June is a time when we more often devote ourselves to dreams and plans for near and distant journeys, meetings with old friends, shared moments with the family.

In June, no one is dreaming about school. Nobody but our team and the participants in the Summer School for NGOs, which for the eighth consecutive year has assembled in Arkutino leaders and civil society activists, determined that what they do has a great meaning and motivated to find better solutions for their organizations - to grow and change the lives of all of us.

This year I was also among the dreamers - the newest member of the BCNL team. Along with the organization of the school that started with the coming of the spring, I heard a lot of interesting stories and memories that this experience had left in the hearts and minds of my colleagues.

I have long ago left behind the years when I separated school time from vacation time. Nevertheless, led by an open curiosity and sincere desire to hear more about the many topics included in the program, I enthusiastically packed my luggage, prepared two notebooks and rushed into a marvelous adventure - the Summer school for NGOs. In Arkutino, at no time, in June.

I quickly realized that this school is more special. His difference came from the students he had gathered in a colorful and unusual class - students of different ages, from different cities, with different interests. The common among all of them was the heart devoted to the cause and the will to make the world around them a more beautiful and welcoming place where everyone could express themselves, be different, defend the weaker ones.

Twenty-five representatives of well-established and younger organizations from across the country were chosen to build on their knowledge and gain experience in defending their causes better, how to make their organizations financially sustainable, what are the latest requirements for NGO activities, fundraising, communication, working with media etc.

Collaboration between teachers and students often went outside the walls of the classroom. At all times, on different topics, we all felt free to share, discuss, look for other truths beyond our own experience, stereotypes and prejudices. The topics were a lot, but all important: The Summer school started with an interesting discussion between Haralan Alexandrov (social anthropologist), journalists Vlado Yonchev (OFFNews) and Nadia Obretenova (BNT) on how civil organizations fit into the media environment and how the latter influence them. Nadia Obretenova made special exercises on how to invite a journalist to our event. BCNL's leading legal experts - Anna Adamova and Aylin Yumerova have convincingly taught all important legal provisions concerning the activity and registration of NGOs, the latest amendments to important laws with complex names (AMLMA, [O1] GDPR, etc.). Luben Panov helped to rethink the parameters of the financial sustainability of each NGO, and told interesting stories about the struggle of NGOs from different countries and continents.

Important topics such as business activity and NGO taxation were presented by Pavleta Alexieva /Leti/, a program director at BCNL, and Anna Adamova, and Georgi Genchev and Ralitsa Nikolova told us about the project format and how we can tell our stories in human language. Nadya Shabani, director of BCNL, has introduced us to the subject of advocacy and what skills we need to be successful advocates, and then the whole team - Letti, Annie and Aylin joined and shared with us how to write legal statements, how to unite with other organizations and others important things in the advocacy process. Also, the important topic of fundraising was not missed - how, when and first steps, presented as a theme by Leti and me.

Time was not enough at all.

But if you think that six days are not enough to find new friends, to gain valuable knowledge, to get to know another 24 causes, other than that of your NGO, as you own cause, and to feel the power of the united by their common values and will for a change "classmates", you only have to do one thing: next year, in June, to become part of the magic of the Summer school for NGOs. I promise you will want this school will never end ...

"Summer school for NGOs" is organized with the support of the America for Bulgaria Foundation.