Association “Community for Democratic Education” has been founded at the beginning of 2014. It is a community of active and engaged Bulgarian citizens, including teachers and educational experts.
Its aim is to promote democratic education in Bulgaria and make space for its realization – establish and run the first Democratic School in the country, help other democratic schools develop, as well as work for freedom and opportunity for choice in the educational field.
“Community of Democratic Education” is an organisation with:
- Shared values – the personality of each person, acceptance, freedom as a fundamental human right, equality, personal responsibility, respect, trust, tolerance, learning as a natural process, democratic culture
- Shared mission – creating good conditions for the development of new generations through the implementation of an educational model that respects individual rights and freedom – democratic education
- Shared vision – a strong need for change in education and civil liability for its occurrence
- Shared intentions – general purposeful effort in making sustainable steps towards achieving the common goal
- Shared strategy – targeted purposeful steps to change directions – public awareness, engaging the public, law, opening the first democratic school, helping in founding others around the country
Intentions and our goals to work towards:
- Support the development of active citizenship, support the provision of free education.
- Creation, application and development of school models that have as core values respect for individual rights and freedom of choice for children and young people
- Building a community of children, parents, teachers and citizens committed to the idea of democratic education
- Promotion of best practices and practical guidance in a free and democratic education and youth development
Our main activities:
- Center for Democratic Learning – the first democratic school in Bulgaria, founded in 2014;
- The (im)Possible Education Festival – festival for documentaries, discussions, and workshops about human-centered education which includes multiple partners;
- Academy for teachers – various trainings for teachers;
- Other partnerships on specific topics such as the BUSTA project or the DESC project.
