Spring 2003 - Armenia School Connectivity Program

ARMENIA SCHOOL CONNECTIVITY PROGRAMS
SPRING 2003
Project Harmony-Armenia Celebrates
Global Youth Service Day
Global Youth Service Day (GYSD) is an annual event led by Youth Service
America with the Global Youth Action Network as its key partner, together with a
consortium of 34 international organizations and more than 150 national
coordinating committees. It is a public education campaign that highlights the
amazing contributions made by youth year-round to their communities through
volunteering. Since GYSD began, a number of international organizations have
joined Youth Service America and Global Youth Action Network to expand this
program, including the United Nations, Peace Corps, World Bank, Habitat for
Humanity International, Inter-American Development Bank, Jane Goodall
Institute, Roots & Shoots Program, and YMCA International.
Project Harmony-Armenia, together with organizations in more than 150 countries
around the world, celebrated the 4th annual Global Youth Service Day by planning
and participating in community service projects and special events.
The Spring Field Day involved volunteers from Peace Corps, the Marine Corps,
the Center for Leadership Development, and Youth for Achievement, and brought
together some very special students. Orphans from Gavar, Gyumri, and Yerevan
orphanages joined students from three Yerevan Armenia School Connectivity
Programs schools, including the School for Children with Hearing Impairments. By
facilitating interaction with one another and with role models who demonstrate
community service, Spring Field Day expanded participant horizons about the
meaning of community and their role in it, as well as broke down stereotypes. The
students played traditional American field day games, including the water balloon
toss, the wheelbarrow race, and the three-legged race. Though there were
finalists in each game, everyone went home a winner.
Another group of youth from ASCPs network schools participated in the “Makur
continuation on page [2] >
Project Harmony-Armenia
Celebrates Global Youth
Service Day
1
General Health Knowledge
Project
2
Social Justice and Change for
the Future: Students Looking
for a Way to Change the World
3
Program of the month:
Step-by-Step
3
Impressions: Armenian
4
Literature Lesson Plans Project
Discovering Leaders Among 8th
Graders
5
Children with Special Needs
Visit the Computer Center,
World Vision Armenia
5
Peace Diaries
6
Armenian Digital Library in
Civics Education
6
Uniting Together: Community
Women in Front of Computers
by Fenya Yepremyan, Ararat
SREC
7
SATI Spotlight: Pictures in the
8
Name of Friendship by Melanya
Davtyan
Sustainability Workshops
Begin!
8
Showing the Way in the ICC
by Susanna Galstyan Yerevan
SREC
9
School #65 in ENO-Environment 9
Online
Asking the Right Questions:
Online Student Assembly
Convenes in Parliament
10
Parent Teacher Associations in 11
Action
Tech and Web Corners, Q&A
11
PROJECT HARMONY
ARMENIA
45 Sevastopolyan St.
Yerevan 375058, Armenia
Tel./fax (374 1) 260686; 227458
www.projectharmony.am
www.ascp.am
[email protected]
Armenia School Connectivity Programs are programs of the U.S. Department of State
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and are implemented by Project Harmony
continuation ...
Yerevan” (Clean Yerevan) NGO, Armenia
Tree Project, and Armenia Forest NGO
service event aimed at cleaning the park
surrounding the Genocide Memorial. The
volunteers quickly set to the task of bringing
their segment of the park into an area that
they could be proud of and one that all those
who visit the Genocide Memorial Park will
appreciate. Those volunteering realized the
significance in their actions: “It is very
important that we should serve as an example
to others,” said one student from Yerevan
School # 43, “and it is also very important that
we do this on a voluntary basis.”
Still others took part in a Habitat for Humanity
home-building project. Habitat for Humanity
assists Armenian families in building and
renovating simple, decent, and affordable
housing by offering a no-interest loan to
improve their housing conditions. Seven
Yerevan boys from School #149 spent the
day in the village of Nor Kyurin near the town
of Masis in the Ararat region. From 11AM until
4PM they worked on building the house for
the four-member Khachaturian family, who
currently live in an old garage. For the first
part of the day the volunteer crew and family
members organized into a “bucket brigade,”
filling buckets with sand and stones, passing
them inside the house, and empting them
evenly across the floor of the house as part of
the pre-flooring work. After lunch, the team
was involved in shoveling “cherepitsa” (light
volcanic rock) into buckets and using a pulleysystem to take them up to the roof where they
were emptied and spread to serve as a
natural insulation for the home. The home is
expected to be completed in June and the
boys continue to help in its construction.
Many of the Internet Computer Centers that
are a part of the ASCP network also took part
in GYSD by opening their doors to the
community and offering their services to the
local population. Student volunteers helped
to compose and send e-mails, scan photos
into digital albums, transcribe poetry, and
even began to create a virtual museum. Said
Hripsime Hovsepyan, one of the volunteer
participants from Yerevan School #172, “My
classmates and I supplied these services with
great responsibility and interest, and hope
that such volunteer actions will be continued.”
For more information on Project Harmony's
i n v o l v e m e n t i n G l o b a l Yo u t h
Service Day, please visit
<http://gysd.projectharmony.ru/>. The site
contains information on projects from all six
countries Project Harmony
organized GYSD events in.
