Objective one

In the year 2008 – 192 teachers trained

In the year 2009 – 460 teachers trained

In the year 2010 – 555 teachers trained.

In the second year of the program, one hundred ninety two teachers participated in the training and successfully completed the program. In the year 2009, 460 teachers from all eleven regions of Armenia participated in a two months intensive training course. They came to join the 770 teachers who were already teaching the classes to high school students.

The no cost extension approved by USAID permitted JAA to train an additional 555 teachers in the year 2010.

In the months of March and May of 2007, JAA assigned each trainer 20-25 trainees. Training was conducted at 20 different sites throughout Armenia.

Teacher training included the following components:

1. 
   Twice weekly, trainees attended seminars where they learned economic theory, studied Junior Achievement’s Applied Economics curriculum, and received methodology training in cooperative learning, multiple intelligence, brain-based education, and Bloom’s taxonomy. They also learned important techniques including positive classroom management and balanced lesson plan development. JAA’s economics textbook was used as the primary training manual.
   
2. 
   Trainees were invited to teach at least one portion of JAA’s economics course during a semester as a student teacher. The student teaching allowed JAA to screen the trainees to determine each individual’s potential and to make changes to the training program where needed.
   

JAA implemented a professional development program in each secondary school. The basis of this program was peer coaching. JAA trainers partnered Year 1 and Year 2 teachers to form coaching partners. Peer coaching encouraged the two teachers to observe one another in the classroom, offering constructive and positive feedback on teaching style and course mastery, as well as curriculum presentation. Trainers gave peer coaching partners a checklist for evaluating one another. One expected outcome of peer coaching was improved classroom management.

With the assistance of its regional representatives and trainers, JAA provided continuing education opportunities to the new corps of economics teachers, such as monthly seminars and lectures, field trips, and mentorships. JAA continued to offer teacher training in the event that some original trainees were no longer teaching or had moved out of the economics program.

In June, Year 1 and Year 2 teachers were invited take a written exam to qualify to win achievement awards for outstanding performance in economic education.

JAA sustained the 477 schools that were offering economics before the start of the grant. The economics teachers received professional support to guarantee a high level of instruction and an optimal learning environment for the students enrolled in the program. JAA continued to offer training to existing economics teachers twice a month. Special teacher recognition awards was presented to one JAA teacher from each region who demonstrated commitment to excellence in his or her profession.

JAA’s eight regional offices continued to be utilized as resource centers, equipped with business and office machines, as well as school and instructional supplies to support economics expansion.

JAA worked with the rectors of the Pedagogical Institutes (see Objective Four), in order to establish a major and minor degree in economic education for the purpose of creating a pool of qualified new instructors and trainers for the perpetuation of the Economics curriculum.

OBJECTIVE TWO:

Expand the Internet-based educational programs offered to JAA students by utilizing existing Internet technology implemented through the US State Department’s Armenia School Connectivity Program.
JAA has used three popular and well designed programs:

1. Hewlett-Packard Global Business Challenge

3. Global Business Ethics Program

4. JA TITANS

Hewlett-Packard Global Business Challenge

Since 1999, JAA has enrolled its students in a unique program run by Junior Achievement Worldwide (JAW), called the Hewlett-Packard Global Business Challenge (HPGBC). This program is a high school, Internet-based program that teaches the principles of international business competition and the practical and decision-making skills necessary to function in a democratic society.

Students participated as teams and competed with their peers around the world using the Junior Achievement’s Management and Economics Simulation Exercises software program. In 2007 JAA enrolled 8 teams in HP GBC program, allowing more than 40 Economics students to participate. Students assumed the role of corporate business leaders by making corporate decisions to steer their businesses to success. They learned about production, marketing and finance, and related them to the economic and democratic principles they study in class, all the while staying on top of the international competition.

