On 28-29 August 2026, school leaders from across Bulgaria gathered in Sofia for a National Training organised under the project “Empowering School Leadership Teams for Innovation” (ESLTI), funded by the Erasmus+ programme and coordinated by the Cambridge Schools Association in Bulgaria.
The training brought together two representatives: school principals, deputy principals, and teachers, from 10 schools from all over the country, who worked together to turn their innovative ideas into clear, realistic, and sustainable school practices.
Using the “Mirror Teams” method and a dedicated School Innovation Template, participants mapped out the challenges facing their schools, identified the groups most affected, defined the change they want to bring about, and outlined the first steps of a pilot innovation project to be launched in their schools in the coming months. The day closed with teams presenting their work to the wider group and preparing for the upcoming international exchange in Ljubljana, where Bulgarian school leaders will meet peers from Slovenia and Spain to share progress and lessons learned.
The training is part of the broader goals of the ESLTI project, which by 2027 will have trained 48 school leaders from 24 schools in Bulgaria, Slovenia, and Spain in effectively managing and sustaining innovation in schools, with outcomes feeding into a shared School Leadership Guide.