From 8 April
through 8 May,
Project Harmony,
in collaboration
with the Adventist
Development
and Relief
Agency (ADRA),
implemented the
General Health
Knowledge
Project in three
communities of
Armenia. The
goal of the project
was to increase
the awareness of health issues to women in minority and refugee
populations on the issues of botulism, healthy foods, tuberculosis, and
immunizations, and share the gained information with at least three
relatives or neighbors each. Eight Assyrian and twenty-two refugee
women from the towns of Masis and Artashat in the Ararat region and
from the town of Abovyan and village of Arzni in the Kotyak region
received one week of basic computer courses before taking part in the
online forum.
General Health
Knowledge Project
The duration of the online forum was two weeks, during which Anna
Boshyan, a physician working in Goris, answered questions raised by
the participants. The women were assisted in the Internet Computer
Centers by the site staff and two lead teachers from the schools.
Participants had active discussions about all four topics and
commented that the choice of the topics was appropriate.
“All four topics are so important for having healthy generation that I
enjoyed each session and took active participation in discussions,”
said Narine Harutyunyan, a refugee participant from Artashat.
The presentation of the program took place on 22 April in the towns of
Artashat and Masis in the region of Ararat, and on 23 April in the city of
Abovyan in the region of Kotayk. The presentation ceremonies were
attended by guests from the Ararat municipality, the United Nations
High Commissioner for Refugees, the United Nations Population
Fund (UNFPA), Fund of Maternity, and the Young Men's Christian
Association (YMCA), among others. Presentations were made on the
General Health Project, as well as the programs of ADRA and Project
Harmony.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for all women living in the regions to
get more information on health topics through learning basic computer
skills,” said Susanna Aleksanova, an Assyrian from Arzni.
“Participating in online communication will bring some interesting
change in our lives and make us believe in good”.
At the end of the project the women wrote a one-page essay on what
they had learned and how they can apply this new knowledge to their
daily lives. “I learned that when the time comes and I become a
mother, I will take seriously how important it is to immunize my
children,” said Stella Ishoeva, an Assyrian participant from Arzni.
Most of the participants are willing to see the continuation of this
program and suggested adding more topics. They mentioned that
they understood how important it is for women to have a general
knowledge about these topics so that they can better take care of their
families and raise a healthier generation, and they realize the
importance of sharing this information with others. “I wish projects like
this were more frequent,” said Zinaida Araqelyan, a refugee from
Masis.
-2-
Social Justice and Change for the Future:
Students Looking for a Way to Change the World
This spring, students in America and
Armenia had the unique opportunity
to take part in an online collaborative
project entitled “Social Justice and
Change for the Future,” as a part of
the Armenia School Connectivity
Programs. For three weeks, students
on each side of the ocean studied the same curriculum
and came together in an online forum space to discuss
the topics studied in the classroom.
so many people were sitting in a large room and
discussing the topics together,” said Zarine Zeinalyan,
a 15 year-old student also from Surenavan.
“This project gave an opportunity for students to learn
more about America, its culture, and the way people
live there,” said English teacher Ella Caturyan from
Aghuryan in the Shirak region.
The curriculum was developed by Connected Minds,
an organization whose mission is to enrich the lives of
persons of varying background from around the world
through multi-cultural awareness, knowledge, and
perspective. “Social Justice and Change for the
Future” is the fourth in a series of four curriculum
packets that Project Harmony utilizes for its online
collaborative projects.
In this series, students discussed
human rights and thought about how
human rights and social justice can
affect their futures. They used their
imaginations to speculate about how
the future might be, and thought
about how they could personally
affect the future of the world, individually and together.
“Our planet is in danger now with terrorism, wars, and
conflicts, and it is very important not to stay
indifferent,” said Anush Silyan, a 14 year-old student
from Surenavan in the Ararat region. “We need to try to
find the ways to solve the problems.”
Twelve American schools and 37 Armenian schools
participated in the project, helping not only to foster
friendships, but technology skills as well. “This
program helps us to create a team and develop our
knowledge about the use of new technologies in
education,” said Aleta Harutyunyan, an English
teacher from Aghavnadzor in the Vayots Dzor region.
Project Harmony plans to continue its partnership with
Connected Minds and facilitate such programs in the
future. Both organizations see the value in bridging
cultures and promoting understanding, and these
values have been passed on to the students who
participated in the program.
The students also were able to ask questions about
more specific topics related life and culture in the other
country, from Food and School Life, to Politics and
Technology. At the end of the project the students
came together twice online to participate in chats
where they were able to find out even more about
each other and further discuss human rights and
social change. “I found this unit valuable as I felt as if
“I learned that children all over the world have almost
the same dreams and hopes and wishes,” stated
Vardan Kirakosyan, a 13 year-old student from
Echmiadzin. “It really surprised me.”
1) application letter in the name of the principal;
2) statement of purpose (the current reforms in the
school, the purpose of applying to this program, and the
expectations);
3) detailed information on school staff and structure.
Program of the Month: Step-by-Step
Through its training centers acting in the
framework of the “Step by Step”
educational project the “Step by Step”
benevolent foundation is organizing
practical trainings dedicated to childfocused teaching methods. This project is moderated for
those schools that express serious interest in new
educational projects and would like to work by
interactive, cooperative methods to foster the relation
between the schools and the families.
Additional information can be received from the following
schools: Yerevan Secondary School #65 (56 Frunze str.,
Tel: 480922), Yerevan Secondary School #43 (Nor Aresh
9/53 str.; Tel.450730), Yerevan Secondary School #100
(9 Margaryan str.;Tel. 342800), Noyemberyan
Secondary School #1 (2 Dprotsakan str.; Tel. 22335;
22158), Yeghegnadzor Secondary School #1 (4 Vayki
str.; Tel. 23770). The deadline for documents submittion
is 30 May, 2002. The documents should be submitted to
the above mentioned schools.
