The Paros Foundation underwrites all administrative and overhead costs allowing 100% of all donor contributions to godirectly towards projects and supported organizations.
Donations to The Paros Foundation Projects for Prosperity are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. To sponsor a project through The Paros Foundation, a 501 (c) 3 organization (Tax ID 20-5094630), or learn more about specific projects in need of funding, please contact us using the information below.
The Ghoghanj Children’s Center located in the Kentron of Yerevan provides afterschool and summer school programs for approximately 60 children every month. Children who attend the Center are loosely defined as “at risk.” These children typically come from very poor households, often times with a single head of household, who cannot pay for such assistance. The goal of the Ghoghanj Children’s Center is to provide the necessary academic, psychological and social support to ensure that the children attending mature to well adjusted, successful, young adults.
In order to further impact more “at-risk” children, the Center has identified a need for this model to be replicated and offered to other communities in Armenia. Through the generous support of the Dadourian Foundation, a second center for “at-risk” children was opened in 2014 in the Nor Nork neighborhood of Yerevan to provide support to 85 additional children annually. The new center has provided students the same core classes daily (English, Russian, Computer, Design, Painting, Theater and Dance) as the Ghoghanj Children’s Center – Kentron. The goal of this project is to broaden the services offered to socially vulnerable children and families in other communities and provide them with the proper support and guidance needed to excel in school and become self-confident and respectful young adults.
Amount will include rent, utilities, teacher salaries, maintenance and additional improvements, and supplies.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lI1AwdYMja8
Region
Yerevan / Երևան
City / Village
Nor Nork / Նոր Նորք
Start Date
September 2020
End Date
August 2021
The Need
Children living in the community of Nor Nork in Yerevan are in need of additional guidance through social, psychological and academic support. A second center for these kids has been opened and needs financial support in order to cover operational costs for the following school year 2020-2021.
Short Term Impact
In the short term, sponsorship of this project will help continue to employ teachers, and provide 85 children in the Nor Nork neighborhood of Yerevan with their needed tutoring and guidance.
Long Term Impact
In the long term, this project has the potential of impacting the lives of 85-100 at-risk students by helping them gain the guidance and support they need in order to create greater future opportunities, and become successful individuals and good citizens.
Sponsors Benefits
Your donation to fund the operational costs for the 2020-2021 school year for Ghoghanj-Nor Nork will be recognized with a plaque at the Center and on the Center’s website and in their printed materials. Your name will also be listed as a sponsor on The Paros Foundation website and in appropriate press related to this important project. The Paros Foundation will happily arrange a visit to the center when you are in Armenia.
School #154 serves more than 750 children in Yerevan. The school’s auditorium is in poor condition with insufficient heating, leaky windows and worn flooring. The stage also needs reinforcement and to be resurfaced. Finally, new stacking chairs will greatly benefit the auditorium and facilitate its multi-purpose use.
Previously, through the continued sponsorship of Developmental Services for Armenia (DSA), six bathrooms at the school were renovated.
The auditorium at School #154 is in a state of disrepair and needs to be renovated to provide the children a clean, safe and appropriate space to deepen their education.
Short Term Impact
In short term, the auditorium will be renovated utilizing a local crew and materials. This will provide some economic benefits. Once renovated, the auditorium will provide the 750 + students at School #154 a clean, comfortable and safe environment in which to practice and perform.
Long Term Impact
In the longer term, thousands of children will benefit from using the school’s auditorium.
Sponsors Benefits
Sponsors will be listed on The Paros Foundation website and on a plaque in the auditorium at School #154.
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June 20, 2019
September 3, 2019
October 26, 2019
February 15, 2021
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June 20, 2019
The auditorium is taking shape as our crew completed installation of the new flooring.
September 3, 2019
New chairs for the auditorium complete the space and the project.
October 26, 2019
The Dunaians Family and friends visit School #154 for the rededication of the school in the name of George Dunaians.
October 30, 2019
The Dunaians Family has also agreed to sponsor the renovation of the flooring in the locker rooms at the school.
August 18, 2020
In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, DSA is supporting upgrades to the school including hand washing & sanitizing stations, masks, covered trash bins and other health and safety supplies.
