This is the fourth international project for our school under a program funded by the sub-program "Comenius" of the program “Lifelong Learning” of the European Commission. Our partners on this project are schools from Wroclaw /Poland/, Correggio/ Italy/, Panevezys / Lithuania/, Pustamergesh /Hungary/, Ankara /Turkey/, and two schools from Croatia - Osijek and Zagreb.

The main objective of the project "National Parks of Europe" is to examine and compare plant and animal life, laws, regulations, impact on humans and nature, tourism, etc. in each of the national parks, which works on every school. Of course, “Ivan Vazov” Secondary School in the town of Sopot focuses its studies on the National Park “Central Balkan” as our small town is situated in the park.

During the first year, we visited four schools partners in Poland, Italy, Lithuania and Hungary. We had 27 mobility - 6 teachers and 17 students from 6 to 12 grades travelled and presented our school and National Park "Central Balkan". Our students in an interesting and brilliant way presented Power Point presentations. The themes were "Protected areas in Bulgaria", "Plants in National Park" Central Balkan "," Animals in the National Park "Central Balkan", "Laws and rules in the National Park" Central Balkan " and presentation of Bulgaria, Sopot and our school, represented by the youngest participants from 6 grade in Hungary.

During the visits abroad, we visited the National Parks in Poland, Italy, Lithuania and Hungary on which our partners work. There we met the mayors of settlements and talked about issues related to ecology, listened to lectures by professors, devoted to various problems in the national parks and the most important - we created many new and wonderful friendships with our partners.

Website of the "National Parks of Europe" – HERE

Facebook group of the "National Parks of Europe" - HERE

On October 9^th our school will host the next fifth meeting of the project partners. We look forward to our new European friends in Sopot!