Innovation Camps and Open Lessons across Bulgaria

School Subjects which are not yet taught in school but would change the future
 
Global Entrepreneurship Week Inspirations
 
For eighth consecutive year, Junior Achievement Bulgaria hosted the Global Entrepreneurship Week in our country. It was held from 16 to 22 November in 125 schools with innovative camps and open classes, which included nearly 4,500 students. Participants in innovation camps were asked a case related to education.

You have the opportunity to propose a new subject to be introduced in school. What would your proposition be? How this subject would help students prepare for what awaits them in the future? How exactly would the subject be capable to transform the world into a better place for living?
 
We, at Junior Achievement, as hosts of the Week and initiators of the innovation camps in schools, are especially intrigued by the suggestions of the students, because they are directly related to the change in education and educational policy of Bulgaria at the moment. In late October 2015 the Ministry of Education and Science proposed the new law on education for a public debate. The law proposes new subjects to be introduced in school. They are entrepreneurship, which is going to be a compulsory subject even in the primary schools and computer modeling, which will be taught since the third grade. The programs include civic education, which is integrated in other secondary subjects, but in ninth grade will be taught as a separate subject.
The new subjects have the potential to dramatically change the skills and the competitiveness of all students after completion of their education. But are they enough to prepare for a fullfilling and happy life? We asked participants of the innovation camps and their teachers about the most interesting ideas for new subjects. We share some of the most interesting proposals:

68. School "Academik Nikola Obreshkov" Sofia
 
 
One of the teams which participated in the innovation camp of 68. School, Sofia, offered subject Zhivotologiya (Lifology). It includes training in two stages: "Social Activities" with topics on charities; protection of the environment; supporting students with special needs; mutual assistance. In the second stage, "Knowledge about life" topics will include: communications; presentation of various professions to the students; familiarizing students with their rights and obligations in society.

Laguage high school “Peyo Yavorov”, Silistra
 
Teams of the Language High School in Silistra came up with several interesting proposals for new subjects in school. Team "Future", which was declared winner, suggested the idea of ​​subject “Extremeness”, which includes topics: nuclear threat, earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, fires, floods, aggression, harassment, violence.
Team "Eureka" proposed an idea for subject “Friendship”. According to the team, the subject will have the ability to change the world into a better place for living via the following topics: traditions and ethnicities; tolerance; self-defence and self-discipline; self-esteem; creativity in the relationships; inter-ethnic  relationships

Vocational school of agriculture “Vasil Levski”, Parvomay
 
Interesting new subjects were offered by the students in Vocational School of Agriculture "Vasil Levski", inspired by the case of JA Bulgaria. The winning team proposed subject “Creativity and thinking”. According to the young entrepreneurs this subject should be taught in Grade 7 by teachers with special training. It would direct the students to creativity, thinking and design. Thus it will build their ability to solve problems and to acquire skills for reasoning, modeling and creativity on random topics.
 
 Contagious with its optimism is the idea of ​​lessons on “Happiness”, proposed by team "Happiness". Besides formulating what would this kind of studies represent, the team explained why young people today do not feel happy – because they seek happiness in material items. The main goal of the proposed subject is giving young people the opportunity to shape their own life so that they can be happy with it. Lessons must be led by a psychologist once a week and be attended by children aged between 11 and 16 years, because their perception of the world is formed at that age. The subject would enable them to master their emotions and to know how to communicate with each other.
 

Vocational School of economics and tourism “Prof. d-r Asen Zlatarov, Petrich
 
Inspired by our case, students of Vocational School of Economics and Tourism in Petrich also contributed to the brainstorming of ideas for new subjects. Participants in the innovation camp offered subject “History of the homeland”. They believe that there is a gap in our educational system – they study the history of Bulgaria and the world, but little is known about the history of their own homeland, therefore they believe that the problem could be solved with the help and support of local historical museums.
 

Vocational School of Economics and Management “Elias Canetti”, Ruse
 
The subject presented by the team "Elias" is called “ART” (A - artistic; R - recreative; T - talented). The subject has to solve these problems:
The time in which we live is busy and full of information, and this does not make us aware, but on the contrary. Easy access to information demotivates us to seek it, unless it is necessary. Not always the easy "accessible" information is correct. Areas such as health education, civic education, protection of the environment; business communications, career education, science, etc. hide substaintial information which students need. They would like the subject to include informative discussions on these topics.
 
