Foundation in the implementation of this project are the Bulgarian School of Politics “Dimitar Panitsa” and the regional libraries in Burgas, Varna, Veliko Tarnovo, Plovdiv and Sofia, which have American centers. The project was supported by the funding program of the Public Diplomacy Department of the US Embassy in Sofia.
At the upcoming final event, the main results of the activities carried out in the individual American centers will be presented, and the prospects for continuing and expanding the project by including new partners will be discussed.
Online participation via Zoom will be provided to participants from the country.
PROGRAM:
Session 1 | 10:00 – 11:30
- Depend on you: Civic engagement of young people. About the project – Spaska Tarandova, executive director GLBF
- How civically active young people are formed – Ivan Nichev, Bulgarian School of Politics “Dimitar Panitsa”
- Depend on You: training of students in the “Peyo K. Yavorov” regional library, Burgas
- Depend on You: training of students in the “Petko R. Slaveikov” regional library, Veliko Tarnovo
Coffee break
Session 2 | 12:00 – 14:00
- Depend on You: trainings for students in the regional library “Pencho Slaveikov”, Varna – online inclusion via ZOOM
- Depend on You: training of students in “Ivan Vazov” public library, Plovdiv
- Depend on You: student training in the Metropolitan Library
- Sharing impressions from students and teachers – on-site and online
- Summary and closing
Lunch