Those interested in participation in the competition
should submit the following:
-3-
Impressions: Armenian Literature
Lesson Plans Project
The Armenian Literature Lesson Plans (ALLP) project
creates online literature lesson plans and provides the
teachers, as well as the students, an opportunity to more
fully understand the depth of literature and to better realize
the role of it in their lives.
From March 13-15, 2003, fifteen Armenian literature
teachers from 6 regions of Armenia met with two experts
from the Ministry of Education and Sciences to create five
new web pages on the lives and works of important
Armenian writers. What follows are some of the
impressions of three participants of the project:
“New information technologies have recently accessed the
educational field in Armenia, and what is really surprising is
that this access has affected even such areas as Armenian
literature, which seems to be such a 'non-technical' field.
ALLP is a significant innovation in the teaching of this
subject. Fifteen of the best Armenian literature teachers
from all over the country participated in the project.
Honestly, before I was chosen as one of the participants for
the project, I was really nervous thinking about whether I
really had any chance to win. Eventually, every intelligent
person is eager to be aware of how to use new
technologies for educational purposes and I was not an
exception!
I was full of expectations when I began the project. It gave
me a chance to be more creative and to bring variety into
what I do. The project has contributed immensely to the
process of developing online resources in Armenian, of
having websites in Armenian, and I am very excited about
this.
I really enjoyed participating in this project. The workshops
were so comprehensive, so interesting! I have a feeling
that I have undertaken a project for which I am responsible
to my people. Aren't we responsible for educating a new
generation, for creating our future? I am more than certain
that every one of us should have their share in the
development and prosperity of our country.
I am thankful to have this opportunity to once again
experience the beauty that the soul always strives for.”
inspiring environment. That was the initiation of an
excellent event.”
Silva Achoyan, Educational Department
of Yerevan Municipality
“School is a dynamic social system needing periodical
changes. To have an effective school we have to put
innovations using the New and the Actual based on the old
school's principles. Any change often faces resistance due
to the system's tough policies. A healthy and efficient
balance between the Old and the New: this is most
important today, but it is the main shortage of our
educational system. Teaching, the most thankful,
demanding, and important activity throughout the world
requires professional mastery, which will not promise and
provide success without applying innovations,
professional qualification, and especially modern
technologies.
The 21st CenturyWhat new methods, educational
materials, or equipment may and should enter the school?
Should we rely only on technologies such as chalk,
blackboard, or at best materials procured and collected
during the years in the form of pictures? It is not difficult to
guess the results of organizing education in such
conditions, affecting students' mode of thinking, aesthetic
tastes, and general development.
That is why in this connection of attaching special
importance to the application of innovative technologies
and giving preferences to them is highly appreciated
among the standards of effective education and in the
variety of the strategically facilities of teaching.
On the surface, the connection between the new
technologies and the subjects perhaps considered nontechnical, like Armenian Literature, may seem strange.
However, Project Harmony came to prove such opinions as
being inaccurate as seen with the Armenian Literature
Plans Project. The goal of the project is to learn and use the
new technologies during Armenian Literature lessons.
The ice melted…
Literature web sites in Armenian inserted on the Internet
(the first of which are already ready) will enable teachers
and students to use these pages in the process of study.
And not only. All of this will give an opportunity to support
the development of Internet resources through creating
web pages in Armenian.
Unfortunately my generation did not have the chance to
use the technology resources as our students currently
have. I am sure such an experience is one of the most
important steps in the educational system's development.
This is a small component of a great program, the
beginning of a wide road that we teachers of literature
embarked on, and we are sure it will be as continuous and
stable as our ancient literature.”
Evelina Tadevosyan, Sisian School # 2
Varditer Galstyan, Kapan School #6
“The implementation of the ALLP project is a lovely
undertaking, so urgent and vital for today. The wonderful
winter of Tsaghkadzor, the enthusiasm of the teachers
enamored with their profession, the nurturing and highly
professional behavior of the organizers, all created an
To see the works that these and other educators created
together, please visit < http://literature.ascp.am >. For
more information on or to become involved in the Armenian
Literature Lesson Plan Project, please contact Piruza
Barseghyan at < [email protected] >.
-4-
Discovering Leaders
Among 8th Graders
Armenia is a small country in terms of land size, but there are
few opportunities for youth to interact outside of their local
communities. Through developing projects that bring youth
together in an online space, Project Harmony is able to offer
the young people a unique opportunity to meet new friends
and share new ideas. The Youth Leadership Project does
just that, bringing local youth together to discuss the
fundamentals of good leadership practices while allowing for
a virtual discussion to take place with peers across the
country.
The second phase of the Youth Leadership Project began in
March 2003. Last year during the months of June and July
trainings were held in four Yerevan schools as a pilot project.
Children benefitted from the trainings and gained many
useful skills, such as how to be proactive in life, to initiate
things themselves, and to prioritize tasks and goals in their
personal lives. The trainings become even more interactive
by discussing these topics online.
represented features are in myself.
My opinion is that proactive people
have unique personalities that make
others follow them. Their speech is
convincing, and the voice and look are
impressive. However, without
kindness those personalities can sow
bad seeds and destroy the society.
Consequently, I see the importance of
existing kindheartedness in people.
Paradigm is our way of thinking, is our worldview, and by
changing ourselves we will change our surrounding.