February 15, 2021
Renovation work has started back up again at School #154. The Dunaians Family has funded the renovation of the roof above the school’s excercise room.
The Paros Foundation launched the Debi Arach Children’s Center in Gyumri, Armenia on April 15, 2015 with the help of generous donors. The center, which provides 170 children each week the necessary academic, psychological, social and humanitarian support, has since been a source of positivity in this city. The residents of Gyumri, Armenia’s second largest city have endured very devastating realities since the tragic 1988 Spitak Earthquake. More than 100,000 residents were left homeless, and plagued with unemployment and rampant poverty for years to come. In turn, the fate of children in Gyumri has also been affected. Dealing with the difficulty of finding means to feed and care for their families, many parents are unable to provide their children with the proper guidance, supervision, educational aid and the financial resources for them to excel in school and have successful futures. The Debi Arach Children’s Center, which in Armenian means “moving forward,” helps these socially vulnerable children through a holistic approach providing them with both humanitarian and educational support. The center provides counseling and group therapy with a psychologist on staff, homework help and tutoring for almost every subject the children learn in school including English, Math, Art/Design, and Computer classes. Additionally, they are served a nutritious meal everyday, helping them receive the calories and/or nutrients they would otherwise not have. Furthermore, the Center addresses a very important hygienic need by providing the children in attendance with supervised bathing facilities. The goal is to help hundreds of children develop a vision for a successful future, and to give them the skills they need to reach these goals. This project is impacting the lives of hundreds of socially vulnerable children by helping them gain the guidance and support they need in order to create greater future opportunities, and become successful individuals and good citizens.
Region
Shirak / Շիրակ
Vity / Village
Gyumri / Գյումրի
Start Date
April 2020
End Date
March 2021
To date, the center has already had several important successes. At least nine children have been taken out of boarding schools, attend our center and now live back at home with their families. Many of the children who were receiving poor grades in school are now achieving top scores. The children have become socially well adjusted and much more healthier than before with the continued consumption of multi-vitamins and a daily well-balanced meal. Staff trainings have begun with an academic counsel of professionals from the United States and Armenia to ensure that the children are receiving the best care, treatment and methods for their development.
The center is working on funding year five and raising additional funds in order to develop and add to the programs and classes offered with the ability to hire more educators, and get more supplies, and equipment. Funds will also be used to supplement daily activities, hold forums for guest speakers and provide educational and career planning opportunities. $80,000 is needed to cover operating costs for the Center. In January of 2017, Debi Arach successfully launched its first program within its Vocational Training Center, teaching children computer programming, 3d printing and robotics curriculum. The goal of this newest component is to provide these children with marketable job skills in order to help them work themselves out of poverty. In 2019, with the long term commitment by Dr. & Mrs. Gary and Linda Assarian (MI) the vocational training program was renamed the Assarian Vocational Training Program.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idA8y2UEDp8
The Need
Thousands of children in Gyumri are living in extreme poverty, with no hope for a decent future. These socially vulnerable children are in need of a safe and enriching environment where they can receive additional guidance through social, psychological and academic support giving them a chance to break their cycle of poverty. The children’s center will continue to provide these children with the opportunity to attend afterschool and summer school programs providing them with the additional skills necessary for a successful future. Additionally, these children suffer from malnutrition and related illnesses due to a lack of well-balanced meals. The center will continue to provide each child with a nutritious meal everyday, helping them receive the calories and/or nutrients they need. Furthermore, many families were forced to take refuge in overseas shipping containers (domiks), or in condemned buildings after the devastating 1988 Spitak Earthquake or due to their poor socioeconomic status. An entire generation of children has grown up in deplorable conditions, often times with no running water and little or no heat to take showers. The Center will address this very important hygienic need by continuing to provide the children in attendance with supervised new bathing facilities.
Short Term Impact
The short-term 170 children will receive immediate support and guidance to help them succeed for the second year. The Center will continue offer nutritious meals, bathing facilities, counseling opportunities, homework aid and tutoring and core classes including English, Computer, Art/Design, and Math.
