Skills of the Future Delivered.

October 2010

Pathways│Center for Education and Entrepreneurship

Pazardzhik, Bulgaria

Providing Skills for the Future.

I. Background

II. Preliminary Work

III. Opening Ceremony & Press Conference

IV. Student Recruitment

V. Beginning of Classes

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Table of Contents

Skills of the Future Delivered.

I. Background

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� Angel Kelchev, an MPA student and Kokkalis Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, worked closely with a team of Harvard faculty and staff for a year in order to devise a comprehensive business plan for an education center that was submitted to USAID

� The proposed idea was selected by USAID as the winning initiative under the US-Bulgaria Partnership for Information Technology and Innovation. In April 2010, Pathways was awarded seed capital in the amount of ~$500,000, making it the largest USAID initiative in the country during 2010

� Pathways (www.pathways-bg.com) was officially unveiled in Pazardzhik, Kelchev’s hometown, three months ahead of schedule on September 21st, 2010

� The organization aims to leverage significant resources through a multi-layer education public-private partnership. Pathways and its founders aspire to increase the competitiveness of Bulgaria’s youth in the fields of computer science, English language and entrepreneurship

� Pathways is working with diverse partners such as Microsoft, Cisco Systems, Athens Information Technology Center (AIT), Rotary clubs and many more

� The organization is open not only to students but also to professionals looking for opportunities for career transitioning and enhancement of their productivity

Project Overview

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� Pathways has two state-of-the-art facilities, focused on IT and English language

� The facilities feature three classrooms that address the needs of today’s most demanding students and offer up-to-date computer equipment, multimedia and software

� IT Center’s and English Language Center’s course offerings include:

Pathways’ Offerings

Cambridge University ESOL Certificates

�First Certificate in English (FCE)

�Certificate in Advanced English (CAE)

IT Courses

�MS Office 2007 & Introduction to Windows 7

�PHP programming

�HTML/CSS

�Adobe Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Flash, etc.)

�Cisco Networking Academy (CCNA Certification)

� Pathways’ curriculum is flexible and innovative and integrates eLearning capabilities. It is complemented by a dynamic mentoring program, staffed by more than 50 high achieving volunteers from top academic and professional institutions from the U.S. and beyond

� In addition, Pathways offers seminars on business development, business ideas generation and career planning through Project LEAD. Pathways offers scholarships as it aims to ensure that people from disadvantaged backgrounds gain access to world-class education

University Admission Exams

�TOEFL

�SAT

Skills of the Future Delivered.

II. Preliminary Work

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Volunteers From the U.S. and Bulgaria Help to Assemble the Furniture at Pathways’ English Language Center …

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… And the Newly Arrived Computer Equipment at the Same Location

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Construction and Equipment Installation Work at Pathways’ IT Center

Skills of the Future Delivered.

III. Opening Ceremony & Press Conference

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Greeting the guests

�Left: Mr. Kelchev, Pathways’founder and CEO, and his family greet public officials before the commencement of the opening ceremony

�Right: Mr. Alan M. Trager, Senior Fellow, at the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government and Chair, Public-Private Partnerships Study Group, both at the Harvard John F. Kennedy School of Government, greets Mr. Todor Popov, Mayor of Pazardzhik

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Mr. Kelchev outlines Pathways’ vision and Mr. Popov talks about the significance of this project to the community

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Cutting the ribbon at Pathways’ IT Center

�Left & Right: Mr. Seiji T. Shiratori, Deputy Chief of Political/ Economic Section at the Embassy of the U.S. to Bulgaria and Mr. Kelchev cut the ribbon in front of the new IT facility

�Bottom Left: Mr. Shiratorigives a welcoming speech in Bulgarian to the dismay of the guests

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Traditional Bulgarian custom of expressing hospitality and showing respect by greeting guests with bread and salt

�Left: Ms. Michelle Barrett, USAID Program Officer in the Regional Support Center in Budapest, and Mr. Shiratori are the first to tour the new facilities

�Bottom: Mrs. KatiaAlexieva, USAID representative at the Embassy of the U.S. to Bulgaria

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Tour of Pathways’ IT Center

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Tour of Pathways’ English Language Center

�All: The English Language Center features two state-of-the-art classrooms, equipped with multimedia and modern computers

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Pathways’ press conference

�Left: Mr. Shiratori shares his ambitions for Pathways with the media and talks about USAID’s commitment to the region

�Right: Mr. Trager outlines the involvement of multiple partners in the process and the achievements and ambitions of the Pathways’ team. Ms. Yanachkova, Pathways’Manager of Business Development, was in charge of the ceremony and translated for Mr. Trager

Skills of the Future Delivered.

IV. Student Recruitment

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Pathways Reaches Prospective Students Through Multiple Information Sessions at Local High Schools

�Left: Presentation on Pathways’offerings to students from the Language High School of Pazardzhik

�Right: Prospective students pick up Pathways applications at the end of an information session

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Project LEAD, a Pilot Project on Business Planning and Career Development, Implemented by Ms. Krasteva of the MIT Sloan School

Skills of the Future Delivered.

V. Beginning of Classes

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� Pathways received more that 100 applications in its first operating cycle

� The applicants have all been recommended by instructors from local high schools or from current employers

� After careful screening of the application pool, including in-person interviews, Pathways commenced operations with 65 students in eight classes

� 27 students were offered full scholarships made possible by the generous support of the American people through USAID

Pathways’ Incoming Class

Class Profile

Female

57%

Male

43%IT

Classes

54%

English

Classes

46%

SAT, 5

TOEFL, 6

CAE, 11

FCE, 10Cisco, 12

Adobe, 11

HTML/CSS, 7

MS Office, 5

Male/Female Ratio IT/English Classes Ratio Students per Course (1)

(1) Total exceeds 60 students as some students are registered for more than one class

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FCE Students Receive Their Textbooks

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First FCE Lesson

�Left: Mrs. Dureva and her students practicing reading comprehension in preparation for the First Certificate in English (FCE) exam

�Right: The lesson also features a listening comprehension exercise while utilizing modern computer equipment and multimedia

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Pathways Offers a Challenging Working Environment and Provides the Tools Necessary for Students to Succeed

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First CCNA Lesson

�Top: Mr. Stoitzev, a student at Sofia University and winner of the National Olympiad in Information Technologies in 2010, teaches the highly popular CCNA class

7A Cherven Stoyan

Pazardzhik – 4400

Bulgaria

T: +359-34-919-495

W: www.pathways-bg.com

This presentation is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States

Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the responsibility of Pathways and do not

necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.

Office of Press Relations

Ronald Reagan Building

Washington, D.C. 20523-0016

T: 202-712-4320

F: 202-216-3524

W: www.usaid.gov