Hakob Hakobyan, Echmiadzin
I have learned many new things. I realized
that I have to change the flow of my life,
and many other things that I would never
imagine I would understand. Now I can
differentiate between the governor and
the leader. I am sure that these seminars
will have a great impact on us and that we
will reach our goals in future.
Tatevik Apresyan, Dilijan
This phase of the Youth Leadership Project involves the
regions of Armavir, Kotayk, and Tavush, with 85 eighthgrade students participating. The students have shown a
fondness for the trainings, as well as for the volunteers who
teach the participants about effective leadership. The
fourteen volunteers come from the Center for Leadership
Development in Yerevan, and willingly travel to the regions in
order to pass on the skills they themselves have gained at
the center. The words of the participants speak for
themselves:
We are learning and learning…but
when we try to look back we see that we
sometimes live a useless life. During the
seminars I have discovered one very
important thing, to be more alert and to
follow the course of my life.
Gohar Hambardzumyan, Yeghvard
I was so happy to have discovered a new world, a “terra
incognita.” Though I always think about the world and
about people, I feel like I have so many things to learn
during these seminars. We were taught about
proactive people. I think I am one of them, as the
Children with Special Needs Visit the Computer Center
World Vision Armenia
with great enthusiasm.
In order to support current educational reforms in
Armenia and to introduce the basics of inclusive
education throughout the country, World Vision
Armenia works in close cooperation with Ministry of
Education and Science and UNICEF, as well as with
many other local and international organizations. One
of the results of such cooperation was the joint action
initiated by WV Armenia's Inclusive Education Project
and the Armenia School Connectivity Programs
implemented by Project Harmony. On 28 March, ten
children from an inclusive kindergarten, including six
children with special needs, visited the Internet
Computer Center, established by Project Harmony in
one of the schools in Yerevan.
After a long struggle with the mouse, six-year-old
Seyran, who has learning disabilities, finally managed
to click on the right spot and the frog on his screen
turned bright yellow. “Look what I did, isn't this
beautiful?” said Seyran smiling happily.
“For children with special needs, computers can
become a powerful tool, improving their ability to
concentrate, helping to strengthen their memory, and
developing various skills,” comments Inga Berchyan,
a psychologist from the WV Armenia's Kindergartenbased Inclusion Support Service, who has been
working with Seyran during the past three years.
Today few Armenian families can afford to have a
computer and there are few computers in the majority
of Armenian kindergartens and schools. The trip to the
Internet Computer Center for most children became
the first introduction to the world of technology. At the
beginning some of them were even afraid of touching
a keyboard, but soon with a little help from the
instructors they were painting pictures on the screen
World Vision Armenia and Project Harmony envision
that this successful beginning has laid the foundation
for more extensive collaborative efforts aimed at
further improving the quality of inclusive education in
Armenia, helping children with special needs find their
place in society.
-5-
Peace Diaries
Five schools from the Project Harmony Project Armenia School Connectivity Programs, together with schools from other
countries, took part in the Peace Diaries project. The mission of the project is to develop students' capacity to realize their
potential for change so that they can take actions for the health of planet Earth and its people. The project consists of two equal
parts, and the teachers and students can choose which part they want. The first part relates to cultural and social issues whereas
the second part relates to science and economics issues.
The five schools from the Kotayk, Lori, Shirak, Syunik, and Yerevan regions of Armenia applied and participated in the project. 10
teachers of English language and Biology/Chemistry (two from each school) and five ICC site staff assisted the 6th through 10th
grade students in their participation in the project. During to the program, the teachers and students conducted research, wrote
essays, created works of art, and gathered scientific information that was collected and stored in a database provided by the
Knowledge iTrust organization.
As a result, 41 pieces of art, recipes, and essays were received from the Armenian students and are currently being published in
the Peace Diaries Volume II. For more information on the peace Diaries project visit: < www.peacediaries.org >.
What follows is an essay and picture by Lilit Grigoryan, a 10th grade student from Hartashen in the Syunik region of Armenia:
Atamhatik is an old Armenian food. It is not a daily food but
has a history corresponding to its name. According to the
tradition it is made when the child will have his first tooth.
Atamhatik
The barley, wheat and bean are the products, which are
cooked very hardly, just like appearing of the first tooth of
the child. After boiling these products are crashed and the
white inner part comes out, like the tooth of a child coming
out of the gum. The history says that after atamhatik the
other teeth of the child come out easily.
On that day the house is full of guests, relatives and which
is very important of many children. For the adults a table
with sweets is prepared, but there is also atamhatik. For
the children it's a real holiday. The child sits on the carpet
and is surrounded by the other children. The boiled
atamhatik is poured over the child's head, then sweets,
raisin and dried fruits, as well.
All the children are eating, singing, dancing and wishing the best to the child.
Atamhatik is very tasty and is loved by many Armenians. It can be cooked also like soup as daily food.
Armenian Digital Library
in Civics Education
schools, from human rights to the rights of minority
groups, and from the system of state government in
Armenia to international law.
In order to more actively promote civics education,
24 teachers in the Lori and Shirak regions of
Armenia have created not only a network of
knowledgeable civics teachers but also an online
digital library in which they share civics education
materials they have created. The Armenian
L a n g u a g e C i v i c s L i b r a r y, a v a i l a b l e a t
http://library.projectharmony.am, was unveiled in
March and has since become a popular site among
Armenian civics teachers.
The digital library is
being promoted
through web site
announcements and
on mailing lists.
Project Harmony's
Regional Education
Coordinators also
present the library to
civics teachers in all
regions of Armenia, thereby expanding the network of
teachers and the resources available to them.
The library is designed around the civics education
curriculum and is very user-friendly in style. It
provides general access to the materials and the
specialists can upload new content as it becomes
available. It currently includes nine main sections
and 26 subsections. These sections cover the main
subjects of the civics program taught in Armenian
To join this group of teachers taking the lead in civics
education material development, please contact
Alexander Chilingaryan at
< [email protected] >.
-6-
Uniting Together: Community Women in Front of Computers
by Fenya Yepremyan, Ararat SREC
April 7, 8 and 9…Closing ceremonies of “Community
Women in Front of Computers,” an exciting one month
campaign in the Ararat region of Armenia. Five Internet
children, even to those students that are not so bright in
learning.
Initially, as they recollect, the women were surprised to get the
invitation to participate in the ICC trainings, and as one of the
participants, Donara Zeynalyan, told, they were a little bit
afraid to find out what awaited them there. Donara is a woman
of 60 with many grandchildren; still she took the risk to learn
what are the things which people call “Internet” and
“computer.”
Naturally enough, the women in Shahumyan also chose their
village to be reflected in their presentation. All their lives being
confined to the usual routine of the small village, they now
mixed the new knowledge with the familiar and old theme of
daily life. The participants expressed their gratitude to their
teachers, ICC staff Kristine Babagulyan and Gohar Virabyan,
who had taught them the wonders of this new technology. “It's
hard for us to leave the ICC,” said Rusanna Sahakyan, a
mother of several children. “During this one-month period we
have learned lots of things and we have also re-determined
some things for us.”
Computer Centers (ICCs) experienced three days of joy
and enthusiasm in honor of one month of celebrating
women. 35 single mothers, mothers with many children,
wives and daughters of husbands and father who have
died, received free computer trainings in the Armenia
School Connectivity Programs Internet Computer
Centers. The Ararat regional staff initiated the project,
with different specifics for each school, including Artashat
Secondary School #6, Masis Secondary School #1,
Shahumyan Secondary School, Ararat Secondary
School, and Surenavan Secondary School.
The closing events took place in all the participating ICCs.
The school principals, after welcoming everyone,
strongly emphasized the role and meaning of the ICCs in
school and community life, and encouraged more
participation in online and offline events and projects.
Ararat Regional Educational Coordinator Fenya
Yepremyan briefly introduced PH activities and
achievements as well as the development of new projects
and the increasing number of direct and indirect
beneficiaries. She also highlighted the individual ICC
activities over the past year.
But the most exciting minutes were still ahead…
Women, a small group of daughters-in-law who had
come to Surenavan from neighboring villages, respected
mothers with many children, had chosen their own village
as the topic of their PowerPoint presentation. It was
thrilling to observe the excitement of those mature
women with every single slide that they created after a
month of computer classes. Each of them emphasized
what a landmark event the computer training represented
in their lives and, if so for their grown-up lives, much more
so for the younger generation of the village. They saw
how the ICC transfers new and fresh stimuli to the
The women in Masis were even more excited on the day they
received their certificates. While participating in the trainings,
they also studied international documents concerning
women's rights. On April 9, Tamara Arevyan, the school
principal and a very active woman herself, addressed her
congratulatory speech to the representatives of the local and
regional governments with a call to ensure employment for
the women and to help continue their small achievement.
In Ararat the women had prepared a most specific
presentation. Not only did they write a wonderful scene in
Armenian and English presenting outstanding Armenian
women worldwide, but they also composed a song devoted to
Project Harmony, which, according to their words, “Brought
them a very different spring this year.” The difference came
when they accessed a new world, a world so diverse and
unlike the one they were used to experiencing everyday. They
finished their presentation with words: “All women of the world
unite on the Internet.”
Very harmonic with these words, all the women in the five
groups have agreed to continue their trainings in order to
learn web design with a goal to enrich their own life and to
create a strong network of regional women who want to
change the pace and style of their lives and of their
communities.
-7-
SATI Spotlight: Pictures in the
Name of Friendship
Sustainability Workshops Begin!
Melanya Davtyan is the director of Armavir School #5 in the
Armavir region of Armenia. She is an alumnus of the
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the US
Department of State, having participated in the School
Administrators Training Initiative implemented by Project
Harmony in the spring of 2003. A school principal from each
of the eleven regions of Armenia participated in the
exchange. Over the next several issues we will highlight
various principals and
their impressions of
America, as well as
chronicle their
accomplishments
since their return.
I had great and
indescribable
impressions from
visiting Vermont's
schools in the USA.
The Armenian
principals were
surprised with many
things, such as the
school grounds, the
number of computers
and the ways they are used, the variety of software, the
students' discipline, etc. The fact how little the American
teachers and students knew about our country was also
surprising. Getting acquainted with us, with our daily school
life, as well as our answers to their questions, helped them
to form an impression about Armenian students: which
games they play, whether they like sports or not, how they
spend their spare time, what kind of preferences they have.
Before departing for the US, I suggested to my students to
draw pictures on the theme of “Our Little Planet.” Many
students presented their pictures, the number of which
became so much that I could bring only the part of them with
me to America. The students depicted different places in
Armenia, such as our ancient churches, and drew their
imagined images of peace and their dreams. (My Dear
Students, I would like you also to hear the applause and see
the kind smiles with which your works were accepted.)
