U.S.-Armenia School Partner Exchange - Summer 2005

Fifteen U.S. educators participated in the U.S.-AM School Partner Exchange held in the summer of 2005. This three-week exchange provided U.S. educators with first-hand experience of Armenia culture and society, as well as increased knowledge of online curriculum development. Participants immersed themselves in all things Armenian with visits to museums, monasteries, memorials, and concerts. The group also visited schools and Internet Computer Centers throughout regions and worked intensively with their teaching partners to develop action plans for implementing online projects. Following a five day host family stay with their teaching counterparts, the group then reconvened in Yerevan where they presented their project plans, all of which will be implemented in the coming academic years. Being in Armenia and interacting with its people on a personal level was an invaluable learning experience for these educators.

Armenia-U.S. School Partner Exchange - Spring 2005

From March 28 to April 13, 2005 twenty-three Armenian educators traveled to the U.S. for two weeks as part of the reciprocal portion of the School Partner Exchange. The Armenian teachers traveled to their partner communities for one week to stay with host families and experience the diversity of American culture, lifestyles, and values. They also became familiar with current technology-based practices, various teaching methodologies and the importance of implementing civics in the classroom. The final days of the exchange were spent in Washington DC, where the Armenian teachers met with both U.S. Department of State and U.S. Department of Education officials to learn more about the American educational system. All exchange participants and their hosting counterparts participated in a debriefing session to discuss their experiences, present their plans for future collaborative efforts and complete program evaluations. The teachers returned to Armenia with a better understanding of U.S. history, culture, and government, and many ideas on how they can combine what they saw in America with their current systems in Armenia.

U.S.-Armenia School Partner Exchange - Summer 2004

A delegation of U.S. teachers spent two exciting weeks in Armenia as part of the School Partner Exchange. While in Armenia, participants visited schools and Internet Computer Centers in Yerevan and throughout the regions of the country, worked intensively during sessions with their Armenian teaching partners, attended presentations and seminars with local community members and professionals, and created action plans for future collaboration. Planned activities allowed the teachers to experience Armenian culture, history, and the ruggedly beautiful setting of this former Soviet country. All participants stayed with host families during the program, and a film specialist from Vermont documented the trip. The American teachers then hosted their Armenian counterparts the following spring.

Youth Leadership Exchange - Spring 2004

Led Dr. Fran Winfrey, president of the Center for Educational Enterprises, Inc., The Youth Leadership Exchange Program was a month-long reciprocal exchange involving teachers and students from Armenia, Azerbaijan and the U.S. This program aimed to build strong communities by fostering civic leadership and participation. The first phase took place February 9 - March 9, 2004 when the Eurasian participants were hosted by two high schools in Florida. The goal of this project was to design a civic education survey instrument and gather data on each other’s communities. The survey results were incorporated into an informational booklet about the operation of each other’s government. While in Florida, students and teachers participated in two seminars focusing on the idea of developing mutual understanding among nations. The second phase of program was held in March/April 2004. US participants traveled to Armenia and Azerbaijan where students finalized work on informational booklets. Students engaged in a cultural program visiting local and historical sites in each hosting country. Concluding the exchange, students and teachers communicated with their US counterparts creating joint projects that later served as learning resources for others.

Technology Curriculum Development Project - Spring 2003

Four Armenian educators spent a month at Kent State University to research technology curriculum and integration methodologies. Armenian educators experienced state-of-the-art technology made available to students and teachers as their classroom became an observation unit of study. They also attended local schools and learned about the uses and influences of technology in K-12 education. Armenian educators not only learned how to effectively incorporate technology into their curriculum, but saw the impact it had in the classroom. Through observational research, and close collaboration with KSU faculty, participants drafted and prepared curricular materials and developed a teacher’s manual on the Methodology for Technology Integration. These resources have been shared and distributed among educators in Armenia.

Armenian Civics Exchange - Autumn 2003

Twelve Armenian high school teachers participated in the Armenian Civics Exchange (ACE) held in Vermont. The participants attended a five-day workshop, facilitated by IEARN (International Education and Resource Network), where they were taught various methods of incorporating technology into their existing civics curriculum and explored how online resources enhance classroom activities and professional development. Workshop topics included: Project-based Learning, Introduction to Service Learning, Civic Education and Information Literacy, and Teaching Global Issues, among many others. The goals of the program included development of professional and personal relationships between American and Armenian educators, an enhanced understanding of the role of technology in education, and the creation of online projects utilizing the Armenian Civics Curriculum. The program concluded with a cultural trip to Boston, Massachusetts.

The School Administrator Training Initiative - Spring 2003

The School Administrator Training Initiative (SATI) program provided opportunities for professional and personal interaction between Armenian and American school administrators. The administrators attended workshops that focused on integrating technology into the classroom. During this exchange, participants had the opportunity to develop their leadership skills and technological competency and to foster the integration of technology into their communities. Site visits included St. Michael’s College – Vermont’s Department of Education, Chittenden South Supervisory Union, and Middlebury Center for Educational Technology. They also participated in a leadership retreat held at CoachWorks Farms in Craftsbury where they learned how to apply their knowledge gained during the program, and prepared a technology manual to be used by other Armenian school administrators. Participants returned to Armenia prepared to support the introduction of technology into the school administration. For more information please visit http://www.projectharmony.org/ac2k/sati/.