Long Term Impact
In the long term, with the success of the Center’s current offerings, additional classes and programs will be added and attendance will rise. The number of children growing up in poverty in the future will decrease as the number of children successfully graduating from our program and continuing onto college or successful vocations increases. The number of “social orphans” and children temporarily residing in boarding schools in Gyumri will be reduced as parents become increasingly able to keep their children at home given the humanitarian support they receive at the center. Through ongoing employment opportunities created, several families will continue to receive a fair wage, hence improving Gyumri’s economy
Sponsors Benefits
In the long term, with the success of the Center’s current offerings, additional classes and programs will be added and attendance will rise. The number of children growing up in poverty in the future will decrease as the number of children successfully graduating from our program and continuing onto college or successful vocations increases. The number of “social orphans” and children temporarily residing in boarding schools in Gyumri will be reduced as parents become increasingly able to keep their children at home given the humanitarian support they receive at the center. Through ongoing employment opportunities created, several families will continue to receive a fair wage, hence improving Gyumri’s economy.
The Debi Arach Children’s Center and as well as the Assarian Vocational Training Program temporarily closed last month due to Covid-19 following the order of the Prime Minister and until further notice. We are dedicated to providing consistent meals, psychological support, and structured in-home learning to the youth. Although the facility is currently closed, we are working hard to ensure the physical and emotional well-being of all students and staff. We have also committed to continue paying our staff during the closure. We are working closely with our on-staff psychologist, who is checking in with the kids each week to help them navigate their lives during this challenging time. We want to make sure the students still receive consistent, adequate nutrition so we are providing food packages for all families of Debi Arach with guidelines on safety protocols for receiving and cleaning the items.
August 17, 2020
The Debi Arach Children’s Center successfully and safely re-opened its doors to eager students. Several changes and new policies have been set in place for the safety of the kids and staff. Along with the emphasis on safety, the staff has been working hard to prepare students for the start of school scheduled for September 15, 2020. The goal is to expand the center’s programming to continue to be able to serve all of our center’s children in a safe and responsible manner including changing the manner in which meals are served and constructing temporary outdoor classrooms by taking advantage of the warm weather. Furthermore, Debi Arach will be holding both morning and afternoon sessions to accommodate children who will now be attending schools in split sessions to promote social distancing in schools.
Նորք (Nork) is a neighborhood in the Armenian capital Yerevan. It is located in the Nork-Marash District. The school currently has 1,010 students enrolled from grades 1-12. The school has 2 buildings in its original condition since being built in 1981.
The Knights of Vartan since 1993 has supported the #106 school in Yerevan which since 1995 officially was known as the Knights of Vartan #106 Public School. It is one of the many schools the Knights of Vartan has supported via its partnership with the World Bank Armenian Social Investment Fund and the ATDF.
Through years some support such as renovating the roofing, installing new heating system, supporting teachers and Christmas gifts for pupils were implemented. In 2019, a complete renovation of the gym, locker rooms and adjacent bathrooms took place.
The school’s hallways are in need of new electrical and windows, and the school’s auditorium needs a complete renovation.
The Knights of Vartan School 106 serves more than 1,000 children. Broken and leaking windows and insufficient and dangerous lighting in the hallways need to be replaced. The school’s auditorium that is used constantly for gatherings, rehearsals, etc. needs a full cosmetic renovation to better serve the students.
Short Term Impact
In the short term, a local crew will be hired to replace the windows and hallway electrical and lighting, thus creating a safer and more comfortable environment for the school. In addition, the improvements to the school’s auditorium will create a more functional, cheerful space for the many groups utilizing this space on a weekly basis.
Long Term Impact
In the longer term, keeping the school’s infrastructure and investing in the education of the scores of children that will attend this school in the years to come will dramatically benefit the community including the teachers, children and other staff. A sense of community, unity with the Diaspora and pride in one’s surroundings will be instilled and reinforced.
Sponsors Benefits
All sponsors will be recognized on The Paros Foundation website, in appropriate press released to this project, and on a plaque installed at Knights of Vartan School 106.
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April 16, 2020
Work began at the School today to make improvements on the hallway lighting and replacement of all the hallway windows. Once this work is completed, the crew will begin the renovation of the school’s auditorium.