The 12th grade students of Rice Memorial Catholic High
School accepted with amazement and admiration the work
of 6th grade student Artak Gevorgyan, a piece entitled
“Struggle Between God and the Devil.” The students were
especially surprised with the philosophical way of thinking
Artak expressed in the piece.
Project Harmony has established the base for the
analysis and development of Internet Computer Center
(ICC) sustainability issues. Two Sustainability Workshops
for school principals and ICC site staff were held for 23
Armenia School Connectivity Programs schools on 28
March and 4 April. The 23 selected schools from 8 regions
represent the oldest schools in the ASCP network. In total
56 people participated in the workshops.
The aim of this project is to train principals and ICC site
staff of ASCPs schools in self-sustainability and begin the
creation of action plans to implement for their schools.
The process toward this goal includes using a Project
Harmony-created Sustainability Tool Kit which includes
sections on paid services, fundraising, advertising,
market surveys, and action planning. Within 2 weeks of
the seminars, the schools should develop action plans
toward ICC sustainability. With the generous
contributions of consulting services from several
individual consultants and the staff at Ameria Consulting,
these 24 action plans will be evaluated and revisions will
be suggested. Once the plans are put into place, a
competition will begin among the 24 schools to evaluate
the most successful plan based on financial results.
"This seminar was very useful for us, because it gave
practical suggestions and personally I have learned a few
things that can keep ICC working on a self-sustainable
basis," said one of the participants. If you would like to
contribute consulting services on the action plans, or
toward the competition prize, please contact Alexander
Chilingaryan at < [email protected] >.
The traditional Armenian art and the khachkars (crossstones) made by the students amazed everyone. I
presented these keepsakes with the hope that they will
become a little step towards the friendship between our two
nations.
Yes, we must become friends, to live in harmony and
together love this little planet forever.
Thanks to Project Harmony for connecting the people of the
world, giving smiles and peace to them.
-8-
With the permission of Alexan Aharonyan, the principal of
the school, Gayane works as the social educator of the
school. Together with the principal, she looks for sponsors
and collaborators to provide new technology and projects.
She does intensive Internet searches for programs that
can help support the school and recently, she found a
school for the blind in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which
implements programs providing skills for a fulfilling life. She
and the ICC staff are exploring the possible collaboration
with this school.
Showing the Way in the ICC
by Susanna Galstyan, Yerevan SREC
In the beginning it was difficult to believe that the school's
Internet Computer Center could succeed as it already had
a strike against it. Yet the school and the site staff were
determined to show the rest of the world that they could,
and would, succeed despite the fact the students of the
school are blind.
The Secondary Boarding School for Children with Visual
Defects in Yerevan is home to one of the first Internet
Computer Centers in the Project Harmony network. Over
the past several years it has had its fair share of difficulties,
yet it continues moving forward, showing the way to others.
Gayane has also gotten in touch with the specialist of the
Royal National Institute of Blind in England
<www.rnib.org.uk>. She is in close collaboration with them
and will soon receive a Braille printer for the school, which
will help the staff to have more effective computer lessons.
It will also make their work more accessible to a larger
community with visual impairments.
Recently the center was staffed with two monitors who
possess experience in working with blind children, Arthur
Vardzelyan and Michael Naghdalyan. The two have
worked to find ways to better meet the needs of the children
in the school, and they, in turn, have found help in a
volunteer, Gayane Simonya.
Armenians have a saying, “No spring comes with one
flower.” Gayane, with her volunteerism, is an example of
one flower that shows the way with positive thinking and an
optimistic belief.
“I grew up in a family of blind parents,” Gayane said. “Both
of them are philologists. My father speaks fluent English,
plays the piano, and creates poems. My parents have their
established place the society and with the life they live, they
reveal the simple truth that they can be useful to the world.”
For the school's website, please
<http://www.ac2k.am/sch/yerevan_blind/>.
visit:
Full of energy and initiative, as well as an outgoing
personality, Gayane visited the ICC of the School for Visual
Defects and cooperates with the children, the staff, and the
educators. “Knowing the needs of this narrow community, I
am ready to cooperate voluntarily with the center by
working with children who have special needs,” Gayane
stated. “I believe that the new way of communicationvirtual
communicationis the only way for them to fully integrate
into the society.”
School #65 in ENO-Environment Online
The United Nations has declared 2003 the International Year
of Freshwater. To honor this occasion, ENO-Environment
Online Global Virtual School < www.enoschool.org >, which is
comprised of 105 schools from 51 countries, implemented an
ecological project called “WaterShare It!” from November
2002 until February 2003. The participating schools were
given the task to create local newspapers, to submit articles
for a global newspaper, and to draw pictures for the project's
global newspaper, all on the topic of water.
Yerevan Shengavit Community School #65, which has been
a part of the ASCP network since December 2002, took an
active part in this project. With the support of the Shengavit
Community Center "Hogatsutyun" and using the resources of
the school ICC, students prepared the "Water and We" online
newspaper. In February, ENO-Environment published the
global newspaper, "WaterShare It!" including an article on
Lake Sevan and a drawing by 14 year-old Andranik Asatryan
prominently displayed on the cover.
The final results of drawing contest were declared in March.
Andranik's cover art came in first place, 13 year-old
schoolmate Hasmik Gevorgyan came in third place, and 15
year-old Mane Haroutunyan came in sixth place. For their
prizes they received traditional Finnish musical instruments,
booklets, and CDs.
"We are very pleased with our success in this online
program,” said principal Norayr Khrimyan.
“We have further plans to participate in such type of online
programs and we are sure to have support from the
community again."
