Lights, Camera, Connection: Inside ORT’s 2025 Digital Skills Academy
Earlier this month, high school students from across Europe and Israel gathered in Sofia, Bulgaria for World ORT’s Digital Skills Academy (DSA): an immersive weeklong program that equips participants with hands-on training in digital photography, audio and video production, and media literacy. From exclusive visits to Nu Boyana Film Studios and Disney’s regional headquarters to expert-led workshops and vibrant cultural exchanges, the DSA offers students a transformative experience that blends cutting-edge skills with global connection. This incredible opportunity is made possible thanks to the generosity of ORT supporters.
To give you a real sense of what the program is like for students, we’d like to share this daily recap of the week’s activities and highlights:
SUNDAY 6th JULY
On Sunday, each arrival was met at the airport and accompanied back to the City Avenue Hotel, our home in Sofia for the week, for check-in.
Our wonderful Madrichim, Kiril and Shira, organized some ice-breaking activities. Our group is made up of high school students from Bulgaria, Estonia, France, Israel, Italy, Lithuania, Moldova, Spain and Ukraine. We learned that some students had travelled for more than 24 hours to reach the DSA while others had come from homes that were 15 minutes away.
The hotel is comfortable, with two students in each room. Buffet breakfast is taken before leaving the hotel at around 9am to get to the school which is just 2-3 minutes’ walk. We have security guards with us at all times and the local police are keeping watch over us too.
Our medical professional (super) Mario is with us 24/7 and is caring for any student who isn’t feeling 100%, and our logistical director Tsveta is taking care to make sure that the program runs smoothly and that everyone is comfortable and happy.
Lunches and dinners are taken at the Hamsa kosher restaurant, also 2-3 minutes’ walk from the school.
MONDAY 7th JULY
On Monday, we began the day with a formal opening session where we were welcomed with inspiring words from the principal of ORT school #134 in Sofia, the Chair of ORT Bulgaria, the national director Plamen Petrov who is also the Coordinator of the Digital Skills Academy, the Chief Program Officer of World ORT and other special guests.
We then went straight to our workshops for introductions to the digital skills courses. Half the group is learning digital photography with professional photographer Sophia (supported by her assistant Stoyan) and the other half are learning digital audio and video production with our experts Petar and Marin. Both courses began with a theoretical introduction before moving quickly to practical activities and projects.
In the evening, we offered an optional visit to the local shopping mall, so that students could change currency and buy some snacks in the supermarket. Our madrichim concluded the day with a Sikkum (feedback) session where students shared their highlights of the day (‘roses’) and what could be improved (‘thorns’) before going to bed.
TUESDAY 8th JULY
On Tuesday, we began the day with an exclusive visit to Bulgaria’s world-class film studios at Nu Boyana close to Sofia.
We were given a guided tour and offered an amazing opportunity to shoot video footage and take photos on their film sets including Ancient Rome, New York, London and Baghdad. We were allowed to wander around (and get inside) their massive vehicle collection of classic and modern cars and shown their impressive underwater filming facilities. It was an incredible and rare insight into what goes on behind the scenes of blockbuster movies.
After lunch we came back to school for three hours of workshops and then in the evening we were treated to a talk by ladies from the Jewish community group “Manos Bendichas” who shared some stories about their community and the social and therapeutic benefits of being part of an arts and handicraft group, before giving each student a handmade gift.
After that we started the first set of country presentations (the second set will be this evening), where students presented their countries to each other and shared some delicious local snacks.
WEDNESDAY 9th JULY
On Wednesday morning we took a coach to the offices of The Walt Disney Company’s offices in Sofia, where they coordinate Disney, STAR and National Geographic channels for the region.
We were welcomed with a huge buffet breakfast and given a quick tour of their office before settling in for some presentations, explaining the different roles that are needed in the headquarters of a multinational media and entertainment company.
