Solar Stickers is the best Student Company of 2022
2022-06-27
The fourteenth edition of Rising Stars Youth Business Ideas Forum presented and honored the best student teams participating in JA Bulgaria's Student Company 2021-2022. This year, 40 high schools from all over the country and 500 students participated in the Student Company program. They managed to create working ideas and business plans to build companies that are socially responsible and respectful of nature.
The fourteenth edition of Rising Stars Youth Business Ideas Forum presented the best student teams participating in JA Bulgaria's Student Company 2021/2022. This year, 40 high schools from all over the country and 500 students participated in the Student Company program. They managed to create working ideas and business plans to build companies that are socially responsible and respectful of nature.
The big winner is the Solar Stickers Student Company from “Prof. Ivan Apostolov” high school in Sofia. The team presented in a great way the impressive product created by them - stickers that signal the contamination of drinking water in plastic bottles! An idea focused on a healthier lifestyle, with a view to a better future. The winner will represent our country at #Gen_E - the largest entrepreneurship event in Europe, which will take place in Tallinn, Estonia next month.
The training companies taking second and third place in the competition are:
Second place: BioFoam from "Baba Tonka" Mathematics High School, Ruse!
Third place this year is shared by two student companies: Neco Restarch from “Geo MIlev” High School, Ruse and SVPT TECHNOLOGIES from “Pfor. Ivan Apostolov” High School, Sofia!
During the ceremony, those who excelled in the pre-accelerator program Beyond, were also awarded.
My Captain DAD took first place in the pre-accelerator program! The team will receive a BGN 10,000 prize for the development of a mobile application that will navigate young fathers during pregnancy, until the child reaches 3 years of age. The award was presented by Nikolay Nedelchev - entrepreneur, business angel and member of the jury evaluating the startups in the finals of Beyond pre-accelerator!
The Bulgarian startup that will represent our country at the international competition in Tallinn in July is ATCP. The award was presented by Andrei Stoian - TTS Head and management member, CITI.
The ceremony "Rising Stars 2022" was led by Teodora Lapshova - author of the show "Innovative" on BNT2, which was a media partner of Student Company. JA Bulgaria's achievements and most significant moments were also highlighted in the presence of Milena Stoycheva, the organization's CEO.
Special guests from the Ministry of Education and Science, Sofia Municipality, business partners and members of the Board of JA Bulgaria were also part of "Rising Stars 2022". They presented additional awards for the most active and inspiring teachers and schools over the past year, who eagerly and fervently promote the development of entrepreneurship at the educational level in our country.
Maria Gabriel - European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, presented an award for "Most Active School" during the project “Girls Go Circular” at the Georgi Stoykov Rakovski High School of Commerce, Varna. Maria Gabriel also shared:
"I would like to congratulate JA Bulgaria for the organization and the opportunities it gives to Bulgarian students and teachers through its programs."
Marieta Georgieva, Deputy Minister of Education and Science, announced the winner of the "Entrepreneurial School" of Bulgaria for the academic year 2021-2022 - the Innovative language school in Haskovo "Prof. Dr. Asen Zlatarov”. The holder of the special badge “Entrepreneurial Vocational High School” of the Republic of Bulgaria for the academic year 2021-2022 is “Georgi Stoykov Rakovski” Trade High School, Varna.
"We taught our children to be brave, to think, not to worry about presenting themselves, to have confidence that they can, to believe that they are among the best, to dream that they can change the world."
This is how the Deputy Minister of Education and Science Marieta Georgieva summarized JA Bulgaria's work on developing entrepreneurial skills and financial literacy among students.
The "Rising Teacher of the Year" award 2021-2022 was awarded to Magdalena Velkova, "Vasil Levski" School, Elin Pelin, which was presented by Yordanka Fandakova, Mayor of Sofia Municipality, who shared:
"The most important factor for change in the world are talented, educated and innovative young people. Junior Achievement has played a big role in their preparation all these years. I would like to personally congratulate our partners and friends from JA Bulgaria for their work and efforts. "
Vanya Kastreva, Head of the Regional Department of Education, Sofia, congratulated with a special video the recipients of the award for "Active Partner in the development of educational innovations in entrepreneurship and financial literacy": 108th High School "Nikola Belovezhdov", Sofia; MG "Acad. Kiril Popov", Plovdiv; AEG "Geo Milev", Burgas.
A Special Badge for overall contribution to the development of the "Entrepreneurship" student profile was awarded to Eli Rumenova, a teacher at 108th High School "Nikola Belovezhdov" in Sofia. She received her award from Anelia Rusakova - Chief Expert in the Directorate for Contents of Preschool and School Education, Ministry of Education and Science.
Our world is changing very fast, and JA Bulgaria supports students to develop and keep up with the new technologies offered by today's dynamic life. In this regard, Veselka Vutkova, Director of Corporate Communications, Vivacom - Partner of "Student Company 2021/2022" presented the special award "Hi Tech" to Student Company "VNMV Books" from 137th School "Angel Kanchev", Sofia.
"It is extremely important to read because it gives us knowledge and enriches us. We are a company that supports education, and we stand behind its promotion. In the idea of VNMV Books we see the potential to make reading attractive to the younger generation", said Ms. Vutkova about their choice for a winner in this category.
On the other hand, care for nature and environmental protection is among the leading priorities in the work of JA Bulgaria. That is why one of the partners of "Student Company 2021/2022" - MetLife Bulgaria, presented the second special award for "Social Entrepreneurship 2022". It went to the Student Company "BeeSafe" from "Baba Tonka" Mathematics High School, Ruse and was announced by Anton Dukov - Marketing Manager of MetLife Bulgaria. He shared extremely valuable words: "Sustainable business and care for the environment are not things that are mutually exclusive."
Vera Petkanchin, Director of Operational Activities at JA Bulgaria, presented the award “Teacher of the Year 2022” to Ivaylo Grancharov, from “Doris Tenedi” School, Sofia, as well as the “Most Inspiring Financial Teacher of the Year 2022”, which went to Maria Tomova from “Academician Kiril Popov” Mathematical High School, Plovdiv.
Victor Veselinov became "Mentor of the Year" and received the honorary award from Irina Ilieva, Director of Organizational Development, JA Bulgaria.
Ivo Rusev - Chief Commercial Officer, Telelink and member of the Board of Directors of JA Bulgaria and Andrija Tomovic - General Manager of Oncology for Bulgaria and Northern Macedonia, Novartis, member of the Board of Directors of JA Bulgaria, also took part in the ceremony and announced the big winners of the Student Company 2021/2022.
At the end of the ceremony, the CEO of JA Europe - Salvatore Nigro, congratulated the national winners and shared interesting details about the upcoming festival #Gen_E - the largest event for entrepreneurship in Europe, which will take place in Tallinn, Estonia. From July 12th until 14th, the winners - Solar Stickers Student Company and the startup project ATCP, will represent Bulgaria internationally.
In line with the celebrations, it was during this event that we presented for the first time the new JA vision, new logo and featured the short video developed by JA Worldwide.