On 20.01.2017 an opening press conference was held in the conference hall of Cosmopolitan Hotel in Ruse on the project "Early Socialization through Successful Educational Integration", funded by the Operational Program "Science and Education for Smart Growth" 2014 - 2020 with  Association Bulgarian-Romanian Trans-border Mediation Institute as Beneficiary.

The project was presented by its manager - Ivaylo Ivanov. Mr. Stanimir Stanchev - Deputy Regional Governor of Ruse Region, was our official guest..

The other guests of the event were journalists, representatives of thepartner schools and kindergartens, representatives of the Regional Information Center - Ruse and NGOs.

Mr. Ivaylo Ivanov presented the goals of the project, the activities and the target groups - children for whom the Bulgarian language is not a mother tongue, trained and educated in 8 partner schools and kindergartens, their peers from the dominant ethnic group and parents. It was stated that the project is a logical extension of the project "Socialization through Educational Integration", implemented in the previous programming period by the Beneficiary, BRTMI Association, and given as an example of good practice, but this time on a considerably larger scale.

The grant awarded for the implementation of the project amounts to BGN 495 689.15, of which BGN 421 335.78 European co-financing and BGN 74 353.37 national co-financing. The project activities will be implemented by 31.12.2018.

Mr. Stanchev addressed the organizers and participants emphasising that this project was very difficult to win and expressed its satisfaction with that fact. According to the Deputy Governor, "Society must invest in the development of their own children because it is the best investment and it is priceless." 

The project team thanked all the participants in the press conference for their interest.