Hewlett-Packard Global EUROPEAN CHALLENGE

The teams were prompted to make decisions that affect the profitability and sustainability of their virtual company and attempt to outperform their competitors in profit, sales, and market share. They set prices, determine production levels, invest in capital, plan marketing and research, and development budgets. Through this competition, we empowered our students’ entrepreneurship and work readiness skills.

Global Business Ethics Program

JAW’s Global Business Ethics Program linked students via the Internet, giving them the opportunity to debate and discuss ethical dilemmas. Students interacted with their peers in the surrounding region as well as from around the world, widening their perspectives on ethical issues and developing a cross-cultural understanding.

The program was taught in the traditional Junior Achievement format using teachers and local business volunteers as classroom mentors to guide the learning process with a hands-on personal approach. Combining the traditional classroom setting with the benefits of technology, students were assigned weekly Global Partners to communicate with and discuss topics related to the week’s lesson. Students participating in the Ethics Program learned highly important and valuable skills: global communication; conflict resolution; decision making; critical thinking; teamwork; and analyzing ethical dilemmas.

JA TITANS

During the grant period, JAA introduced JA TITANS. This Internet-based program allowed students to compete in an online business simulation or operate a joint-venture company with JA students in another country using JAW’s exclusive Management and Economic Simulation Exercise software. The JA TITANS program focused on international enterprise. Students learned the basics of foreign trade, set up and operated a company, worked with students from other nations, and came to appreciate the diversity of business cultures worldwide.

The participants were expected to gain a broad range of skills and knowledge including analyzing and applying information; calculating productivity; converting currencies; distinguishing fact from opinion; formulating an argument; giving reports and interpreting data; interviewing; mathematical interpretation and computation; negotiating; and situational analysis.

In 2008 JAA enrolled 5 teams and 25 students, and in 2010 3 teams and 15 students in JA TITANS program.

1. 
   Business Company Program
   
2. 
   In- Country Trade Fair
   
3. 
   Interntional Trade Fairs
   
4. 
   Summer Camp
   
5. 
   Career Day
   
6. 
   Ethics Program
   
7. 
   JA Business Ethics Essay Competition
   
8. 
   Business Ethics Conferences
   
9. 
   Skills@Work
   
10. 
    Brain Ring Competition
    
11. 
    More Than Money
    
12. 
    Skits on Children’s Rights
    

Business Company Program

JA Company Program helps young people appreciate and better understand the role of business in our society.

In the last four years 1444 students’ companies were formed. .In the year 2007 – 450

companies, in the year 2008 – 637, in year 2009 – 477 and in year 2010 – 50.

In-Country Trade Fairs

In the years 2007 and 2010, JAA organized a massive national trade fair and festival on International Children’s Day. This event honored young people around the globe and promoted world peace and local philanthropy. Called Children for Children, the festival took place at the Gerard L. Cafesjian Center for the Arts in Yerevan.The festival represented a collaboration with JAA, the Cafesjian Family Foundation, Orran Benevolent Union, and Armenia TV. The heart of festival was a trade show of 81 student companies from Junior Achievement’s Applied Economics program. More than 40,000 people from throughout the Republic attended the festivities.

Hundreds of children and their families from every region of Armenia participated in the public celebration.The Junior Achievement student companies were specially selected and represented the best of the hundreds of companies that were established during the academic year. JAA students displayed and sold their hand-made goods and wares, including jewelry, handbags, toys, and more, in decorated tent pavilions at the Tamanyan Park. At the conclusion of the trade fair, students donated their day’s profits to local charitable organizations whose mission is to assist disadvantaged children.

Because the Cascade was in repairs, the Festival could not take place in the years 2008 and 2009.

International Trade Fairs

Whenever the funds allow it, JAA participates in the international trade fair sponsored by JA Europe. JAA students from all over the world showcase their products as their entrepreneurial skills are tested against other student companies.

• 
  Bucharest, Romania
  

More than 47 companies from 17 European countries showcased their goods and services and presented the jury their business strategy and plan.