For more information on the “WaterShare It!” project,
including the “Water and We” online newspaper and the
students' artwork, please visit < http://eno.joensuu.fi/ > and
look under the “This is Our Nature” link.
-9-
Asking the Right Questions: Online Student
Assembly Convenes in Parliament
With the Republic of Armenia National Assembly elections
right around the corner, eighteen schools in the Armenia
School Connectivity Programs network were able to
experience politics first hand by taking part in the Student
Assembly Educational Project. Beginning with elections in
early April and concluding in May with a visit to the National
Assembly itself, 36 secondary school students from the
Aragatsotn, Gegharkunik, Kotayk, Shirak, Tavush, and
Yerevan regions participated in this unique project that aimed
to increase student awareness in the workings of democracy
through their political engagement in election campaigns and
issue debate.
After being elected in
offline “traditional”
elections, complete with
voter lists, ballot boxes,
and polling booths, two
student parliamentarians
represented each school
in a three-week online
forum. The first week was
dedicated to the
nomination and
discussion of the Chairs
for each of the Student
Assembly standing
committees, which mirror
the six committees
represented in the
Armenian National
Assembly. The nominated
candidates delivered a “speech” which represented their
viewpoints and perspectives on the issues they would be
discussing. Each “speech” was posted online and the other
parliamentarians were allowed to post questions to the
candidates. The week ended with the online voting of the
Chairs.
The second week was dedicated to the discussion of specific
topics around the standing committees as well as how to
reduce teen smoking and maintain school property. “This was
my first experience when I had to perform as a parliamentarian
and represent my school and community in a Student
Assembly,” said Levik Zurnachyan, a member of the Standing
Committee on Financial-Credit, Budgetary and Economic
Affairs from Artik School #3 in the Shirak region. “I had to think
twice every time I came up with an idea or suggestion. The
project enabled me to handle a position that made us more
responsible and cautious as to the duties and roles we actually
take in our everyday life.”
The third week online allowed for the student parliamentarians
to share their conclusions with and ask questions to Armine
Kharatyan and Karine Haroutyunyan, both experts from the
Armenian National Assembly. The students were able to
address more specific questions of governance to the experts,
who in turn looked toward the students as a resource for
Parliament by providing the National Assembly with a different
voice, the voice of the youth, a voice that is not always heard in
the halls of the Armenian Parliament.
But these voices were heard in the halls of Parliament, with an
invitation to meet Armen Khachatryan, Chairman of the
Republic of Armenia National Assembly, on May 12. Mr.
Khachatryan welcomed the young parliamentarians in his
chamber and expressed his gratitude for the opportunity for
the students to develop their leadership skills through political
engagement, to grow as active citizens, and to benefit the civil
society of Armenia.
During the hour and a half question and answer period, students
asked questions that were not only relevant to their lives, but to the
future of Armenia as well. Mr. Khachatryan was impressed by the
issues raised and asked the children to take him on as the Student
Assembly Chairman so that together they could work towards a
better life in Armenia. The idea that the young generation cares for
the well being of their country was highly appreciated and
encouraged by the Chairman.
One of the first questions from the students referred to the
corruption during election campaigns in Armenia. The chairman
explained the factors that lead to corruption and how deplorable it
can be for the future activities of the elected parliamentarians and
the country.
The students also raised questions about the current constitutional
reforms and how the reforms could affect various spheres of their
lives. Others were concerned about Armenia's relationship with its
neighbors. Vahe Alexanyan, a member of the Standing Committee
on Foreign Relations from Yerevan School #78, asked, “What is
your perspective on the possibility of young people in Armenia,
Azerbaijan, and Turkey to communicate with each other and
discuss youth issues?” The chairman encouraged the idea of
having dialogues among the youth of Armenia and Azerbaijan,
countries that are currently in conflict.
At the conclusion of the meeting, Mr. Khachatryan praised the
initiative of Project Harmony and advised the young
parliamentarians to differentiate between spiritual and material
values and become effective citizens of Armenia. “You can achieve
these goals only through learning,” he told the students, “as one of
the main criteria of a politician should be his or her
broadmindedness.”
Several of the Student Assembly Parliamentarians were
interviewed by Radio Liberty and offered their opinions on such
issues as the death penalty and their future in politics in Armenia.
One parliamentarian, Ani Zeinalyan, the Chair of the Standing
Committee on International Relations from Yerevan School #78,
was later interviewed by Crossways, a pan-Caucasus television
program that is sponsored by Internews. She was asked to give her
own political views on the upcoming Armenian parliamentary
elections and the referendum on constitutional reforms.
The Student Assembly members are currently lobbying for the
project to continue into the summer and the next school year.
“Project Harmony creates an opportunity for people from different
regions to come together and exchange ideas,” stated Seda
Gharagedyan, a parliamentarian on the Standing Committee on
State and Legal Affairs representing Yerevan School #149. “The
project gives an opportunity to discover things and find out answers
to several issues. I will surely use the knowledge gained in my
future life.”
Hasmik Sargsyan, a member of the Standing Committee on
Financial-Credit, Budgetary and Economic Affairs from Abovyan
School #10 in the Kotayk region, concurs with her fellow
parliamentarian: “The Student Assembly project enabled us to
express our ideas and gain knowledge, which we will surely
integrate into our future activities. I wish this project had its
continuation, as it is highly demanded by the young generation. The
online space gave me an opportunity to fully understand the
structure of the legislative body of Armenia. I would love to have the
Student Assembly come up with legislative decisions that would be
discussed by the Republic of Armenia National Assembly.”
