“ When the world was shutting down and turning a blind eye to the horrors of the war , we doubled down our efforts and stayed true to our mission every single day .”
It is often said that hindsight is 20 / 20 . The year of 2020 was a period of reckoning . Looking back , there are a myriad of ways that we could have done things better . We should have had an effective crisis management system in our schools . We should have fortified them with technology and internet connectivity . We should have invested more in education . It was a year of “ should haves ” and “ could haves .”
The past year taught us many difficult lessons . It showed us how woefully unprepared we were as a global community to tackle a pandemic . We realized that technology and access to the internet can no longer be regarded as a luxury ; rather , it must be treated as an essential commodity . Most importantly , we learned that complacency is not an option for us . We must accelerate .
And accelerate we did . Crisis can be a force for innovation . In 2020 , Teach For Armenia launched Káits , Armenia ’ s first Social Innovation Incubator devoted wholly to education . Additionally , the organization launched its Community Impact Fund , through which 24 student-led projects received microgrants to spark change . In the wake of the pandemic , we also overhauled our summer training program , piloting a highly successful Virtual Student Leadership Camp by leveraging online Change- Based Learning . Furthemore , by the end of the year , we secured more than $ 500,000 towards our campaign to End the Digital Divide as well as our wartime humanitarian emergency response .
None of this could have been possible without our dedicated community of Teacher- Leaders , Alumni-Ambassadors , partners , supporters , and staff . Because of their passion , commitment , and ingenuity , we have the conviction and confidence to rebuild . Together , we will build back better . We would like to extend a special “ thank you ” to Ruiz Clark , who served as the Interim Chief Executive Officer at the height of the pandemic and the onset of the war . Because of your leadership , our team navigated unprecedented challenges with immense resilience , agility , and innovation . When the world was shutting down and turning a blind eye to the horrors of the war , we doubled down our efforts and stayed true to our mission every single day . We are grateful to you and the whole team for your dedication , commitment , and deep belief in the potential of Armenia and Artsakh !
Larisa Hovannisian , CEO & Founder Sam Simonian , Board Chair
Annual Report 2020 11