Each department showed us what they do and how it fits in the larger picture. We heard from representatives from legal, marketing, business, HR, and others, but the highlight was hearing from the creatives on how they work together with everyone else in the company. We had a Q&A session before taking a group photo and receiving some Disney merchandise as gifts.
The afternoon was spent in classes, and in the evening, we were treated to a special performance by a local music star, who sang well-known hits accompanying himself on the keyboard. We followed the show with a fun karaoke experience with students singing together on the stage and concluded with a Sikkum led by our Madrichim to share feedback on the day’s experiences.
THURSDAY 10th JULY
This morning, we began immediately after breakfast with classes and then boarded the coach for a special visit to the offices and studios of one of Bulgaria’s national television networks, NOVA TV.
On arrival we were ushered up to the morning news studios and took our seats while the news anchor presented live national news in front of our group. Once she’d finished her work, she gave us a guided tour around the studios and editing suites, the newsroom and production rooms, before bringing us back to the studios where students took photos behind the news desks.
Before leaving, we were introduced to Bulgaria’s most popular weatherman, and both presenters answered the students’ questions on their work, careers and experiences. It was a unique educational opportunity, giving DSA participants insights into many types of careers in the media industry and explaining what it takes to make it to the top of their fields.
We ate lunch at the Hamsa restaurant once again before returning to classes and a special demonstration of lighting techniques in portrait photography, during which a few brave students took the opportunity to model for the camera and get some professional portraits taken.
Yesterday evening was laundry night, and students filled their bags with clothes to be washed for the weekend. We finished with some team-building games, then dinner and the six remaining country presentations.
FRIDAY 11th JULY
We woke up and had breakfast at the hotel, before heading over to the city’s synagogue to hear about the local Jewish community and to explore the impressive building. We learned that the original community dates back to the Roman period and received a large boost in numbers after the expulsion of Jewish from Spain and Portugal.
Our guide pointed out some unique architectural features and the symbolism of many shapes and designs. Students enjoyed having the opportunity to take photos and to admire the beautiful features of this historic building.
We walked back to the school for a heavy day of classes. The photography group were divided into two tasks: a food photography shoot and a portrait session. The video group finished editing their first short movies before screening them for the first time.
After classes were finished, we moved to the next-door park for some team building games led by the Madrichim. We then walked back to the hotel to shower and get prepared for Shabbat.
Towards the evening, we returned to the Hamsa kosher restaurant who had prepared a traditional Shabbat experience for our group. We began with an explanation of the day of rest, recited Kiddush over grape juice and ate freshly baked Challot. The food was plentiful and very tasty, and we created a warm, friendly and relaxed atmosphere.
SATURDAY 12th JULY
We had a later breakfast on Saturday, with an option either to walk to the synagogue to join the community prayers or alternatively to spend a relaxing morning at the hotel.
Traditional Shabbat food was again served for lunch, and we left the restaurant feeling very full. We enjoyed some free time at the hotel, with some students heading over to the local mall for some shopping.
Towards evening we were led by our local expert and Madrich Kiril on a guided walking tour to see some of the highlights of Sofia’s tourist sites. We began at the Square of Tolerance, where the synagogue, mosque and two churches co-exist as neighbors. We then walked through the Roman ruins of Serdica towards the Presidency and Bulgarian government buildings. We ended the tour outside the beautiful neoclassical National Theatre for a group photo followed by some more games.
In the evening, we collected our freshly washed laundry then packed up our suitcases for an early start on our trip to Kyustendil, a city 90km from Sofia in southwestern Bulgaria, located at the foot of the Osogovo mountain, near the borders with North Macedonia and Serbia.
SUNDAY 13th JULY
We checked out and boarded the bus for Kyustendil with all our luggage. After a 90-minute coach ride through picturesque countryside framed by mountains, we arrived at the Park Hotel and checked into our new rooms with new roommates.