Analyzing the problems in the form of debates on the topics of interest for the students will encourage the development of a reasoned critical thinking. Through art man expresses himself best. It is scientifically proven that art develops mental abilities of the individual, making him more creative and inventive.
The goals which are aimed are based on the idea of the subject which students believe should be taught in grades 5 to 7. Broad topics of all areas of life are planned but in the focus are students' interests and viewpoints. Among the planned curriculum subjects are: respect for the family and peers; care for the environment; discrimination; diseases today; taboo topics; career compass; self-expression through art.
 
For the subject proposed by VSEM in Ruse it is important that it positions students as the active part in the lesson. The function of the teacher will be to give guidance and be provocative, but the students will choose the direction of the lesson. The method of evaluation will be traditional for the Bulgarian educational system but personal development of students will be leading.
 
Vocational School of Electrotechnics and Automatics, Sofia
 
The creative ideas proposed by students of VSEA can be grouped into subjects as follows:
- DEBATES - the ability for argumented performance and defence of the viewpoint, the ability to listen to different views, presentation in front of an audience - verbal and non-verbal communication.
 
- ROAD SAFETY - with the ability to perceive the student as a different user of the road (pedestrian, cyclist, driver) and obtain a driver's license. Case studies, role-playing situations, shaping the space in the school yard according to the subject requirements.
-       SOCIAL SECURITY, SAFETY, MILITARY EXPERTISE AND DEFENCE - disciplining the students, forming habits, military training, physical agility, education in patriotism, protection of human values and tolerance, protection of life and health of the student.
-       PREPARATION FOR LIFE - the goal is to build skills for innovative thinking and realisation of ideas, to encourage creativity among students, the teamwork and the implementation of innovative ideas. The conditions for the development of such personality are discussed - family environment, values, understanding, habits, violence, support; choice of profession, circle of friends, curiosity and theoretical training, observation of previous experience.
 
Another interesting idea of students of the same school is that of team "Future" with the subject “CHARITY” including the following topics for consideration: what is charity; kindness; relationships between people; care; support and assistance. The course aims to teach students the virtues; how to be good to each other; to reduce aggression among students. In practice classes, students will produce (with materials acessible to them - eg. cones, threads, etc.) items that will be sold, and the funds will be donated to children in need.
 
Winner of the innovation camp, held in the school, is team "Happy life" with its proposal of subject “IMPLEMENTATION AND HAPPINESS”, which they suggest to be studied in Grade 11. In the first semester lessons are theoretical, and during the second one each student will have to work on a project about his plans for future realization. The goal is to help students in their proper orientation for their professional realization and how to turn their hobbies into a profession. The team which suggested this subject plans the following topics: happiness; kindness; love; respect; culture and the relationship between people; how to forgive; how not everything happens according to the plans and rules, etc.

95. Schhol “Prof. Ivan Shishmanov”
 
Students of 95. school did not work on a concept for new subject, but on the enrichment of the existing ones - in all stages of the educational process.
For children in grades 1. to 4. it is very important to know the nature and its gifts. The idea for this age group is children to have the opportunity to work in small fruit and vegetable gardens. With the help of parents and the class teacher they can observe the process of growth and development, they will get dirty (as all children like) and they will learn – in the classes of “GARDENING”.
 
Their other idea is known, but not yet commonly applicable in Bulgarian schools. Their proposal is that the classes of “CAREER GUIDANCE” become mandatory for kids in grades 5. to 7. - but not only with the traditional tests and studies relevant to future employment, but also with video lectures by people of different professions, interviews and live lessons. All in order to prevent the wrong choice of high school after grade 7.
 
The proposal of students of 95. school – Sofia, for high school includes additional classes in which students will not be evaluated but they will be part of the curriculum and the diploma. Learning craft and occupations such as playing guitar, sewing, programming, sports, etc., will give teenagers the real opportunity to try everything before choosing their path in life.
 
It is noteworthy that students need more knowledge about life, happiness, success and fulfillment. We at Junior Achievement Bulgaria will continue to inspire young people with our programmes, courses and events to value free enterprise, to turn ideas into reality and to feel happy and satisfied in life.
 
This overview of ideas for a new subject, inspired by our case for Global Entrepreneurship Week 2015 concludes with a story shared by John Lennon: “When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy’. They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life.”