ASCP Online Community Projects
Within the framework of Armenia School Connectivity Program Project Harmony Armenia was implementing an “Online Exchange Exploratorium” exchange program. The US expert in creating and facilitating online communities, the president of Full Circle Associates Nancy White visited Armenia. A series of intensive workshops on implementing online projects were conducted, and PH is most proud to be the pioneers of this kind of exciting initiative in Armenia. As a result of this exchange several online projects were created and implemented during years of 2003-2004.
The Implemented Projects are:
Nation wide project:
Community Service - More than 15 leaders and active members of international and local NGOs from all over Armenia have gathered together to create the first online community to discuss Community Service. They seek to design and prepare 11 volunteer events in all the regions of Armenia to put the start of community service development in Armenia.
“Community Service" Second Phase - With the completion of the first phase of the online project "Community service in Armenia", we started the second phase of the project at the end of September. It included two components, online discussions about specific events and the implementation of the events in each region of Armenia. There were 45 participants in the second phase of the project: 15 core participants and 30 expanded participants coming from all the 11 regions of Armenia. They represented local NGOs, universities and international organizations, such as Tufenkyan Funds-Makur Yerevan, IFES main and regional offices, Junior Achievements, Armenian Red Cross, etc. Among participants there were also young volunteers, who gained theoretical and hands-on experience in community service. The volunteer group with the initiation and support of the main 'Community Service" participants have already organized 9 volunteer projects in the following regions: Lori, Armavir, Gegharkunik, Ararat, Syunik, Vayots Dzor, Tavush and Aragatsotn. Those were original and interesting community service events, out of which more than 140 community representatives benefited. There were meetings with orphans, invalids, NGO leaders, rehabilitation of national churches of Armenia, financial help and visits to needy families, presentations, etc.
Cross-regional projects:
Computer in My Daily Life – 35 computer users of different ages, computer specialists and psychologists from Yerevan, Tavush, Armavir and Vayots Dzor regions will get together to discuss the benefits they get out of using the computer in their daily life. The project aims at clarifying the role of the computer technologies in life, introducing the use of different computer games and hardware and providing consultancy about working with the computer hardware.
Consulting a Psychologist - 3 experts-psychologists from Shirak, Syunik and Ararat regions have agreed to provide free online consultations to 20 community members from these regions. As a result of this online consultancy, free seminars will be organized in the above-mentioned regions and people will learn how to better address their psychological needs.
Journalism Etiquette - The project exposes Kotayk, Lori, Gegharkunik and Aragatsotn 23 regional journalists to the rules of etiquette. Two experts from “Aspares journalists club” and Yerevan Press Club will provide online consultations. Upon online discussion, a package of journalistic rules will be worked out, which will guide them in their professional activities, as well as a booklet published on the same theme.
Job Market in Armenia exposes Yerevan, Tavush and Shirak regions 18 participants to the current trends of the Armenian job market, highlights the importance of professionalism and provides participants with practical skills such as resume and cover letter writing, as well as successful interviewing. Those seeking employment learned from the experience of participants currently employed and became aware of common expectations of 6 participating employers
Healthy Life Style - brings together 15 doctors and 38 parents of young children to increase parental awareness on the ways to encourage a healthier life style among children of Syunik, Ararat and Lori regions.
Marketing Consultations - 3 Experts from DAI and 1 independent expert have agreed to provide free online consultations to 12 agricultural firms in the sphere of market research, marketing, packaging and export. Companies from Armavir, Kotayk and Gegharkunik regions will learn how to better market their products.
Parents Assistance to Schools - an online focus group for parents assessing the parents-school relationship within the Armenian Educational system. Current challenges and potential solutions are being explored by 12 parents from Lori, Yerevan and Aragatsotn regions.
Youth Volunteer Corps - 4 local government officials and 10 leaders in volunteer communities of Armavir and Vayots Dzor regions go online to share their volunteer experience with 15 students. The online component is designed to prepare youth participants to implement offline community volunteer activities.