Dental hygiene is commonly overlooked in poverty-stricken regions around the world, including Armenia, for the obvious fact that the population has more pressing concerns such as securing everyday necessities like food, shelter and clothing. In the light of all these hardships, brushing one’s teeth for two minutes, twice a day seems trivial and indeed insignificant.
The Healthy Teeth Project aims to make oral hygiene and health attainable for children living in poverty stricken areas throughout Armenia. Through this project The Paros Foundation, along with supporters and volunteers, hopes to raise awareness about the importance of promoting good dental hygiene in Armenian children. Furthermore, through this effort we hope to prevent more extensive dental problems, which would cause more serious health issues in the future.
The Healthy Teeth project was launched in 2013. Since then over 15,000 items, including toothbrushes, toothpastes, mouthwash and dental floss, have been distributed throughout Armenia and Artsakh.
Joe Chelebian, an Armenian-American from Los Angeles and SERVICE Armenia 2019 participant, will be spearheading this effort for the second year. Joe will launch a charity drive to raise funds and dental hygiene products (including toothpaste, toothbrushes and floss) from his community at St. James Armenian Church in Los Angeles. He hopes to return to Armenia this summer, to help distribute the items throughout Armenia.
Due to more pressing concerns, dental care and hygiene is commonly overlooked in poverty-stricken regions in Armenia. This can cause a lifetime of dental problems and oral disease. Children in these areas are in need of dental supplies in order to be able to practice good oral hygiene and prevent serious dental issues in the future.
Short Term Impact
Children will receive basic dental hygiene instruction in a form they can easily understand, along with the proper instruments to care for their teeth.
Long Term Impact
Children will have the ability to care for their teeth on a regular basis with the dental supplies they will receive, hence decrease the chance of tooth decay and serious oral issues in their future.
Sponsors Benefits
Your donation to sponsor the Healthy Teeth Project will be recognized on The Paros Foundation website and in all appropriate press related to this important project.
The Packs on Backs initiative, was started by the The Heros Humanitarian Foundation (HHF), a former Los Angeles based non-profit organization that supported children in need and their educational advancement. HHF partnered with The Paros Foundation to bring their Packs on Backs initiative to Armenia, and together successfully distributed 380 backpacks and school supplies to children in Gyumri and Vanadzor in the summer of 2015 and 225 backpacks to the children at the Kharpert Children’s Home in the summer of 2016. Since then, the Packs on Backs initiative continues to impact the lives of children in need in Armenia with this essential need.
Our next distribution will be for the kids attending the Debi Arach Children’s Center in Gyumri. Socially vulnerable children attend the center after their school and receive both humanitarian and educational support through a holistic approach. The Paros Foundation established the Debi Arach Children’s Center on April 15, 2015 and has since provided children each week the necessary academic, psychological, social and humanitarian support they need to succeed. Gyumri’s devastating history has left more than 100,000 residents homeless, and plagued with unemployment and rampant poverty. These families often struggle to provide their children with life’s basic necessities; therefore making backpacks and school supplies a distant priority. Children at the center were recipients of backpacks and school supplies during our first distribution in 2015. This distribution will meet the ongoing needs of both current and new children. Our goal is to provide 30 new attendees with new backpacks and school supplies and replenish the school supplies for 180 children who already have backpacks. A donation of $30 will help obtain one backpack filled with supplies for one child. School supplies will be grade appropriate and include a combination of pencils, pens, pencil cases, notebooks, folders, erasers, sharpeners, glue, scissors, rulers, highlighters, and crayons. In-kind donations of the items listed are also welcomed.
It is very difficult for a child to learn and excel in their studies without a proper backpack and essential school supplies. In addition, without the proper supplies these children are less likely to attend school on a regular basis, hence severely hindering their educational growth and minimizing future opportunities.
Short Term Impact
A total of 180 children from Gyumri’s poverty stricken communities attending the Debi Arach Children’s Center will receive either proper backpacks and school supplies or new school supplies to aid in their educational advancement. Local school supplies will be purchased whenever economically feasible in turn boosting the local economy.
