“ I believe in the power of one person to make a difference and that is why I joined Teach For Armenia ’ s movement for educational equity . I am not alone in this decision . I am joined by many like-minded people who understand the importance of education for Armenia ’ s future .”
My life is divided into two parts – before and after Teach For Armenia . As a third generation Teacher-Leader , I lived and worked in Shamiram village in the Aragatsotn region . Many of its residents belong to Armenia ’ s Yezidi minority group . My time as a Teacher-Leader was not easy . Certain stereotypes got in the way . For example , Armenian residents of the village believed that Yezidis do not strive to learn . On the other side stood older Yezidis , who did not encourage their children to study , especially the girls . As a result , students found themselves stuck between two extremes of thinking . My experience taught me that change is often gradual . You need to be patient , keep your eyes on your goal , and not give up . I realized that I was making progress the day that one of my Yezidi students announced on television that she wanted to continue her education , setting an example for hundreds of girls like herself . That is when I fully understood the power of Teach For Armenia ’ s Kochari . the past two years . The school has 80 wonderful students . I frequently organize professional development sessions for our teachers to learn new methodologies and approaches . I continue to cooperate with Teach For Armenia , and we even have a Teach For Armenia Teacher- Leader on staff .
I believe in the power of one person to make a difference and that is why I joined Teach For Armenia ’ s movement for educational equity . I am not alone in this decision . I am joined by many like-minded people who understand the importance of education for Armenia ’ s future . While I still have a lot of growing and learning to do , I move forward with confidence knowing that my students , my staff , and Teach For Armenia are by my side .
Venera Abovyan School Principal & Alumni-Ambassador Alaverdi village , Lori region
Since completing Teach For Armenia ’ s Leadership Development Program in 2019 , I decided to remain in the education field . I cannot leave anything that I start unfinished . I moved to Alaverdi in the Lori region where I have been the principal of No . 10 Basic School for
Annual Report 2021
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