Students Take the Lead: A Collaborative Journey with WorldView

The Visual Armenia team held a heartwarming and inspiring meeting with students actively using the WorldView platform on December 16. This first online gathering brought together approximately 80 students from various schools across Armenia’s regions and Yerevan. The meeting was initiated by the students themselves—5th to 12th graders who regularly write to the Foundation, requesting opportunities to meet and collaborate directly.

Although virtual, the two-hour meeting unfolded in a warm and engaging atmosphere. Students had the chance to pose questions to the Foundation’s team, including Hovhannes Ghazaryan, the Founder of the innovative educational platform WorldView. They also shared their ideas for expanding the program and further developing the platform. The Foundation’s team, in turn, heard firsthand how students discovered WorldView, the ways it has impacted their lives, and their vision for future collaboration.

With genuine enthusiasm, students shared their personal experiences. Haykaz Bejanyan from Sevkar Secondary School remarked, “WorldView was a revelation for me. At first, I thought it was a foreign website translated into Armenian. When I found out it was an Armenian creation, I was genuinely happy. Winning the smart board was a major achievement for us because it was the first in our school. Before, I’d only seen such boards on phones, but now I can use them to explore tools and maps through the platform. For example, I used to only read about the conquests of kings, but now I can visualize and interact with them.”

Gayane Tadevosyan, a student at Misak Metsarents Basic School No. 146, added, “I had high expectations from the start. The name ‘WorldView’ suggested that we could explore and see the world through maps.” Eric Badalyan from M. Khostoyan School No. 2 in Sarukhan, Gegharkunik, noted, “Thanks to the platform, even doing homework has become exciting.”

Inspired by WorldView, students presented their ideas for future activities. These included another seminar to further master the platform’s tools, awareness campaigns for younger students in their schools, outreach initiatives for students and teachers in other schools, social media challenges, and inter-school events. Harut, an 11th grader at the Ghevond Alishan School, mentioned that his group had already created a series of videos showcasing their favorite tools on the platform. He emphasized that further presentations by the Foundation would help them continue this initiative.

The students’ goal was clear: to fully master the platform so they could conduct workshops in community schools and become agents of positive change within their communities. One student even shared her “dream” of introducing the WorldView platform to students from other countries.

Many were curious about the platform’s origins. Mr. Ghazaryan explained that the idea for WorldView emerged in the fall of 2020 while helping his sixth-grade daughter, Nare, with her history lessons. He spent considerable time explaining textbook content and enriching it with maps and visuals. “To present the material in a vivid and comprehensive way, I assumed the role of a teacher, combining traditional and modern technologies—using the internet, encyclopedias, textbooks, and maps,” he elaborated. “This inspired the idea of creating an innovative platform that integrates lesson content, visualization technologies, and interactive tools. Additionally, the post-war period following the Artsakh conflict led to deep reflections, ultimately directing me toward education in its broadest sense. Thus, in this unique environment, the idea of creating an innovative educational technology was born, the Visual Armenia Foundation was established, followed by the development of WorldView.”

When Sophie Kirakosyan from V. Arakelyan Secondary School in Aramus asked about the challenges encountered during the platform’s development, Mr. Ghazaryan replied, “Challenges are inevitable, especially when creating something new. But my team and I don’t fear challenges; we find ways to address them.”

The meeting concluded with a mutual agreement to establish a student working group. Under the mentorship of the Foundation’s trainer, Naira Yerkanian, this group will continue the dialogue, refine ideas, and develop programs that amplify students’ voices, enabling them to contribute actively to the growth and dissemination of WorldView.