Long Term Impact
Your donation to sponsor the Packs on Backs Armenia: Debi Arach project will be recognized on The Paros Foundation website and in appropriate press related to this important project.
Sponsors Benefits
All sponsors of this important project will be listed on The Paros Foundation’s website and in all press related to this project. Visits to these communities can be arranged for sponsors visiting Armenia.
Verin Getashen is a large village located just southwest of Lake Sevan. The village was founded in the early 1800s by migrants from Mush and Alashkert in present day Eastern Turkey. Almost 5,000 people call Verin Getashen their home. More than 300 children attend the school, which is in poor condition. Major needs of the school including replacing the roof, windows and heating system will be addressed as funds become available for this project.
The children in Verin Getashen attend school in very poor conditions. The school is in need of a new roof, new windows and a proper heating system.
Short Term Impact
In the short term, students attending the school will benefit from a safer, more comfortable environment in which to learn. Materials and labor will be purchased locally whenever possible, thus adding to the local economy.
Long Term Impact
In the longer term, once the school improvements have been completed (in phases) the entire community will benefit for years to come with the school providing generations of residents with safe, comfortable and clean surroundings in which to learn.
Sponsors Benefits
All sponsors will be listed on The Paros Foundation website, on a plaque installed at the school and in all appropriate press related to this important project.
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August 15, 2019
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August 15, 2019
Thanks to the generous support of Developmental Services for Armenia and the Dunaians Family, work on the roof at the school has begun.
September 23, 2019
Work on the roof has been completed.
October 29, 2019
The Dunaian Family visited the school today with Paros Project Manager, Gegham Minasyan. During their visit, they viewed the interior of the school to determine the next steps forward.
February 17, 2020
Work on the kitchen, dining hall and storage room began today. This effort is supported in partnership with support from Developmental Services for Armenia and the municipality of Verin Getashen and materials from the World Food Program.
April 2, 2020
With the subfloor installed and drying, the work at the Verin Getashen School has stopped. Work will begin once the stay at home orders are lifted and it is safe to return to work.
May 1, 2020
With the easing of the stay at home orders, work once again began at the Verin Getashen School’s kitchen, cafeteria and storage room.
July 4, 2020
Renovations on the cafeteria are finished! Shortly after sinks, tables, and chairs were added to the cafeteria. Now the students have a brand new area to enjoy their lunches.
August 10, 2022
The Verin Getashen School’s computer room renovations have started and we look forward to providing computers with the new classroom.
December 19, 2022
Computer room renovations are finished! The classroom is now full operational and equipped with computers for students to learn new skills. Thank you to our donors for making this project possible.
GOALS encourages communities to transform societal norms into equitable values. Sport enables them to push for discussions around gender equity in marriage, leadership positions, and opportunities in a way that other mechanisms don’t allow through on-field games, soccer matches, and cross-cultural events.
Our main challenge in 2019 was to create demand for girls’ sports teams in the regions and villages of Armenia. We are proud to say that we have accomplished our mission. But with this accomplishment comes the new challenge of meeting that demand.
For 2020, at GOALS we seek to empower #everygirl in Armenia to find a pathway to an alternate possible future. While we have already impacted over one thousand girls by allowing them to unlock their potential through sports, we still have a long way to go. With your support, we will be able to expand our reach to many more villages in the regions of Armenia, revamp our sport for social impact curriculum and truly live into the movement that we have ignited.
#Everygirl deserves the chance to shine, play, grow. With GOALS our girls develop a voice, one that will carry them through life as the leaders they are born to be.
Your donations will go directly towards the expansion and operations of our Leagues in Tavush and Gegharkunik regions. Costs include uniforms, sports equipment, travel for teams to practices and games, coaches training, coordination and staffing associated with the Leagues.
Throughout Armenia, there are limited opportunities for girls to play soccer. Despite having a strong desire to do so, girls cannot find the resources necessary or sporting groups that make experiencing the game a possibility. In addition, organized sport participation has several benefits to youth development such as leadership skills, teamwork skills, confidence building and improved overall physical health. The GOALS organization helps give young women the chance to play soccer through their GOALS Leagues, Media, Coach and Referee trainings, Camps and After-school Clubs while helping Armenian communities change the broader mindset limiting girls and women in many aspects of their lives and see that girls can and should be future leaders of their country!
