On October 24th, Armenia's Promise Forum took place at the UCLA Meyer and Renee Luskin Conference Center in Los Angeles, California! Hosted by Teach For Armenia, the UCLA School of Education and Information Studies, and the Promise Armenian Institute, the day-long conference explored the question, "How can we prepare students in Armenia and Artsakh to shape the nation's future?"
The conference gathered stakeholders in education to crystallize a promise to students — delivering on an education that prepares them to tackle local and global challenges. Participants include the TUMO Center for Creative Technologies, Children of Armenia Fund (COAF), Hidden Road Initiative, UWC Dilijan, Armenian Educational Foundation, AGBU Armenian Virtual College, Teach For All, Yerevan State University, the Armenian Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports. During the forum, our most important stakeholders — students and teachers from Armenia and Artsakh — shared their experiences living, studying, and working in rural communities at what is a very difficult time for Armenia and Artsakh. Currently, our school communities are facing challenges posed by educational inequity and war along the border with Azerbaijan.
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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. They have continuously stood by us as we build a movement for educational equity.
Larisa Hovannisian
Founder and CEO of Teach For Armenia
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. I'd also like to emphasize the importance of project-based learning, which is becoming mandatory. Through project-based learning, we will motivate students to not only learn about specific problems — doing research and presenting the results — but also to analyze the issues in their communities, propose solutions, and to do this through teamwork.
Zhanna Andreasyan
Minister 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. And finally, I understand the function of leadership as producing more leaders and not more followers.
Lucha Papikyan
Teach For Armenia student and member
of the Teach For All Student Leader Advisory Council
When I shared my dream about school transformation with my colleagues, students, their parents, it became our collective vision. And now, thanks to collaborative learning, we are all focusing our efforts on making this vision a reality — step by step. One day, we are going to look back and see tremendous progress.
Ani Khachatryan
Teach For Armenia Instructional-Leader
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. I am just sure that Teach For Armenia is going to produce not one, but several whole communities in collaboration with everyone else. Thanks to the collective energy represented by this forum, and way beyond this room, I am looking forward to the journey ahead, learning with you and alongside you, and inspiring the whole world to follow in your footsteps.
Wendy Kopp
Founder and CEO of Teach For All
Our promise is to make sure that we fan out across the nation and to create thousands of bright spots where we are demonstrating that you can achieve change in rural Armenia through education.
Ruiz Clark
Deputy CEO of Teach For Armenia
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Through Armenia's Promise Forum, we have learned that it is only through collective leadership that our students can shape a better future for Armenia, Artsakh, and us all. 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. Donate to Teach For Armenia today:
