Young People in Bulgaria: Creating the Change
The first edition of UNICEF’s Youth Programme UPSHIFT was Held
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Over three intense and inspiring days, 40 young people aged 14 to 18 from Pernik, Montana, Gabrovo, Dupnitsa, and Kyustendil participated in the pilot edition of UPSHIFT — UNICEF's innovative youth programme aimed at fostering social innovation and skills development.
Organized by UNICEF in partnership with the International Youth Center (IYC) in Pernik, the first workshop for youth innovation took place in early December 2024.
The young participants formed eight teams to tackle pressing issues affecting their communities such asschool-related stress and aggression, the lack of youth spaces, mental health stigma, and the neglect of marginalized urban neighborhoods. Guided by dedicated mentors, the teams engaged in a structured process of creative problem-solving, refiningtheir project ideas and receiving constructive feedback.
The event culminated in a series of compelling presentations to a jury, including Radostina Radanova (Director of IYC-Pernik), Stefan Krastev (Deputy Mayor of Pernik Municipality), and Vesela Mareva (Director of the Youth Policies Directorate at the Ministry of Youth and Sports). Five standout projects were awarded initial funding of BGN 650, enabling the teams to continue developing their initiatives over the first three months of 2025.
The pilot edition of UPSHIFT not only highlighted the creativity and determination of these young innovators but also underscored the importance of empowering youth to drive positive change in their communities.
Spotlight on Two Promising Projects
A month after the event, we followed up with two of the winning teams — Let’s Be Friends from Pernik and The New Young from Gabrovo.
Let’s Be Friends: Emotion in Motion
Kristina Todorova, Ilona Stefanova, and Mila Peneva — the creative minds behind Let’s Be Friends — are volunteers with the youth club of the same name at the PULSE Foundation in Pernik, an organization supporting women and children affected by domestic violence.
Their project, titled Emotion in Motion, addresses youth mental health and aims to explore emotional states like fear, anxiety, and depression while offering tools to cope with them. The initiative will culminate in a three-day Art Festival in April 2025, supported by the Youth Advisory Council to the Mayor of Pernik.
The festival will feature a short film competition, musical and literary evenings, discussions with psychologists and influencers, and informal gatherings.
“We rarely stop to reflect on our emotions — why they exist, what they’re trying to tell us, and how they shape our behavior. Through these discussions, we want to create space for meaningful reflection,” said Kristina from Let’s Be Friends.
The New Young: Reimagining Gabrovo’s Youth Spaces
"Young people in Bulgaria are not waiting for change – they are creating it! T. Participants from The New Young team in Gabrovo, including Donna Kashavelova, Monika Nencheva, Selin Çabuk, Stoycho Stoychev, and Kristiana Stoyanova, expressed their excitement about joining the UPSHIFT adventure. Their project aims to create accessible, vibrant gathering places for young people in Gabrovo, fostering idea exchange, participation in activities, and creativity. Their project envisions either building new spaces or revitalizing existing ones, such as restoring public gazebos. Beyond the initial UPSHIFT funding, the team plans to seek community and business support to realize their vision.
Monika shared, “We want to change the mindset that Gabrovo is boring and create reasons for people to visit our city.” Kristiana added that the team will use social media influencers to promote their idea.
Another Gabrovo team, Focus on the Future, received valuable feedback to continue refining their project on reducing school stress and violence.
Empowering Youth to Lead Social Change
UPSHIFT, a global initiative by UNICEF, equips young people with 21st-century skills to address social challenges through innovation and entrepreneurship. Active in over 50 countries, the programme empowers youth aged 10 to 24 to be leaders of social change and engaged citizens in their communities.
The programme combines accelerated learning with practical activities using a human-centered approach, based on non-formal learning, education, experiential learning and entrepreneurial skills. Modular training of 20-25 hours is conducted in various formats - from face-to-face workshops to blended learning, including:
· Workshops and mentoring
· Teamwork and entrepreneurial challenges
· Seed funding for the best ideas
Through these elements, the programme fosters empathy, critical thinking, creativity, resilience, and leadership skills, while building new friendships and helpful connections.
In Bulgaria, UPSHIFT was launched with a call for teams aged 14 to 19 to develop solutions to social problems in their communities. Selected teams participated in an intensive workshop to refine their ideas, culminating in presentations to a jury that awarded funding and mentorship support to promising projects.
The UPSHIFT pilot programme in Bulgaria for 2024-2025 is being implemented by UNICEF in collaboration with the Youth Centers in Pernik, Plovdiv, Vratsa, Montana, Gabrovo, Stara Zagora, Dobrich, and Burgas.
