Contemporary Creativity Lab & Library/Resource Center Opened in Vanand Community of Armavir Marz of Armenia
VANAND, Armenia—VivaCell-MTS and the Children of Armenia Fund (COAF)’s continuous collaboration resulted in the opening of the third Creativity Lab. Equipped with a smart board, modern computers, as well as special mobile furniture, the newly opened Creativity Lab will host students from the Vanand Community School in Armavir Marz of Armenia. In addition to the Creativity Lab, a modern Library/Resource Center will be functioning in Vanand.
The concept of Creativity Labs – technologically enhanced centers that encourage creativity – was first introduced in Armenia by COAF. VivaCell-MTS’s financial assistance and corporate social responsibility component allows for these programs to create equal development opportunities for rural communities and promote integration of informational and communication technologies into village schools.
The program that was launched a year ago has also been beneficial for the schoolchildren from Sardarapat community in Armavir Marz and Arteni community in Aragatsotn Marz. Creativity Labs provide a multifunctional environment fit for classes, training sessions, lectures, reading, discussions, projects and games, performances and fun.
“Once given the opportunity to discover, children will exceed all your expectations. It is really important to turn the ordinary learning process into an adventurous creative experience. I would like to believe that the newly created environment will increase the children’s interest towards learning and will lead towards expected result,” VivaCell-MTS General Manager Ralph Yirikian stated.
Anoush Yedigaryan, COAF Executive Director, attaches great importance to the improved physical infrastructure and learning environment of educational institutions. According to Yedigaryan, “All those programs that COAF initiates and implements serve as a catalyst for youth empowerment and aim at raising the quality of education in rural schools. This wonderful educational facility which includes the creativity lab, library and resource center, will help not only those students who are eager to learn, but also all the teachers who wish to integrate the use of technologies into the teaching process and make it more interesting and content-rich.”
The newly opened Library/Resource Center enables increased access to information with the application of technologies and instills love towards reading among the schoolchildren. The center offers literature and professional development materials for a variety of target groups, such as children, adolescents, teachers/pedagogues and community members at large. One of the distinctive features of the Library is the availability of digital versions of textbooks, books and other informational materials.
Parallel to the opening of the Creativity Lab/Library/Resource Center, COAF is also launching “Healthy Nutrition” and “Dental Hygiene” programs in the Vanand School. A tooth-brushing station, Brushodrome, has been built in the school, and the school cafeteria has been equipped with necessary appliances and supplies. In the course of the new academic year, the elementary school students in Vanand will be served with hot and healthy meals, and the elementary school teachers and school nurses will be trained on proper oral and dental hygiene.
Earlier in 2013, as part of COAF’s Health Program activities, the Vanand Health Post was renovated and refurbished, in March 2014 a playground was constructed in the schoolyard, and just recently in May 2014 the Vanand School was included in the Schools for Health in Europe (SHE) Network.