How Bulgaria Became No. 1 in the World of Linguistics Olympiads
Bulgaria leads the world with the most gold medals from the International Linguistics Olympiad, and after 20 years of these competitions our team is first, ahead of the US, Russia, China and the UK, as Alexander Velinov, the teacher who has stayed close to the team for two decades while teaching and working in the software industry, announced online. How did we get here, what sets good competitors apart, why do wild parties turn out to be a key factor, why don't today's winners listen to music, and what is the unexpected explanation behind the notorious spelling rule of the full definite article?
22The Teacher Who Was Never a Pupil
Can a child get a more meaningful education without ever crossing a school's threshold? Bozhidar Marinov is a remarkable young man: only 22, he already has 15 years of programming experience, leads the curious Comrade Cooperative and works on promising blockchain projects. He has never been to school because he was homeschooled, he won a string of programming contests before being barred for being outside the traditional system, and now he teaches the next generation of kids and has written a historical novel about the past of the Rhodope Mountains.
23“Our Children Often Turn Out Well Not Because of Us, but in Spite of Us”
How has the online world changed parenting? Should we protect children from technology? Why is it still important to be careful and picky about the advice we get online? And… what should a person never, ever say to their children? Who hasn't heard of Mama Ninja? Maria Peeva is a blogger and irrefutable proof that meaningful influencers exist. Influencers who know how to entertain their followers and also help them with knowledge and experience. A mother of four sons spread across two decades, she is also a grandmother and the keeper of a colorful list of pets. A translator by training, Mama Ninja slipped almost unnoticed into the role of blogger, and then of writer.
24Warning: Child in Front of a Screen
Should we “rescue” children from the hours they spend at the computer and on the phone, and when does the same apply to adults? How much screen time is reasonable at what age, and how do we set limits once we have lost the balance? We look for answers with Donika Borimechkova, a psychologist and psychotherapist with more than 12 years of experience working with children of all ages, who pays particular attention to the influence of modern technology on kids.
25“The Saddest Thing Is When a Talented Child Gives Up”
Children and computers: how do we make that meeting go as well as it possibly can? Elitsa Tsoneva worked as a journalist before moving into information technology, spent 15 years in the field, and then, quite unexpectedly and without any plan, became a teacher. Why does education never become a priority in Bulgaria, how does a teacher win students’ attention, and how do we spark the curiosity that makes a child truly learn and grow?
26Sofia Opens the Door Between Generations
Eighteen-year-old Sofia Simeonova steps into the homes of her peers with her camera to show their most personal place—their own room. Her only condition is that it must not be tidied up for the photos, but look the way it does every day. “Almost every child subconsciously sees their room as the safest place. That is where they express their innermost thoughts and hopes most purely,” says Sofia. With her exhibition The Room in You, she quite literally opens the door between generations. So what does the most personal space of young people look like today?
27The Incubator Baby
Could the moment be approaching when babies are born from artificial wombs? More and more research teams promise a breakthrough in a field that may turn out to be the answer to low birth rates in the Western world. But are we ready for a time when parents can watch together as their baby grows in a high-tech incubator? Not just technologically, but emotionally…
