Lozen, February 4-6, 2019
3,2,1, GO! The “Health Education” Youth Academy is officially under way. On February 4th at the Bulgarian Red Cross’s training and logistics center in the village of Lozen young people from 5 schools in Sofia (1st Secondary school, 1st ELS, 144th Secondary school, 119th Secondary school and the PSTFD) and their school councils began their education on topics vital for growing up, such as: changes during puberty, menstruation, sexually transmitted and blood-transmitted infections, prevention of HIV, family planning and contraception, sexual and reproductive health, addictions prevention, etc. The initiative relies on the method that has proven itself most successful with time – peer education. The Academy trainees will learn how to create and disseminate specific to the auditorium health messages, how to be most convincing in their communication with their class- and schoolmates and which interactive methods they could use when sharing knowledge – all this in three educational modules after which there will be a public presentation of the acquired knowledge and perceived skills. The team of young people from the 35th secondary school will join them in the second module, having already passed the first one.
These smart and motivated participants are the first batch of future alumni of the “Health Education” Youth Academy which we plan to transform into a permanently active structure that educates young ambassadors of knowledge. Besides the Bulgarian Family Planning and Sexual Health Association (BFPA), partners of the Academy are also the Prevention, Integration, Sport and Tourism Directorate (PIST) of Sofia Municipality, the Program for Prevention of HIV and STI of the Ministry of Health, Bulgarian Red Cross, National Center of Public Health and Analyses (NCPHA) and the Center for Humane Policy. The team of educators is comprised of leading Bulgarian experts in the field of health and sexuality education – Dr. Radosveta Stamenkova, BFPA’s Exec. Director, Daniela Dikova – BFPA’s health manager and 
consultant, Yulia Georgieva – Chairman of the Center for Humane Policy, Anina Chileva – Cahirman of PETRI-Sofia, Chief expert in NCPHA, Petar Tzintzarski – long-term consultant with the Ministry of Health in activities, related to HIV prevention, Denitza Barumova – Director of Bulgarian Red Cross Youth (BRCY).
On February 6th at the end of this part of the course, each future educator received a certificate which, besides acknowledging the acquired knowledge and perceived skills, points out the responsibilities that the participants in the Academy have, namely – to pay forward their knowledge to their peers. We are happy with what we achieved and extremely motivated to continue together because we know that health and sexuality education is integral part of the school curriculum.
