Bulgarian School Radio Project - Bulgaria

School radio clubs in 15 schools were formed with Roma-Bulgarian, Roma-Turkish, Roma, Turkish, and Bulgarian children. The schools were located in the following towns: Sofia, Vidin, Kyustendil, Silistra, Dulovo, Glavinitsa, Kaspichan, and Provadia. Radio journalists from Bulgarian National Radio conducted five 2-day seminars for students and teachers. One focus of the sessions was on teaching teachers to work with radio equipment, as well as to craft modules for teacher training in radio journalism.

In addition, materials for implementing radio programmes (a tape recorder and microphones) were provided to each school. Most schools were also supplied with new radio speakers and cables.

Weekly radio programmes were broadcast over the public address systems of the schools. Some programmes are also broadcast on the local private stations as well as on the National Radio.

At a May, 2001 press conference in Sofia, students and teachers reported on their work to date. The programme continued through the end of the May 2002 school year. At that time, teachers were asked to test children's knowledge about journalism since the start of the radio programme. These results were then analysed; a report was constructed.

Children.

Teachers report that the children:

• Have improved their motivation and self-esteem
• Have improved their Bulgarian language skills
• Have learned to work together as a team
• Learn about each other's culture in mixed schools
• Are motivated to consider a journalism career
• Report on their communities as well as the school

Based on this project, schools closed to the borders with Turkey and Romania worked to establish new relationships. For example, teachers from Bulgaria working with Roma children have served as role models for teachers from Turkey and Romania, who might initiate the same project with Roma children in those countries.