Come late June, 10th, 11th, and 12th grade students at three high schools located in Hrazdan, Armenia, will be learning to express themselves better in English. Thanks to the help of a few Armenian American volunteers, awarded the financial support of a Birthright Armenia “Next Step” Alumni Fund grant, 180-200 students will have the opportunity to enhance their English-language skills.
Behind the highly anticipated “Betterment of English in Schools of Armenia” (BESA) project is Shoghik Chilingaryan, a former Birthright Armenia participant, who did her volunteer service in Armenia during the winter of 2009. Her partner in project implementation will be fellow Californian Nare Avagyan. Together, the two young women plan to offer three different levels of English-language training as part of the summer curriculum: beginner, intermediate, and advanced, all dependent upon the Hrazdan students’ placement test scores.
These language classes are being offered just in time to get students better prepared for their university entrance exams. Those students not continuing their education will also benefit by acquiring the language skills necessary for advancement in the career world, as solid English skills are most often required by prospective employers in Armenia. “The reason we decided to teach English as the core of our project is because it is one of the simplest, yet most valuable tools we feel we can offer the youth in Armenia today,” says Chilingaryan.
To foster continued engagement and initiatives by their alumni, the Birthright Armenia “Next Step” Alumni Fund was created in 2005. It awards project grants of up to $2,500 on a competitive basis, and the Alumni Committee itself is the reviewing body of each proposal, then making its funding recommendation to the Board. To date, 10 “Next Step” grants have been awarded, which ultimately leveraged over $60,000 of additional funds and in-kind donations to Armenia. The BESA project in Hrazdan will be the 11th “Next Step” grant awarded to an alumnus.
Explaining what it was that led to the application for a “Next Step” grant, specifically for English-language training in Hrazdan, Chilingaryan says, “I know that it is after my experience as a Birthright Armenia participant that I have developed the courage and motivation to take on this project. Volunteering in Armenia once has allowed me to visualize the possibilities I have of becoming involved in the everyday life of Armenia, and it has supported me to make a big breakthrough by shifting my vision of being part of the change into a reality. I would like to take a moment to thank Birthright Armenia for trusting and discovering value in this project and giving their complete support and guidance.”
For more information, or to make an online donation, visit www.birthrightarmenia.org.
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