“ Teach For Armenia helped me to see the potential in my village and understand my role in unlocking it . Today , I feel like an active member of my community . I use my abilities for the benefit of my school and the people around me .”
In September 2018 , Maria Manukyan moved to Tsovazard and started teaching English at our school as a Teach For Armenia Teacher-Leader . It was in her class that I first discovered my desire to be an educator . Now , when people ask me what I want to do with my life , my answer is , “ I want to be a Teacher-Leader .” After graduating from college , I want to teach in rural communities and impact the lives of children just like how Miss Maria impacted mine .
Since meeting Miss Maria , I have been taught by other Teacher-Leaders in Teacher For Armenia ’ s annual Virtual Student Leadership Camp . They introduced my classmates and me to Change-Based Learning and taught us to think about the challenges in our community as opportunities . During the camp , we identified opportunities around us and worked together to design and implement two Student-Led Innovation Projects .
Our first project was called “ Recycle For Life .” We purchased waste bins , placed them throughout our village , and asked residents to sort their recyclable garbage . At the end of each month , we arranged for the waste to be recycled by a local company . In this way , we showed our entire village the importance of caring for the environment .
Currently , we are working on our second Student-Led Innovation Project called “ Stronger Together .” Because of rapid developments in technology , and now the coronavirus , we have noticed interpersonal communication decreasing in our village and around Armenia . Nowadays , most communication takes place digitally through text messages and video calls . Our big idea is to create a community center for all residents of Tsovazard – young people , adults , and the elderly .
Teach For Armenia helped me to see the potential in my village and understand my role in unlocking it . Today , I feel like an active member of my community . I use my abilities for the benefit of my school and the people around me . One day , I hope to live in a rural community somewhere else in Armenia . I envision myself , on the first day of school many years from now , walking into my own classroom and saying , “ I ’ m Miss Sona , your new English teacher and lifelong friend .”
Sona Karapetyan 9th Grade Student Tsovazard village , Gegharkunik region
Annual Report 2021
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