Mid-Term Summary of the Empowering Journey of 33 Scholarship Recipients in the Mentorship Program

“I have a method for every lesson, and I no longer have failed lessons,” notes Karine Kochoyan, one of the program mentees.

The Visual Armenia Foundation office is often abuzz on Saturdays with training sessions, various events, and working meetings taking place.

This Saturday 33 scholarship recipients participating in the “Worldview Mentorship Scholarship 2024″ program traveled from various regions of Armenia to meet with us to discuss and summarize their journey with the program.

Launched in June of this year, the ‘WorldView Mentorship Scholarship 2024’ program offers a comprehensive six-month curriculum that teaches 21st-century learning approaches, including the five-step lesson planning process, project-based and differentiated learning, research and collaborative activities, and the application of representative models for final presentations. These concepts are delivered through weekly classes, homework assignments, resource creation, workshops, and assessments.”

Hovhannes Ghazaryan, Executive Director of the Visual Armenia Development Foundation welcomed the participants and encouraged them to speak freely and openly about the progress of the scholarship program, its strengths, and weaknesses. “The purpose of our meeting today is to assess the program’s progress, to discuss emerging needs, to identify the immediate outcomes of the program, and to articulate long-term expectations.” noted Hovhannes Ghazaryan in his welcoming remarks.

The mentees discussed the benefits they each gained from the WorldView mentorship scholarship program.

“First, this meeting was something we greatly anticipated. We’ve been working remotely for months, and today, I made an early trip from Syunik to the capital to engage face-to-face and share what I’ve learned. The program transcends distance and age,” said mentee Mary Martirosyan. Parik Naghdalyan from Ararat added, “Every Thursday, you learn something you can immediately apply. I conducted a study by organizing classes both with and without WorldView, and the results are remarkable. Even students with the weakest abilities fully understand the lesson with WorldView. My classes have become student-centered; instead of constantly talking, I’m facilitating while my students actively participate and shape the lesson.”

Karine Kochoyan from Shirak highlighted, “In the midst of numerous training programs, I found this unique one where I learned how to manage time effectively, organize interdisciplinary lessons, set lesson goals, create thematic plans, and master the standards. I now have a method for every lesson, with no more failed classes. I’ve learned to create meaningful summary assignments and carry out project-based learning.” Hovhannes Harutyunyan from Tavush compared the benefits, saying, “The platform and scholarship program are gifts for teachers, much like the Nile was for Egypt.” Olya Tosunyan from Ararat shared, “The program is thoughtfully designed, and we can feel its impact firsthand. WorldView made me reconsider leaving the teaching profession and the school.”

Arpine Karapetyan from Kotayk noted, “We’ve finally understood and contextualized intersecting concepts and problem definitions, which are now less daunting for me.” Anna Manukyan from Shirak confirmed, “The previously challenging topic of Intersecting Concepts has finally become clear, and we’ve learned how and how many of the eight competencies can be used in a single lesson.”

“Recently, we faced professional stagnation, but now our students leave each lesson excited and motivated, thanks to the platform’s diverse tools, interactive map, and rich Armenian content, along with the five-step lesson planning taught in the mentorship program and the OPCVL (Origin, Purpose, Content, Value, Limitations) and IARI (Innovation, application, Remember,Influence) methods promoting the development of thinking,” the mentees collectively shared their conclusions, celebrating personal achievements and expressing their desire for more frequent in-person meetings to build the friendships they’ve developed.

“We are diligently pursuing the objectives outlined in the Scholarship Program’s framework. I am very pleased with the healthy competition, great motivation, and an insatiable desire to learn I have seen in this team,” emphasized Seda Kocharyan, the program’s methodological consultant and instructor, who attended the event online from Germany. “Thanks to the Worldview educational platform,” she continued, “we are learning and applying numerous ICT tools—not only to organize teaching resources but also to make the teaching and learning process easier and more effective. We are familiarizing ourselves with modern pedagogical approaches, the teachers are developing their collaborative skills as they create educational materials through joint discussions and practical tasks that are utilized in their teaching. They are also honing their leadership abilities by sharing their experiences and competencies with their communities and guiding educational developments with innovative approaches and solutions towards Worldview.”

The mentors shared what the Worldview Mentorship Scholarship Program means to each of them.

It is worth noting that this year, 129 educators working in various regions of Armenia and Yerevan applied for the Foundation’s scholarship program, motivated by a clear determination to acquire new skills and competencies, explore innovative teaching methods, and educate a competitive generation. After successfully navigating a two-stage selection process and addressing the challenges set before them, it was this group of 33 teachers who moved into the six month comprehensive educational phase, where they are currently progressing through the program.”