ORRAN. As with every true beginning, this one should also have its continuation. Today Junior Achievement of Armenia (JAA) marks its 10th anniversary. A meeting held in the JAA office recently had a number of aims, one of which was the organization's anniversary, and the others including two teachers' trainings civic activation and public initiatives contest, and traditional events. The chairwoman of the organization Armine Hovannisian introduced the JAA old and new members, underlining their role and responsibility they shouldered. According to Mrs. Hovannisian, the major goal of Junior Achievement is the education of future generations.
As soon as the organization was founded in 1993, it started work in eight schools of Yerevan. Today the program is already included in all 1,400 educational institutions of Armenia. More than 160,000 students and 3,200 teachers are involved in JAA activities. New subjects, namely "Applied Economics," "Civic Education," "State and Law," and "Human Rights," began to be taught in the schools. These subjects are taught by teachers trained at the initiative of Junior Achievement. Since 1993 more than 3,000 teachers have left for the USA to participate in training courses.
This year 14 teachers returned to Armenia from the United States, where they were trained for the subject "Civic Education." Over the course of their one-month visit the Armenian teachers were in California and Washington, DC. They visited public schools in Glendale, CA, and Alex Philipos Armenian National College of Hollywood, CA. As the program also aimed at introducing the US government structure to the Armenian teachers, they visited the City Halls of Glendale and Solana Beach, CA, and got acquainted with the activities of city councils.
During the meeting US Ambassador John Ordway delivered a speech,
expressing hope that the Armenian teachers will be able to apply everything
they liked in the United States educational system in Armenia. As for the civic
activation and public initiatives contest, it is already the second year in
which this contest is being held. Students' knowledge and skills of applying
their knowledge are considered important during the contest.
Diana Grigorian