When the teacher comes from the community: how 'Teacher in My Community' creates role models and a new generation of educators
Who stands in front of the children matters. Especially when they come from the community itself.
The strongest education professionals are often the people who come from the community itself. They know the local context, understand families and can build trust with children from day one. At the other end are children who need an adult who knows them, believes in them and stays.
But such people do not appear on their own, and in some places they are hard to find. The path to them begins years earlier: when a young person has to choose a career, gain access to higher education, complete their studies and take their first steps in the profession.
Ten years of experience with the "Teacher in My Community" initiative shows that a complete model is needed here. Support for young people from choosing a profession, through university study, to successfully entering and staying in work with children: a combination of academic preparation, mentoring, practical experience and connection with future employers that turns motivated young people into professionals with a lasting career. The report can be downloaded below:
On 23 July 2026, during the national meeting "How to support the building of role models in early childhood", we brought together partners from institutions, municipalities, universities and civil society organizations to discuss how this approach can create more local education professionals and more positive role models for children.
From scholarship to a complete model for developing local professionals
Municipalities need more than staff. They need people who understand the local environment and can build a stable relationship with children and their families. Such professionals are rarely found ready-made. They grow up within the community itself.
"Teacher in My Community" develops local education professionals in partnership with municipalities, educational institutions and local organisations. The idea is for communities to build their own human capital: to support motivated young people to choose a career in education and to work where their skills are needed most, including in places where suitable professionals are hard to keep.
The model brings together several elements that reinforce one another:
- selecting motivated local candidates according to the needs of the municipality and educational institutions;
- academic support for applying to and studying at university;
- financial support during their studies;
- one-to-one mentoring;
- annual internships in kindergartens and schools;
- training for professional and leadership development;
- volunteering.
It is precisely this complete approach that makes it possible to track not only how many participants reach graduation, but how they go on to build their careers: whether the investment in education leads to a lasting professional path.
Since 2018, 119 participants have set out on the path to higher education in teaching-related fields and on to work in kindergartens, schools and social services. This path usually takes around five years: from identifying a candidate to entering the profession.
So far, 20 participants have completed their higher education, and 17 of them (85%) already work in education: as teachers, speech and language therapists, resource teachers or other education specialists. Of these, 16 work directly in kindergartens and schools.
Data from the first cohorts show that the effect lasts. Among graduates from the first two cohorts, the average length of time working as an education professional is over four years, and most of them are still working in the education system today.
Financial support on its own is not enough
The high rate of professional employment shows the strength of the model. But the evaluation reveals something else too: the path there is not equally easy for everyone.
Access to university is not enough on its own. The move into higher education is a critical period, when young people need extra academic, mentoring and social support to continue their studies successfully. This is why the "Teacher in My Community" model sees participants not as recipients of financial aid, but as future professionals who need consistent support along the whole path: from early identification, through preparing to apply, to practical experience in a real workplace and connection with future employers.
When the teacher is part of the community
Participants finding work is only one part of the model's impact. The other important question is what changes when these professionals return to their communities and begin working with children and families.
Most graduates work in their own or neighbouring places. This means they do more than fill a staffing gap: they build a stronger connection between institutions and families. A teacher, speech and language therapist or resource specialist who knows the local environment finds it easier to understand the challenges facing children and parents. They are a bridge between the community and the educational institution. For a child, this is an adult who understands them from the very start.
This effect matters especially in Roma communities, where visible examples of success carry real weight. When a child sees someone from their own community standing in front of the children as a teacher, it is more than an example. It is quiet proof that their own path is possible too. Success stops being something distant and becomes recognisable and within reach.
Participants describe this journey in their own words.
Trust between teachers, children and families
The impact evaluation shows that the presence of professionals who understand the local environment and build trust with families has a positive effect on the relationship between children, parents and educational institutions. This is clearest in the children themselves: in the ease with which they step through the kindergarten door, and in
- their wish to come back. Parents confirm it:
- the statement that the child likes their teacher receives the maximum average score of 5.00;
- the child's sense of ease with the teacher is rated 4.98;
- the child's greater wish to attend kindergarten is rated 4.97.
- Behind these scores is something simple: a child who feels seen and safe learns willingly and stays in school.
Five newly graduated participants continue their journey
Behind the numbers are real young people who have moved through different stages of preparation and are building their careers today.
Atanaska completed a degree in Preschool and Primary School Education at Shumen University. She currently works as a waitress but is looking for her start as a teacher with the programme's support.
Galya completed the same degree at Veliko Tarnovo University (Vratsa branch) and now works as an education mediator at "St St Cyril and Methodius" Secondary School.
Kosara completed a degree in Social Pedagogy at Veliko Tarnovo University (Vratsa branch). She is currently on maternity leave, with her place as a social worker held for her.
Nadezhda completed a degree in Preschool and Primary School Education at Shumen University and works as an assistant educator at the ЦРДУ in the village of Gradets.
Nadya completed a degree in Social Work at Sofia University and works as a social worker at the Health and Social Development Foundation (HESED).
Although their paths differ, what they share is that the programme gave them education, qualifications and the confidence to continue in fields of high social value.
Local role models are an investment in the future of communities
Preparing one teacher is not only a personal success. It requires cooperation between municipalities, universities, schools, kindergartens and civil society organisations, and it can become a tool for the long-term development of whole communities. The model has the potential to prepare not only teachers, but also speech and language therapists, resource teachers, psychologists and educational counsellors, according to the specific needs of each region.
When a young person is supported to finish their education and return as a professional to their community, the effect reaches beyond their own career: stronger educational institutions, a better connection between school and family, and more children who see education as a real opportunity to grow. This change does not come all at once. It is built gradually and needs support at every critical point along the way.