Short Term Impact
In the short-term, we will expand the teams in Tavush and Gegharkunik and support the empowerment of these young women.
Long Term Impact
In the long-term, public opinion regarding girls’ participation in soccer is changing, paving for the way for greater sports and leadership opportunities. We see a movement toward more inclusive soccer leagues that start at a young age and continue, also contributing to a competitive National Team for Armenia.
Sponsors Benefits
Sponsors will be listed on The Paros Foundation website, on the GOALs website and in all relevant press of this important project.
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February 17, 2020
Phase 2: Thanks to your generosity we were able to reach our first goal of 25k and fund our efforts in Gegharkunik and Tavush. Keeping in mind the spirit of reaching #everygirl for phase 2 of our efforts we are seeking support for the expansion of Vayots Dzor and Armavir Leagues. Your donations will go directly towards the expansion and operations of our Leagues in Tavush, Gegharkunik, Armavir, and Vayots Dzor. Costs include uniforms, sports equipment, travel for teams to practices and games, coaches training, coordination and staffing associated with the Leagues.
May 15, 2020
With the current State of Emergency in Armenia, all programming has been postponed until further notice. Although we are unable to resume regular programming at this time GOALS is committed to coming up with creative and innovative ways to continue to engage our girls and continue to provide a safe space for growth, learning, and leadership. On behalf of the GOALS team, we want to thank you for your continued support throughout these challenging times.
Nor Luyce aims to provide girls the means to become self-sufficient, healthy, globally aware young women, who have set personal and career goals and who have created an action plan of how to achieve them. Our program was developed to improve self-esteem, self-reliance, and a sense of community and then build on these skills and potential. We believe in empowering teenage girls from orphanages and low-income families to build a community of strong, thoughtful, creative young women who are the future of Armenia.
In order to improve the future and career opportunities for girls from socially disadvantage families and foster cares, we prove a 3-phase, 3-year mentoring program that impacts approximately 60 girls a year. Currently, we are seeking funding for our first phase, which will provide a mentoring to 20 new Nor Luyce beneficiaries, aged 13-14 raising the number from 60 to 80.
Our Mentoring Phase program covers 11 months, during which 20 girls, aged 13-14, from socially vulnerable families and foster care receive mentoring. Each mentor-mentee pair meet approximately 40 times for individual meetings as well as partake in 20 group meetings. During our mentoring phase, we also focus on empowering participants to become active community members through service activities, cultural events, and building leadership through various responsibilities such as presenting information to their peers and other organization members. We also offer tutoring services for any participant who is struggling academically.
In order to decrease the likelihood that girls will be trafficked or married off at a young age, we strive to provide teenagers (13-14 year old) with a positive role model and a strong connection with other girls and prominent community leaders. We focus on career aspirations and how to create the best version of themselves, using the traits, skills, and strengths the participants already have. We also believe, that in order to empower young girls, we need to have a comprehensive approach to their development, as such following the first phase we then focus on skill-building trainings, career development, and offer scholarships for higher education. As of now, we have seventeen girls currently involved in higher education institutions, two more girls have already graduated from colleges and universities and now they work with their profession. On top of these, we have one mentee who graduated from a college which she had to admit because of the inforce of her parents, however, she could find the inner strength to change her profession and pursue the degree that was close to her heart.
Region
Shirak
City / Village
Gyumri
Start Date
September 2019
End Date
August 2020
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The Need
According to a 2010 UNICEF report, Armenia has 50 institutions that provide “residential care services” to children in the nation. Of the 4,902 children in the system, 3,823 live in residential care. These institutions lack the personnel responsible for emotional, personal, and professional development. At institutions specifically designated as “orphanages” the ration is an abysmal 1:20. Under these circumstances, the socio-economic outcomes for adults who grow up in the orphanage system are grim. Children living in orphanages generally experience different behavioral problems, are fearful, feel despair, insecurity, and high anxiety level. The children lack a number of life skills to engage effectively in the social and academic world. Because of lack of adult care, our youth have difficulty in regulating with their behavior and emotions. Situations for the young women are more challenging; they face gender-based discrimination in a male dominated and conservative society.
