Hub for Leaders: BEST Foundation Holds Its Annual Student Leader Training and Presents the New Leaders of the Community

From September 24 through September 26, BEST Foundation hosted the 2021/2022 SL Training at Hotel “Forum”, Sofia. The event’s goal was to prepare the new student leaders of the speech and debate teams in schools across Bulgaria for the year ahead.  The training focused on teaching valuable lessons in leadership, communication, time management and problem-solving and to help the student leaders create a strong community for the year to come.

“The SL training was my highlight of the month. It helped me improve my planning in detail and time management skills, as well as gave me an opportunity to work on my anxiety when it comes to presenting a project in front of an audience. It also gave me a better understanding of the importance of having a sustainable community project.” – Katerina Nankova, HSM “D-r Petar Beron”, Varna

A large emphasis was put on initiating and implementing community projects which would help the students contribute to their local community outside of the BEST world. Student leaders were divided into groups and had to come up with their own mini-project under the guidance of a management team member. Then they presented it in front of everybody and were given valuable feedback. 

In addition, we had the honour to welcome several guest speakers such as volunteers from the Arete Youth Foundation that told us more about the community projects they create, Dr Ron Harvey from American University in Bulgaria who led an improvisation workshop, our debate coordinator, Julia Lynch, who reached out to the SLs in a discussion concerning the debates for the upcoming year and Kristiyan Naydenov who talked about the YES program and the opportunity of studying in the US for a year in high school.

The SL program aims to teach students how to lead a team and make a positive impact on the community. These goals are achieved through attending an SL training, completing two pre-tournament projects and a community project. Awards are given at the end of the year for the most outstanding performances. Most importantly, the program creates a sense of belonging among the SLs which is vital for the BEST community.

The SL training was held with the financial sponsorship and support of Fulbright Bulgaria.

About The BEST Foundation 

BEST stands for Bulgarian English Speech and Debate Tournaments. Established in 2013, BEST provides the English-language learners of Bulgaria an opportunity to come together and pursue personal growth through English language speech and debate. BEST aims to empower students to think critically, express themselves creatively, and create a dynamic community that truly cares about the success and the future of Bulgaria. BEST is proud to provide a platform for English-language speech and debate for students across the country.

MEDIA CONTACTS: Petar Donchev: assistant.director@bestfoundation.bg