We took lunch at the hotel before going out to learn about two of Kyustendil’s heroes, and to discover some of the rich history and culture of this part of the country. Our first stop was the former house of (and currently a museum dedicated to) Dimitar Peshev, a high-ranking Bulgarian politician during the first half of the 20th century who stood up against the pro-Nazi cabinet and prevented the deportation of Bulgaria’s 48,000 Jews. He was later honored by Yad Vashem with the title of “Righteous Among the Nations”.
Following that, we visited an art gallery dedicated to the artist Vladimir Dimitrov. Known locally as “The Master,” he is relatively unknown outside of Bulgaria, but our students were blown away by the quality of his work and enjoyed the colorful expressive paintings and drawings on display.
On returning to the hotel, we unpacked our suitcases and set up our new classrooms in the hotel, then met for a Sikkum after dinner to reflect on the day’s experiences and to prepare for tomorrow’s project work.
MONDAY 14th JULY
The video production group tried their hands at podcasting, using specialist equipment to record the audio with three cameras to film each group from different angles. It was a challenge to edit the audio and video together, but the results were great.
Meanwhile the photography class went outdoors, exploring the surroundings of the hotel taking pictures of landscapes and portraits which they would later edit back in the classroom using Photoshop.
After lunch, the students’ hard work was rewarded with a couple of hours off to relax by the swimming pool. We then boarded the bus for a trip to a magnificent, but little-known site in Yuchbunar, close to where we are based.
Around 135 years ago, a local botanist imported seeds from California and planted a sequoia (giant redwood) forest high in the hills overlooking Kyusetndil. We enjoyed taking some creative shots, inspired by the calm of the forest, before hiking back to the bus to return to the hotel.
As it began to get dark, we had a workshop led by our DSA photography experts Sophie and Stoyan on light painting. We were given flashlights and portable, colored LED light strips and set out in groups to make some long-exposure artistic pictures. The results were surprising and very impressive.
The evening concluded with the usual Sikkum, but not before the group enjoyed a fun (but highly competitive) game of musical chairs.
TUESDAY 15th JULY
The morning began with a trip to the nearby Hisarlaka Fortress, also known as the “Crown of Kyustendil”. This fortress was originally built in the fourth century but has been destroyed and rebuilt a few times over the centuries. The views from the mountain-top site provided great opportunities for taking interesting photos and adding to the footage for our vlogging projects.
We returned to the hotel for lunch, followed by an optional trip to the supermarket to get some snacks and some relaxation time by the pool.
In the afternoon, classes resumed with some fun challenges for the final collaborative projects. The video production group were given a choice of three prompts: The Lost Key, Do Not Disturb, and Wrong Room, and spent time writing a storyline, scene list and script for their five-minute short movies.
The photography class worked on editing their photos and selecting their best work for the final presentation tomorrow and one outstanding photo to print out for the exhibition on Thursday.
Dinner was enhanced with cake and singing to celebrate the birthday of one of the boys, and we were treated to a spectacular folk dancing show, where students were invited to join the local Bulgarian dances. We moved downstairs to the conference room for a disco before the nightly Sikkum and then bed.
WEDNESDAY 16th JULY
Today was the last day to finish off all the group projects. The final edits were made to the photos using Photoshop, and preparations for the photo exhibition were finalized. The video production group were under pressure to shoot all their footage according to yesterday’s plans and then to edit all the video and audio then polish off the results in post-production.
The students collaborated well under pressure, confusing some of the other hotel guests with strange noises and acting out various scenes over and over until they were satisfied.
After lunch the classroom was buzzing with activity as students rushed to complete their work before the deadline. Once projects were completed, students started practicing their acts for tonight’s talent show and packing their suitcases for our move back to Sofia after lunch tomorrow.
It’s been a busy week and we’re all feeling sad that it is finally coming to an end.
Tomorrow morning we’ll host the official closing ceremony here in Kyustendil, showcasing the best work of the students to some very special guests, before returning to Sofia for one last party before each group departs for the airport to return home exhausted but filled with memories of an unforgettable experience together.
