At first glance – just another summer camp. But within the first few hours, it becomes clear that this experience will leave a lasting mark. Young people from Bulgaria, Russia, the UK, the USA, Greece, Romania, Germany, Belgium, and Georgia meet for the first time on the AUBG Campus.
They arrive with different backgrounds but a shared goal – to learn how to lead, how to speak up about important issues, and how to become part of the change. The annual AUBG Summer Leadership and Civic Engagement Camp 2025 offered a moment of growth, fun, and learning.
Participating in an educational summer camp for the first time, Georgi Denishev shared that he began feeling the results of his efforts just days into the program.
“You gain confidence. You’re no longer afraid to speak in front of people. It’s a liberating feeling,” he said.
For him, the biggest realisation was that personal development comes not from textbooks but through teamwork, communication, and unexpected friendships.
The camp’s program is carefully designed to combine academic tracks, hands-on projects, and experiences beyond the classroom. Participants choose from themes such as Democracy & Leadership, Technology & Media Literacy, Social Entrepreneurship, Culture & Literature, and Sustainability.
Alesandro Miloshevikj, who just completed his first year at AUBG, returned to campus in the role of academic mentor. “Sometimes you think you know a lot. Then you come to a place like this, meet people who want to make a difference, and realize how much more there is to learn.”
“And the feeling that you’re not alone in your desire to make a change – that’s priceless,” he shared.
Among the program’s lecturers are Prof. Darina Sarelska, who leads sessions on critical thinking and digital responsibility, and Prof. Rosen Petkov, who guides students through workshops on social causes and entrepreneurship. Participants also attend sessions on sustainability, creative writing, and content creation for social media campaigns.
Lydia Maksimov, who grew up in the U.S. but spends every summer in Bulgaria, decided to make this one more meaningful. What struck her most was the hands-on aspect of the camp. “You don’t just learn how to make PowerPoint slides – you learn how to work with people, through real tasks and conversations. Yesterday we made vision boards, today we’re writing stories. You learn about others, and about yourself.”
Afternoons are reserved for sports and creative activities, while evenings offer group sessions that strengthen bonds. One day is set aside for visits to the nonprofit “For Our Children” and the telecommunications company Yettel, where participants are introduced to real-world cases and best practices in social and corporate responsibility.
These types of engagements mirror the AUBG student experience. For Miryana Tunteva, an incoming AUBG freshman and volunteer at the camp, this is already shaping her expectations for college life. “No matter what you do, there are people who support you. You have a team. You have a community. And no matter what kind of challenge you face, someone will be there for you.”
Antonia Mazurska, an AUBG student and camp counselor, spends every minute with the participants. “They’re 15 to 17 years old – at the age when everything happens for the first time. You watch them grow into themselves right in front of your eyes. Some arrive shy or unsure, others are sharing a room with someone for the first time. By the end of the camp, they speak more confidently, make new friends, and feel like they belong. To be part of that journey is something you can’t experience anywhere else.”
The AUBG Summer Camp is more than a program. It’s a place where young people from different cultures come together, discover new perspectives, and leave changed – braver, more confident, more connected. And that’s the kind of growth you don’t just study. You live it.
