The Centre for Inclusive Education is becoming Аssociation for Shared Learning ELA

As of today, September 25th 2019, Centre for Inclusive Education has a new name. We are becoming Association for Shared Learning ELA. The truth is, it is much more than a simple change in the name. It is the natural extension of the new direction of our activities.  

In the past 22 years we have been changing, keeping our finger on the pulse of time, staying true to ourselves – working in children’s best interest and intervening only when knowing we will be of use. Once being Save the Children UK - Bulgaria Programme (1997 - 2007), we looked for alternatives to the institutional care of children and urged the government to take measures to close down the so-called “care homes for children”.

Later on, being the Centre for Inclusive Education (2007-2019), we succeeded in affirming inclusive environment as a value and as shared responsibility in Bulgarian schools. Our efforts are now focused on supporting children and young people in the process of learning and going their own way. We also work together with schools, parents and teachers who consciously support children to build their social and emotional skills.
 
“Nowadays, it is important that children have critical thinking and are able to connect with themselves, with other people and with everything that surrounds them. In other words, the world needs conscious and responsible persons, and we want to help as many children as possible to become such.”, said Iva Boneva, Executive Director  of the Association, adding: “Most children we meet are not deprived of qualities but of opportunities, but the beginning of any child’s road should not determine how far she/he can get. Children need role models to guide them, so that they can build qualities such as teamwork, patience, confidence, persistence and analytical thinking, all of those not being part of the school curriculum”

In ELA Association, we work with children and we encourage them to be responsible both to themselves and to their surrounding world, to improve their strengths, to feel significant, to be generous, successful and happy. They should be able to build their own perspective of the entirety of the living world and their place in it.

We build our knowledge by carrying out studies, research and analysis, both in Bulgaria and abroad, in the field of education, children’s attitudes and child wellbeing.

Being true to ourselves, we offer modern educational products of high quality. We share our knowledge and experience with schools, parents and teachers, by working together in the interest of children’s wellbeing.

By changing our name, we wish ourselves even more friendships and unions; after all, ELA (which in Bulgarian means fir tree) always grows in groups.