Under the initiative of the ARF Bureau’s Youth Office, and with the collaboration of the Advisory Body of Armenia’s AYF Junior Organization, a special training seminar for over twenty AYF junior advisors from throughout Armenia was held on January 24-25. The seminar took place within the confines of the ARF Supreme Body building in the heart of Yerevan.
Garine Haroutiounian, a teaching expert with the RA Ministry of Education and Science’s National Education Institute, headed up the seminar and welcomed the participants who had come from both various parts of Yerevan and other districts throughout the country. Their aim was to take in knowledge on how to more effectively continue their daily work with local AYF juniors in their respective communities.
During the two-day training session, attendees discussed ways of better communicating with their juniors and explored techniques for effectively engaging youth through such methods as organizing debates and discussion forums.
Participants were split up into working groups where they were presented these issues in both formal and informal settings. In addition to discussing the basic educational principles on how to deal with adolescents, the seminar provided advisors with hands on activities, games and modern methods of applying such principles directly with youth.
Throughout the workshops and educationals, advisors were also regularly reminded of the importance of taking into consideration the various age levels of juniors when interacting with them. Proper teaching methods and educational approaches were passed on in this context of varying needs and abilities according to age.
The seminar was deemed by all to be a success and similar educational gatherings are planned to be continued into the future.