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GLOBE North Macedonia: Stojan Manolev's Commitment to Environmental Monitoring and Education Through the GLOBE Program

May 23, 2025

For more than two decades before his retirement, Stojan Manolev had been a steadfast pillar in environmental education in North Macedonia. Beginning his teaching career in 1999 at the High School "Goce Delchev" in Valandovo, Mr. Manolev quickly became involved with the GLOBE Program—a partnership that would shape his professional journey and leave a lasting impact on students, educators, and the wider community.

As a physics teacher, Mr. Manolev’s deep interest in the natural world found a perfect match in the GLOBE Program. His work focused primarily on the Atmosphere protocols, through which he consistently submitted measurement data and introduced students to the scientific methods of environmental monitoring. His classroom became a space not just for learning equations, but also for observing, questioning, and understanding the environment through real-world data collection.

Beyond his classroom duties, Mr. Manolev took on the role of GLOBE trainer from the very beginning of his involvement in 1999. In 2022, he became a mentor trainer, empowering a new generation of educators to incorporate GLOBE’s methodologies in their own schools. His training extended the reach of GLOBE far beyond Valandovo, nurturing a national network of environmentally conscious educators and students.

Mr. Manolev’s influence extended well beyond the classroom. He actively participated as a presenter in national and international workshops supported by SCIENTIX (the community for science education in Europe) and DIG-ED (Center for Innovation and Digital Education).

His exceptional contributions were recognized in the academic year 2020–21, when he was awarded the prestigious title of “Education Worker of the Year” by the Minister of Education and Science. This honor was in recognition not only of his work with GLOBE but also for his dedication to international physics projects and advancing scientific literacy in his country.

Since retiring in 2024, Mr. Manolev’s dedication to environmental monitoring and the GLOBE community remains strong. He expresses continued enthusiasm for contributing to data collection and supporting GLOBE-related activities. His legacy includes over 20,000 atmospheric observations submitted to the GLOBE database—an invaluable resource for global environmental research and education.

Through 25 years of atmospheric data collection, Mr. Manolev has provided valuable continuity to the GLOBE database and contributed to a more comprehensive understanding of the global environmental trends. As a GLOBE trainer and mentor, Mr. Manolev has empowered countless educators with the tools, knowledge, and confidence to integrate environmental science into their teaching. His story exemplifies how long-term engagement, effective training models, and passionate leadership can shape the success of the long-term goals of the GLOBE Program.

Group sitting and writing at a table.