MISSION

Our Vision

At BEST Foundation, we firmly believe in the immense power held by words. We are dedicated to fostering an educational landscape where students are actively immersed in a tapestry of diverse viewpoints. Our ultimate vision is to create a world where these engaged students become instrumental in fostering the well-being and advancement of societies at large.

Foundation BEST, through its provision of English-language speech and debate tournaments, student leadership opportunities, a dedicated debate summer camp aimed at nurturing critical thinking skills, and international programming to students, actively encourages and promotes the cultivation of critical thinking and creative self-expression abilities. By doing so, we create a vibrant community of actively involved, democratically-minded individuals who are steadfastly dedicating themselves to the creation of a promising and prosperous future not just for Bulgaria, but for the entire world.

Our Mission

 

Our Programs

BEST accomplishes its mission through the following activities:

  • Regional, national and international speech and debate tournaments for high school students in Bulgaria and the larger Balkan community

  • Training workshops for high school students, coaches, tournament judges and volunteers

  • Professional development through internships with the BEST management team, the Student Leader program, a formal year-long leadership development program and the Critical Thinking Summer Camp for experienced BEST participants.

 

Our Impact

Though each individual's journey through BEST is unique and personal, it can be observed that there are some common threads that characterize the transformative impact of participating in BEST's programs.

1) Exposure: Through BEST, participants are exposed to new ideas, views, and perspectives.

2) Conviction: Participants then begin to care about certain idea(s) that they have been exposed to.

3) Education: Once they find an idea they care more about, they begin to learn more about this idea, and become more critically aware of what is going on.

4) Action: Based on what participants have learned and care about, they take action. Action can take many different forms.