A Day of Collective Vision at UCLA
On October 24th, Armenia's Promise Forum brought together education leaders, policymakers, and practitioners at the UCLA Meyer and Renee Luskin Conference Center in Los Angeles. Co-hosted by Teach For Armenia, the UCLA School of Education and Information Studies, and the Promise Armenian Institute, this day-long conference tackled a defining question: How can we prepare students in Armenia and Artsakh to shape the nation's future?
The forum crystallized a shared promise to students: delivering an education that equips them to tackle both local and global challenges. Students and teachers from Armenia and Artsakh shared firsthand experiences of studying and working in rural communities during one of the most difficult periods in the region's modern history.
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Partner Organizations
Leading institutions collaborating for educational equity
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Day-Long Forum
Intensive sessions at UCLA Luskin Conference Center
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Co-Hosting Institutions
Teach For Armenia, UCLA, and Promise Armenian Institute
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Featured Speakers
Education leaders from Armenia and the global network
Voices from the Forum
The forum featured powerful voices from across Armenia's education landscape. From the founder of Teach For Armenia to the nation's Minister of Education, participants shared perspectives on transforming education for a new generation.
“I am here to tell you that education is one of the most important things that you need to continue supporting, especially today, as Armenia goes through these challenging times. The reason why Teach For Armenia is able to work across these regions, reach so many students, and create response efforts when times are difficult, whether it’s war or a pandemic, and now war again, is because of our generous supporters who believe in this mission.
Larisa Hovannisian
“We have moved from knowledge-based educational standards and curriculum to a competency-based approach. This shift stresses the importance of providing not only knowledge, but also skills, values, and attitudes that will make school graduates active citizens of our nation.
Zhanna AndreasyanMinister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of Armenia
“I’ve learned that leadership is not about controlling people. Instead, it’s about what you represent: your ideas, your worldview, and how you want to contribute to other people’s lives. It’s about how you take charge and the responsibility to make your vision come true.
Lucha PapikyanTFA Teacher Leader and Student Panelist
Forum Participants and Partners
TUMO Center for Creative Technologies
Children of Armenia Fund (COAF)
UWC Dilijan
Teach For All
Armenian Educational Foundation & AGBU Armenian Virtual College
Yerevan State University & Armenian Ministry of Education
Key Themes of the Forum
- Educational EquityAddressing disparities between urban and rural schools across Armenia and Artsakh
- Competency-Based LearningShifting from knowledge-based to competency-based education standards and curriculum
- Student LeadershipEmpowering students to analyze community issues, propose solutions, and lead through teamwork
- Collective ActionUniting organizations, educators, and policymakers around a shared promise to Armenia's students
“At Teach For All, we asked ourselves, 25 years from now what do we want to accomplish together? We came together around a vision where we would have whole communities showing what is possible in every part of the world, showing that all kids can have the education, support, and opportunities to shape a better future for themselves and all of us.
Wendy Kopp
A Promise to Every Student
Through Armenia's Promise Forum, participants reaffirmed that it is only through collective leadership that students can shape a better future for Armenia, Artsakh, and the world. The forum demonstrated that when educators, policymakers, and community leaders come together with a shared vision, transformative change becomes possible.
As Ani Khachatryan, a TFA Teacher Leader, shared: when individual dreams become collective visions, entire communities begin moving toward transformation: step by step. And as Ruiz Clark affirmed, the promise is to fan out across the nation and create thousands of bright spots, demonstrating that meaningful change in rural Armenia is possible through education.
Join the Movement
Join us in making a promise to the students of Armenia and Artsakh; that we will deliver on an education that prepares them to lead in a rapidly changing world.