A Pathway to Transforming Armenian Classrooms: 175 More Schools Empowered

On December 20, the Visual Armenia Development Foundation held the closing ceremony and certificate award event for the “Smart Boards for WorldView Schools 2025” competition program. Around 1,500 beneficiaries and partners of the Program came together in a festive atmosphere to conclude one of the Foundation’s flagship initiatives and celebrate a shared achievement. Over the years, the Program has evolved into a movement – one that is steadily transforming Armenian classrooms into educational environments aligned with the demands of the 21st century.

From early morning, the heroes of the day – hundreds of students accompanied by their teachers and school principals – arrived in the capital from all the regions of Armenia. The city warmly welcomed its guests with a ceremonial opening marked by the Erebuni-Yerevan performance by the choir of the Vocal and Choral School. In addition to representatives of the 175 winning schools, the event brought together distinguished guests, prominent figures from culture and civil society, representatives of educational institutions, benefactors, partners, volunteers, and members of the Foundation’s ever-growing community.

Opening the ceremony, the Executive Director of the Visual Armenia Development Foundation and Founder of the WorldView educational platform, Hovhannes Ghazaryan, noted:

“For the third consecutive year, we are implementing this competition, increasing the number of participating schools year by year. Today, the Program reaches 322 schools – approximately 25% of Armenia’s public schools.”

Expressing gratitude to all supporters of the initiative – particularly the Foundation’s strategic partner and the main donor, the Manoogian Simone Foundation, as well as the H. Hovnanian Family Foundation and Ameriabank – Mr. Ghazaryan emphasized that the competition represents far more than the provision of smart boards:

“Since the launch of the WorldView program, we have come to understand a simple truth: no educational innovation, even a reform can succeed unless teachers are prepared and willing to bring it to life. At the heart of every thriving education system stand teachers, who within school walls shape individuals and unlock generational potential. Our teachers and students earn this recognition through their work, because our generations should believe that achieving results through one’s own effort is the most reliable path to real success.”

He also reflected on achievements across the Foundation’s three strategic directions and outlined priorities for 2026, underscoring the importance of teacher empowerment, access to high-quality educational resources, and the school’s role as a cornerstone of the state.

The Foundation’s strategic partner and main donor, Christine Simone, President of the Manoogian Simone Foundation, who traveled from the United States to Armenia for this specific day, noted in her address: “Today is a celebration – not only of achievement, but of curiosity, teamwork, and the incredible potential of Armenia’s youth.”

Addressing students, teachers, and the Visual Armenia team, Ms. Simone highlighted the significance of each contribution made within the framework of the competition: “As I reflected on what this competition represents, I was reminded of a line by the great Armenian poet Yeghishe Charents, who said: “Read, and you will discover worlds.” Charents spoke of books, but today his message extends further: smart boards and the interactive access to content they provide are not only a reward for your achievements—they are tools that will open doors for you to discover new worlds… My hope is that, years from now, when people speak about leaders, artists, scientists, and innovators who shaped society, some of those stories will be about you in this room. You have changed your school forever.

Turning to educators, she added: “Teaching is not merely a job – it is an act of nation building. Today, we honor you as the heart of this country’s future and thank you for your hard work, your energy, your guidance, and your belief in your students.”

Subsequently, partners who joined the Program in 2025 extended their congratulations to the winning schools. Korioun Khatchadourian, Executive Director of the H. Hovnanian Family Foundation, stated:

“Education has always been one of the H. Hovnanian Family Foundation’s core priorities. We recognize that meaningful and lasting change is possible only through education and that this is a long journey. What drew us to this Visual Armenia initiative was its focus on the most vulnerable subjects, its long-term, systemic, and partnership-driven collaboration with schools, its encouragement of creativity, its rich content, inclusive and cooperative approach, broad geographic reach, and sustained attention to the regions. This is our dream program. It is an honor and a blessing for us to work with an organization like Visual Armenia.”

Elmira Adamyan, Head of Public Relations and Corporate Social Responsibility at Ameriabank, noted:

“As a financial-technology institution, Ameriabank values the innovative approach that the Visual Armenia Development Foundation brings to the educational process. We are pleased to join this initiative and are confident that through continuous development and modernization of education, we can help shape a creative, non-standard thinking generation ready to face global challenges and drive change.”

The event also featured a moving testimonial from Nina Ghuloyan, Principal of Gavar High School and a winner of the SBWS 2023 competition, who presented “The Story of One Smart Board”-a powerful account of how a single acquisition sparked comprehensive school transformation:
“Our story began with one smart board, which became the starting point for broader renewal. First, we renovated one classroom to properly install our award. Then our alumni learned about the initiative and took it upon themselves to renovate other parts of the school. Today, we no longer have an unrenovated classroom. Visual Armenia and its programs are about transformation and believing in one’s own strength. Let no one say that Armenia lacks resources – our greatest resource is our people, our children. Thank you for making both me and my school part of this big family.”

The ceremony was further enriched by the screening of a documentary film titled “The Smart Board: A Pathway to Transforming Armenian Classrooms”, featuring the real heroes, the real work, anticipation, and the strength drawn from this achievement.

The closing remarks were delivered by Arevik Avetisyan, Head of the WorldView Program, who reflected on the deeper impact of SBWS 2025:

“When we launched this program in 2023, we faced numerous challenges that we addressed collectively and decisively. Yet there was one uncertainty we could not anticipate – widespread skepticism toward competition-based programs. By the end of the competition, however, trust had been restored. Even schools that did not win believed they would succeed one day. Today, 24 of the 175 winning schools achieved success on their second or third attempt.

I find it important to emphasize the depth and scale of this year’s work. This was an unprecedented interregional and even international initiative, where people’s stories of struggle, achievement, setback, and resilience intersected. SBWS 2025 competition truly became an educational movement.”

The event concluded with the formal certificate award ceremony, pre-holiday choral performances, and a spirit of shared pride and optimism.