Regional projects:
Democratic School - In collaboration with Goris Teachers through the project "Collaboration for the sake of future democratic school Project Harmony is implementing the "Democratic School" online community outreach project. The goal of the project is to deepen the skills of democratic management in secondary schools (teachers, students and parents participation), and to assist in the effective application of the student councils' charters. "Democratic School" online forum is implemented in Syunik region by 16 participants, including advisers (psychologist, educator, sociologist, lawyer), students, teachers and parents from Syunik regions' schools, who are interested in school democratization. As a measurable outcome of the program, the results of the discussions will be introduced in Internet site.
Old and Young Generations - 12 participants of these online discussions are the representatives of the both generations: the students of Yerevan Universities and adults having the children who are also students. While exchanging opinions on quite different topics, the online forum will help to realize their problems and needs more closely. On the basis of this online forum, a booklet was made in order to make the topics of the discussions accessible to wider audience
How to choose your profession - 10 specialists from Shirak region (10 lectures in different fields from Shirak Higher Institutions) discussed the peculiarities of their specialties with 15 students and pupil of the 9th -10th grades. This project supported the participants to make the right choice of their future profession taking info consideration the peculiarities of the fields they are going to be involved.
Environmental protection - project aims at discussing and later fulfilling activities to protect the globe from pollution (taking away the garbage, cleaning the environment, planting trees and disseminating the information about organizing theoretical seminars for pupils and students. Ararat 10 teachers of geography, physics and biology and 12 students discussed in online regime on how to protect our environment from pollution.
Youth & Human Rights - project united 20 young people and 5 experts from different human rights related NGOs of 5 towns of Lori Region - Vanadzor, Stepanavan, Spitak, Tashir and Alaverdi - with the main goal of giving the youth some basic knowledge on human rights for using them in their lives. Thus, the project has a minor input in the development of civic society.
Legal Consultations - 4 lawyers from Armenian Young Lawyers Association provided free professional judicial consultations to Armavir community members. The participants had an opportunity to address their questions on theme civic rights in online space to experts and got practical answers in accordance to Armenian legislation.
NGO Collaboration - 12 active NGO leaders in Lori Region seeks to support dialogues between local NGO-s, promote experience and informational exchange between them and establish links for further collaboration through the input of online resources.
Tourism Development in Syunik region - project's participants are 11 specialists of tourism and those who are interested by in tourism. The project is aimed at uniting the participants, giving them discussion opportunities that will help them to develop their skills in this area and using it for the promotion of Syunik's Tourism.
Parents' Online Diary - 10 parents from the 6th grade class students and their class teacher in online regime discussed and had the opportunity for parents to be aware of their children school life, including subject marks, behavior, successes and problems which their children are facing in the school.
The youth and culture of Tavush - project gave an opportunity of 18 young artists from different institutions of higher education to discuss issues concerning art via Internet. Those participants come from different towns and villages of Tavush region, such as Dilijan, Ijevan and Koghb. The artists represent the cultural institutions of their home towns and their own works to each other in different discussions of the forum. With the exchange of ideas they also aim at establishing collaboration of artists in their region. There are 4 expert artists participating in the project, who share their ideas and experience with the other participants. An Armenian language web site was created and is available online
Women and Community Development - project aims at enhancing the role of 16 women from 3 communities in Aragatsotn marz (Aparan, Ashtarak and Talin) in the process of solving community related problems, as well as the creation of the network of leading women organizations. As a result of online discussions three initiative groups were created in these communities who would activate the works with local governmental officials.
History of Armenian Church project - 5 Holy fathers and 15 teachers of Sunday schools of Kotayk region gathering in online space discussed the role of the church in developing healthy community and educating children as real Armenians. They also discussed the strong and weak points of "History of Armenian Church" book.
English Teachers Outreach project aims at supporting 10 English teachers to develop new curriculum and teaching techniques through the presentation of alternate teaching methods and the sharing of their ideas, opinions, experiences and unique situations with other teachers outside their communities. 2 Peace Corps TEFL Volunteers as experts shared their experience with Armenian teachers and after the online event open classes were organized in each school of Vayots Dzor region.
In the frame of "Freedom of Speech" community outreach project Gegharkunik region 12 journalists, NGO leaders explored the reasons for mass media information lack in Gegharkunik, discussed solutions for existing problems in that area and worked out special events to enhance public awareness on these issues.
Armenia School Connectivity Program is a program of the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs funded by the FREEDOM Support Act and implemented by Project Harmony.