- 10 -
Parent Teacher Associations in Action
It has been three years since Youth
F o r A c h i e v e m e n t s ( Y FA )
Association began working with
Parent Teacher Associations
(PTAs) from all over Armenia. This
work has been accomplished in
many different ways with many
different people and has provided
many different results. However, through
it all, parent and teacher devotion to the school has been
the key for success. Contributing their time and efforts,
uniting with school pupils and involving community
members, PTAs try to improve the school environment
and make school life better for Armenia's children. In
2001 and 2002, PTAs of several Yerevan schools were
able to receive playgrounds by writing proposals and
winning grants. This year PTAs have more opportunities
to take action through participation in two new projects
introduced by YFA: “Colours of Childhood” and “CEDAW
Campaign.”
You
s
e nt
t
or Achievem
F
h
PTA members from approximately 110 schools take part
in these projects. More than 70 of these schools are in the
Armenia School Connectivity Programs (ASCPs)
network, and their PTAs have either completed or will
undergo trainings in Leadership and Management,
Public Relations, Principles of Community Service, and
Information Technologies before the end of June 2003.
We are pleased to see these schools participating,
because while applying theory in practice may seem
difficult, these type of projects will provide PTAs with a
good opportunity to try for themselves, to get hands-on
experience, and to use the experience as a base for
future large-scale
action.
What we value even
more is that PTA
members meet each
other, discuss and
exchange ideas and
experience, and
create and maintain
a solid network
which will serve their
objectives and aims in the future. During the months of
February and March 2003, PTA members gathered for
seminars as a part of the “CEDAW Campaign” Project to
talk, think, and learn about women's rights. Nine
seminars devoted to the Convention on Elimination of all
forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) took
place in Yerevan, Echmiadzin, Gyumri, Vanadzor,
Tsakhkadzor, and Goris. 94 PTA members from 92
schools across Armenia participated in these seminars,
and there will be several more organized. In coming
months these PTA members will be organizing seminars
for their community members to educate them about
women's rights and issues, and about discrimination and
the need for its elimination. YFA has created a CEDAW
website <http://www.yfa.am/cedaw/> with plenty of
information including the Convention, its articles, and
other related material. We hope that for many this will be
a useful resource and a positive Internet experience,
thus boosting the interest not only in women's issues in
the world, but also towards the Internet as a vast
educational and informational resource.
Members of PTAs
welcomed the
“Colours of
Childhood” Project
even more. As
Pablo Picasso
once said, “Every
child is an artist,
the problem is how
to remain an artist
once he grows up.”
This problem is further complicated for children in a
developing country as Armenia. Arts education,
materials, and exhibitions are often connected with
money, and it is hard to ensure that children continue to
create and develop their skills and that talent is not lost.
PTAs in more than 100 schools gathered artwork and
presented them to YFA. After review of the Selection
Committee invited by YFA and made up of experts, the
pieces of art have been placed in a virtual gallery
constructed by YFA staff <http://www.yfa.am/colours/>.
At present more than 600 pieces of art from over 100
different schools, with most of them connected to the
ASCPs network. PTAs continue to bring different types of
art and with their help we hope to present our talented
children to the wide Internet audience.
PTAs that are interest in these projects and would like
more information, please contact “Youth For
Achievements” Association at:
4 Sakharov Str., Yerevan 375010
Tel/Fax: (374 1) 52 95 96, 54 51 38
Email: [email protected]
www.yfa.am
CORNER
Q. How to make the browser automatically
detect the user defined encoding for Armenian
(ArmSCII-8)?
A. The given HTML document should contain a
META tag <META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type"
CONTENT="text/html; charset=x-user-defined">
describing the encoding among <head> ...
</head> tags.
Q. How to use AC2K / ASCP public FTP server?
A. In order to use this service you should fill the
ftp://ftp.ac2k.am/pub/ string in the address bar of
the browser or connect to ftp.ac2k.am server by
FTP client software. Here you can find different
software, including antiviral software and daily
updates.
- 11 Tech and Web Corners provide the answers to some of Project Harmony
Armenia’s most common technical and web related questions.
CORNER
TECH
WEB
Our Mission:
Project Harmony empowers
individuals to create healthier communities
through international exchange and training
programs.
Our Values:
Project Harmony believes that the people who work for us are the
foundation of our organization.
We believe that our employees are "one of a kind" individuals, having exceptional
skills, talents and an unusual commitment to their work.
Project Harmony believes in strengthening communities and in a grassroots approach to
solving community problems.
We believe in creating and nurturing personal relationships within and between communities
in the United States and abroad.
Project Harmony believes in the importance of personal relationships and the importance of
passion for our work.
We believe that individuals should have a passion for what they do and people should be
empowered to live their passion. This is cultivated and sustained by personal
relationships and by empowering individuals here and abroad.
Project Harmony believes in the importance of adapting and changing to meet new
challenges.
The belief that our work is truly important and the excitement of
developing new programs makes us want to stay on the cutting
edge of developments in our field.
Project Harmony believes in the spirit of
exploration.
Project Harmony Contacts
USA
5197 Main St. Unit 6
Waitsfield, VT 05673
tel: (802) 496-4545
fax: (802) 496-4548
[email protected]
www.proejctharmony.org
ARMENIA
Yerevan 375028
45 Sevastopolyan St.
tel: (374 1) 26-06-86, 22-74-73
fax: (374 1) 22-74-58
[email protected]
www.proejctharmony.am