The Wonderful World of Science

This is shared on Facebook by parents who saw the enthusiasm of their children after visiting the University for Children. What kind of university is that…

The Spark

The University for Children is an initiative through which teachers, scientists and entrepreneurs aim to inspire students of all ages to discover and develop their talents in various fields of science and art. We apply effective teaching methods, skilfully balancing live communication with young people and their willingness to work with new technologies and a bold start in research and creative activities. We created this organization with the dream for students of any age to enter the wonderful world of science and art. Our desire is to encourage as many young adventurers as possible to travel boldly in the vast expanses of knowledge and dreams, Yavor Kiryakov says. He is the heart of the University for Children, but he is also its creator.

The Founder

Yavor has accepted education as his mission. He has chosen to work with children because he loves to project the future through their eyes. He studied in the US, where his environment formed a lasting interest in social entrepreneurship in education. He graduated from the American University in Blagoevgrad, upgraded with a Master's degree in Economics in London, and now, he is a doctoral student at the Faculty of Pedagogy at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”. The educational projects he has worked on met him with personalities, such as the magnetic teacher in Physics and the educator Theodosiy Teodosiev, as well as other inspirational science and engineering teachers with whom they started to look for ways to ignite a spark for knowledge in children. Yavor Kiryakov first started organizing summer schools, which gave him a clear benchmark for the attitudes of children and the right approach to them, and in 2015, he registered the University for Children. Without even noticing, he committed himself fully to this mission. The training and the way of teaching itself is in accordance with the ambitions of the children to develop and know more, but also with the needs of the business in Bulgaria for knowledgeable and capable people. The industry in Bulgaria and around the world is in a need of well-trained and motivated engineering and scientific staff, and the University for Children has the potential to help jumping over this abyss.

The Charismatic Teacher

When I was a student, staying at school seemed boring. But I had a teacher with incredible charisma who was so into teaching that I also wanted to become a Physics teacher like him. At the University for Children, I am making my dream come true. I grew up in a Moldovan village and there, we could not make experiments, but now, we are creating the conditions for children to experiment, Oleg Kamenshtik says. He is a technology entrepreneur, but finds time to take on the role of a teacher. And he admits: “I’m obsessed with what I do. It is my pleasure to pass on the knowledge and see that the students accept it. The world of adults does not bring me the excitement that the encounter with children’s curiosity gives me. That’s why I’m among those who want to know and be able.” During the classes, he asks the children many questions and warns them not to be afraid of making wrong assumptions. Because in an interesting, fun and memorable way, together they will come to the right answers.

Horizon

It would be wrong to imagine that this is some kind of classroom that simply catches the attention of the students in their spare time outside of school. The University for Children prepares people who will one day create new technologies and new materials, who will design smart cities, and who will lay the foundations for the Fifth Industrial Revolution when artificial intelligence will become people’s first assistant. Technologies are developing rapidly, so the program will change dynamically depending on the needs and circumstances. Now in Sofia, Varna and Veliko Tarnovo, and later, in other cities in Bulgaria. To multiply the positive effect, the creators of this small big university are looking for partnerships and support from the business.