Key Areas

• Assessing the Situation and Measuring Impact
  • The project will begin with a comprehensive assessment using both data and interviews to evaluate children’s reading fluency and motivation.
  • Key areas include:
    • Family Reading Habits
    • Qualitative study on how families with children aged 0–8 engage in reading.
    • Student Motivation
    • Analysis of students’ interest and engagement in reading at school.
    • Educator and Stakeholder Perspectives
    • Insights from teachers, librarians, and others on promoting reading beyond the curriculum.
    • Desk Review
    • Analysis of existing research and practices to identify successes, challenges, and trends in literacy development.
• Creating Literacy-Rich Environments
  • In three pilot districts, kindergartens and schools will be equipped with diverse, age-appropriate books and materials.
  • Activities will include:
    • Interactive reading sessions
    • Visits from authors, illustrators, and researchers
    • Opportunities for children to explore reading creatively and critically
• Professional Development for Educators
  • Teachers will receive training in modern, evidence-based literacy instruction.
  • Focus areas include:
    • Student-centered teaching approaches
    • Adapting methods to individual learning needs
    • Boosting student motivation and engagement
• Family Engagement
  • Recognizing the vital role of families in literacy development, the project will implement several family-oriented initiatives.
  • Activities will include:
    • Short sessions for parents and caregivers
    • Provision of materials to support shared reading at home
    • Encouragement of a reading-friendly home environment
• Reading Clubs for Literacy and Critical Thinking
  • Reading clubs will provide an informal space for children to engage with literature and develop key skills.
  • Objectives of the clubs:
    • Improve comprehension and critical thinking
    • Engage in discussions and share ideas
    • Build a sense of community and belonging
    • Support academic performance across subjects
• Awareness and Promotion
  • To raise awareness and promote a culture of reading, a variety of outreach activities will be conducted.
  • Promotional strategies include:
    • Involvement of celebrities and public figures
    • Regional events in each pilot area
    • National campaigns and creative reading challenges
    • Making reading fun, social, and inspiring
• Monitoring and Sustainability
  • UNICEF’s quality assurance framework will guide project monitoring and ensure sustainability.
  • Approach includes:
    • Regular evaluation of progress and outcomes
    • Documentation of best practices and lessons learned
    • Planning for long-term impact and scalability

Sectors and Areas of Specialization

• Education
  • Learning Outcome

Key Deliverables and Outcomes

• A comprehensive analysis and study on literacy needs and practices in kindergartens and schools will be conducted.
• 1,000 children will directly benefit from focused activities that aim to enhance reading and functional literacy.
• 3,000 children will engage in public literacy initiatives, helping to build a wider community culture of reading.
• 650 children are expected to show measurable improvements in motivation for reading and learning.
• 100 professionals and 100 parents will actively participate in literacy support activities, strengthening the home-school literacy connection.
• 70 professionals and 70 parents will report improved literacy support skills, based on self-assessment tools.
• Libraries and reading corners will be established in 18 kindergartens and schools, promoting regular reading habits.
• Professional support communities will be formed in three districts to encourage peer learning and the exchange of best practices.
• Two national-level communication initiatives will be launched to raise awareness about the benefits of reading.
• A final documentation report will be produced, featuring recommendations for sustainability and long-term impact.

Locations

• A Bulgaria
  • Oblast Stara Zagora

Eligibility Criteria

• UNICEF intends to partner with interested non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the implementation of the above deliverables and calls for interested parties to submit their interest. The selected NGO may attract additional experts to support the different activities as per the concrete expertise and experience. Those should be listed as part of the project team.

For more information, visit UN Partner Portal.

https://www.unpartnerportal.org/landing/opportunities/