Lilyana Sapunova has a bachelor's degree in philosophy and a master's degree in management of social organizations from Plovdiv University, Bulgaria. Currently, Lilyana is a chairperson of Career Development and Training Association, an NGO working in the field of the non-formal education. Her team at Career Development and Training Association works with people of all ages and backgrounds. 

2023 IVLP Impact Award Project: Media Literacy Lessons with Grandparents

This project consisted of three discussion-based trainings on media literacy for 105 senior citizens in three local libraries in Karlovo, Sopot, and Asenovgrad. Each session included lectures on the basics of media literacy, how to use media literacy to discover disinformation, and an introduction to artificial intelligence the media. The trainings raised awareness of the different objectives pursued through media and during the seminars, and the senior citizens received handouts and other tools so that they can continue practicing media literacy in their daily lives. 

"I am very interested in the topic and very concerned about the unfair practices. Political propaganda is also very dangerous nowadays and most of the people feel confused reading the news. I liked very much the structured approach of the training…and the key questions of media literacy do help to critically assess content.” - Project Participant

 

2022 IVLP Impact Award Project: 21st Century Literacy Skills

The aim of this project was to raise awareness of modern media’s strong influence and the importance of media literacy. Lilyana’s project trained 20 librarians to go out into their communities and teach media literacy to senior citizens. After the initial training, 5 librarians organized workshops with over 90 participants in their respective community centers. Lilyana and her team also produced a media literacy guide called “The Smartphone Booklet” which was distributed to all participants and 15 community centers in Bulgaria. The project trainings fostered media literacy by encouraging participants to deconstruct and analyze media information and use digital devices safely. Specifically, emphasis was put on the authorship and purpose of texts, analysis and critical approaches to drug and health advertisements, and verifying online information through websites of state agencies, national statistical registers, and official state and municipal portals.

"I myself have trusted shared publications just because I know the person who had shared it. After checking some of them again, I could not find either the initial source or the author. This should be the first signal not to accept the information in the publication as an unconditional truth." - Project Participant

 

IVLP Exchange Experience

Lilyana was a participant in the IVLP Project 21st Century Change Makers: Countering Disinformation among Older Adults, organized by the U.S. Department of State and the Institute of International Education.

U.S. Communities Visited in 2022

San Diego, CA; Washington, DC; St. Petersburg, FL; Chicago, IL; Baltimore; MD

U.S. Communities Visited Virtually in 2021

Washington, DC; Tampa, FL; Chicago, IL; Boston, MA; New York City, NY; Cincinnati, OH; Seattle, WA

Country: Bulgaria

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