The collaboration between Abovyan Number 2 Basic School and the Visual Armenia Development Foundation over “Worldview” began when the educational program was still in its experimental phase.

The active involvement of the school’s teachers in the foundation’s program quickly yielded tangible results.

The foundation’s main donor and friend, the President of the Manoogian Simone Foundation, philanthropist Christine Simone also visited the school. Emphasizing the promotion of quality education through the integration of innovative technologies in educational processes, the two organizations signed a memorandum of cooperation and with the support of Christine Simone, donated a smart screen to the school to meet its needs. 

Today, about two years after the start of the collaboration, we are reaping the fruits of our joint effective work. Arthur Tashchyan, the principal of Abovyan Number 2 Basic School, notes that the cooperation between the organizations has long surpassed the agreements outlined in the memorandum. There is no field of Visual Armenia’s activities in which the school and the organization do not closely interact.

He emphasizes that the life of the school has visibly changed before and after the arrival of the smart-board. The classroom, where the latest technology has been installed, has become one of the most populated corners of the school. The classroom is occupied for 10-11 hours a day, with around 200 students using the smart-board every day for classes not only in History and Geography but also in all other subjects. Apart from the qualitative changes in the learning process after receiving the smart-board, Tashchyan highlights the additional value that this single acquisition has created.

“Students treat the technology and classroom with great care. This actually signifies a lot; it is exactly what we aim to instill in students—a love for the school, for their small homeland, their larger homeland, and the world. A single smart-board has changed the attitude. Now, that classroom is one of the few where students do not rush to leave after the bell. The latest technology has provided an opportunity to motivate the students, bringing them into the educational dimension, not by convincing or forcing them to learn, but by allowing them to want to do it themselves,” notes Tashchyan.

He emphasizes the foundation’s work ethic of valuing people’s time, resources, organizational approaches, and effective work, noting that they also try to localize these principles in the school.

At the start of the new academic year, the principal encourages teachers to enter the school every day with the question: “What will I change for the better today?”

“I am convinced that teachers can do this. It only requires belief and the correct application of effort. I also wish students to always have their opinions, to be open-minded, courageous, self-aware, to take ownership of their school, their city, their country, and to not remain indifferent,” says Arthur Tashchyan, indicating that they will continue the collaboration with the foundation to help create a student-centered and innovative educational environment for learners and educators alike.