The RESPONSE project team from the Black Sea NGO Network supported the Institute of Oceanology – Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, volunteers, students, and representatives of schools, government institutions, and local authorities in the beach clean-up at the “Karantinata” Fishing Harbor in the Asparuhovo neighbourhood of Varna. The event took place on June 27, 2026, and was part of the STEM education activities under the EcosySTEM project, funded by the Interreg NEXT Black Sea Basin program. The following day, RESPONSE experts served as judges for student projects as part of the “Science and Environment” Festival.
The EcosySTEM project is a transnational initiative for environmental education involving Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey, and Ukraine. It aims to combat environmental degradation by promoting awareness of sustainable development among children and youth through innovative E-STEM (environmental science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) educational programs. RESPONSE offers extensive opportunities for collaboration and for utilizing the educational programs from the project’s Digital Toolkit to train volunteers and the general public.