Short Term Impact
All goals will be met in an ongoing fashion, throughout the ten-month program.
• 20 mentees will partake in at least 30 one-on-one meetings with their mentors
• 20 mentees will take part in at least 10 group meetings focusing on various life skills such as moving from dreams to reality, conflict resolution, stress management, etc.
• All 20 mentor-mentee pairs will complete at least one community service activity
• All the Mentoring Phase mentees (20 girls) will take part in at least 10 overall group meetings focused on creating a global perspective on issues such as different cultures, human rights, government, etc.
• All mentees (80 mentees) will take part in at least one international event such as International Women’s Day, International Human Rights Day, etc.
• 20 Mentors will take part in prementoring and on-going mentoring trainings to provide better services to the mentees.
• 30 mentees will meet a number of well-known and successful people in Armenia who will share the key to their success. As a result of the meetings mentees will experience: – Increase in academic performance by the end of program year
– Increase time management skills
– Creation of a career plan with short and long term goals of each mentee
– All 20 mentees will create a presentation and lead a group discussion
Long Term Impact
In the long-term participants will continue onto Nor Luyce’s other two phases and become a more well-rounded, active, and confident individual.
Sponsors Benefits
Sponsor will be recognized on both the Nor Luyce and The Paros Foundation websites, social media sites and in all appropriate press related to this project. Donors will also be mentioned in the Nor Luyce e-newsletter and be given regular progress reports on the girl’s progress as well as thank you e-mails.
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July 1, 2020
2019-2020 program year was both challenging and exciting. In spite of the pandemic, these 10 months were full of both in-person and online meetings. As a result, 638 individual mentoring meetings, 13 pre-mentoring, and 6 on-going mentoring trainings for the mentors took place conducted by not only Gyumri professionals, but also trainers from Yerevan, San Francisco, Columbia State University, and more. There has also been 10 mentoring group meetings, 27 career planning meetings and 11 program-wide group meetings. Moreover, the mentees had a chance to meet with 10 guest speakers from Gyumri, Yerevan, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Beirut. All the mentees of the Skill-Building Phase could finalize the career plans that will guide them throughout their high school years. This year is also highlighted by our Alumni group taking initiative and organizing a series of group meetings to discuss women who motivate them.
More than 2,700 people live in the isolated border community of Artsvabert. The village is in desperate need of a second kindergarten to accommodate two additional groups of children (60 total), as the current existing kindergarten is full.
Near the primary school in the village, there is an existing building that needs a complete renovation including new roof, windows, doors, kitchen, bathrooms. In addition, work will be completed to the entrance to create a safe and convenient entry to the kindergarten. Once renovated, this building would easily house two additional groups of kindergarten aged children.
Following the complete reconstruction of the new kindergarten, new furniture and kitchen equipment will be installed.
The village of Artsvabert needs an additional kindergarten to facilitate early education for the growing number of children in this larger border community. A building located near one of the village’s two schools needs to be complete reconstructed to serve as the village’s second kindergarten.
Short Term Impact
In the short term, 60 children will begin receiving the benefit of early education. At least 6 more employment positions will be created in the community. In addition, a modest economic benefit will be realized as all materials will be purchased locally.
Long Term Impact
In the long term, the community of Artsvabert will benefit as a whole from having a second kindergarten in the community. In addition, 60 families will directly benefit from the services provided by the kindergarten.
Sponsors Benefits
All sponsors of this important project will be listed on The Paros Foundation’s website, on a plaque installed at the kindergarten, and in all appropriate press. Visits to the Artsvabert Kindergarten can be arranged for sponsors during their visit to Armenia.
Demolition work began today at the building that will be the new kindergarten in the village of Artsvabert.
July 3, 2021
The roof is now complete at the kindergarten in Artsvabert and work on installing the new windows has begun.
October 5, 2021
The construction work on the building to house the new kindergarten is complete. The process for licensing the new building has begun. Soon the facility will be open for students!
