site.btaEleven Schools Participate in Innovation Lab on Entrepreneurship

An innovation lab on entrepreneurship and financial literacy was opened at the Nikola Belovezhdov Secondary School in Sofia by outgoing Education and Science Minister Galin Tzokov on Monday, his ministry said in a press release. Eleven schools from different regions of Bulgaria are involved in the project. In the lab, teams of teachers and graduates who have developed different innovations will exchange experiences and generate ideas over three days, together with external experts and academics. They will then produce a common final product – a manual, so that the innovations they have developed can be used by other schools.

Addressing the event, Tzokov said that entrepreneurial skills are the skills that will enable today's students to pursue different professions in the future. Thus, they will also develop their leadership skills and competences so that they can cope with any situation in life and work in a team, he noted, adding that that a total of five such laboratories are to be set up in 2024 under the national Innovation in Action programme of the Education Ministry.

During the opening of the Entrepreneurship and Financial Literacy Lab, students presented a spice made from thirteen herbs with no added salt or preservatives, beauty products made from natural materials, and a board game made from biodegradable materials. The students also displayed an original product - a packaging of degradable plastic made from seeds. This way, when it is thrown away, it does not pollute nature, but breaks down and even sprouts plants afterwards. A student-run company has also introduced an electric car ride-sharing platform, the Education Ministries said.

Apart from the Nikola Belovezhdov Secondary School, the other participating schools were the National High School in Finance and Business in Sofia, the Yordan Yovkov Secondary School in Kardzhali, the Assen Zlatarov Language School in Haskovo, the Professional High School in Kubrat, the Chernorizets Hrabar Secondary School in Plovdiv; the Kozma Trichkov Secondary School in Vratsa, the St. Cyril and Methodius Secondary School in Karnobat; the Exarch Antim I Secondary School in Kazanlak, as well as two schools in Varna – the Acad. Blagovest Sendov High School of Computer Modeling and Computer Systems and the Phoenix 2020 Private Primary School.

The event was attended by Natalia Mihalevska, Head of the Office of the Education and Science Minister, and Miroslav Borshosh, Chairperson of the Committee on Education, Culture, Science and Cultural Diversity in the Sofia City Council.

The first school innovation laboratory was opened at end-February in the Neofit Rilski United School in the village of Dermantsi, Lukovit municipality (North Central Bulgaria).