site.btaNew Campaign Aims to Spark Student Interest in Science Olympiads

The launch of a national campaign mottoed Take Part! The Olympiad is for Everyone! was officially announced Thursday at the National Press Club of the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA), which is also the campaign’s main media partner. Organized by the Association of the Olympic Teams in Natural Sciences and the Regional Education Departments, the campaign aims to boost participation among students, teachers, and school principals in the municipal rounds of academic olympiads.

Education and Science Minister Krasimir Valchev, the Executive Director of the Association, Valkan Goranov, Deputy Chair Elena Marinova, and BTA Director General Kiril Valchev participated in the campaign's presentation.

Speakers highlighted initiatives aimed at raising awareness among parents as well, emphasizing that their support is critical for motivating students to take their first steps in scientific competition.

“Olympiads are a powerful tool to motivate more students to study mathematics and the natural sciences,” said Minister Valchev. “They are not only for top students or medalists — they’re a chance for every child to explore their strengths and grow in a competitive environment. While participation in math olympiads is higher, natural sciences remain a challenge.”

BTA will publish the full calendar of upcoming olympiads as soon as it is provided by the Ministry of Education and the Association. In addition, BTA will share reminders close to registration deadlines, and during the events, its national correspondent network will report on regional participation and topics, aiming to generate stronger interest and visibility for the olympiads even at the earliest stages, said BTA’s Kiril Valchev. "We want families and children to see their names and achievements published by BTA — to know their efforts matter,” he added.

Valkan Goranov emphasized that the first round of the olympiads is key — it sparks students’ curiosity and inspires them to keep exploring questions beyond what textbooks offer. He also explained that this initial round is free and open to all students. If a school does not host an olympiad, students have the right to take part in a neighboring school through coordination with the regional education office. The second round is the regional level, followed by the national round for top performers.

Elena Marinova thanked BTA for its support and underlined the importance of promoting the first round, where participation is crucial. While Bulgaria is proud of its top-performing science students — with medals in mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, AI, informatics, linguistics, astronomy, and more — she stressed the need to widen the base. “The largest olympiads, based on first-round participation, are in mathematics and Bulgarian language and literature. But we want many more students to discover the world of science,” Marinova concluded.