• 
  Linz, Austria
  

Summer Camp

JAA has operated summer camp since 1993 and for 17 years it has been among the organization’s most worthwhile and successful extracurricular activities. The role of camp is to encourage academic excellence among students, reinforce the lessons learned during the school year, and provide a friendly environment where young Armenians can network with their peers. Camp activities are structured around lessons in civics and economics and include the formation of mini governments - where elections are held and laws are passed - students engage in debates, a mock trial that tries Mr. Inflation in a courtroom dramatization, and business plan seminars.

In the year 2007 – 100 students

In the year 2008 – 205 students

In the year 2009 – 70 students

In the summer of 2008 JAA convented its 15^th year of annual summer camp in two turns . The first turn was sponsored by the US Embassy’s Public Affairs Section. Among 205 high achieving students were 75 representatives of national minorities: Greeks , Kurds, Yezidis, Jews, Russians, a Moldovian and a German. The aim of the camp was to develop an appreciation for different cultures and breed tolerance among people of different background. Among the guests were Republic of Armenia’s Ombudsmen Armen Harutyunyan, leaders of different national communities, and Member of Armenian Parliament Edvard Sharmazanov.

The generous contribution of the Donchian Foundation and Manoogian Family enabled JAA once again to organized summer camp. That was the second turn of camp, 2008. The second turn students hosted Prime Minister of RA Tigran Sargsyan. He spoke on the state of Armenian economy, educational and employment opportunities. The camp also gave the students practical experience in civic duty because participants were required to take on individual and collective responsibilities throughout the session.

JAA’s summer camp for the summer of 2009, sponsored by HSBC bank included 75 high achieving students from remote and economically poor villages and 10 teachers. The students were selected from the 20 schools which HSBC was sponsoring throughout the year. The highlight of the camp were the visit of such prominent people like Armen Ashotyan, Minister of Education of the Republic of Armenia, Her Excellency Marie Yovanovitch, Ambassador of the United States and Mr. Tim Slater, Chief Executive Officer of HSBC bank.

Career Day

In April 2008 and June 2009, JAA organized a career day. In 2008 the special all-day event hosted 32 young leaders who were enrolled in JAA’s Applied Economics and Civics courses across the nation. The objective of the initiative was to provide the most promising and inspired high school students a rare glimpse at the operations and management of leading commercial, social, governmental and international organizations and agencies.

The students were selected through a highly competitive screening process and were divided into 6 groups. Each group spent an action-packed day in Yerevan visiting a variety of companies and organizations, learning about their operations, gaining exposure to different work environments, meeting with Armenia’s most prominent business leaders and forging strong networking ties with one another.

In 2009 the career day event was held in collaboration with the HSBC Bank Armenia. 40 students from all regions of Armenia took part.

On September 18, 2009 twenty five students from various colleges of the Armavir region took a tour of VivaCell-MTS and met with General Manager Mr. Ralph Yirikian. The event was part of the Career Day organized annually to give students the opportunity to actually see an enterprise at work and offer them an alternative in choosing their career in that field. The open door event began by a small presentation of Company’s latest achievements and operational systems. The presentation was conducted by VivaCell-MTS General Manager Ralph Yirikian who then introduced the students to the Company’s major centers of operation – the Service Center, where they were introduced to the innovative queuing system and the Call Center. The next site was the Core Unit with its Switch Section – the center of network management. VivaCell-MTS General Manager explained how the mobile communication is set up, how the signal is transmitted and how the connection is made between the subscribers.

After the lecture was over, Ralph Yirikian encouraged questions from the students, who used the opportunity to get first hand information about 3G and GSM technologies.

The program links students via the internet, giving them the opportunity to debate and discuss ethical dilemmas. Students interact with other students of other regions as well as from around the world, widening their perspective on ethical issues and developing a cross-cultural understanding. Between the years 2006-2010, JAA enrolled 890 schools and 18 235 students in the on-line and traditional class Global Business Ethics Program. All expenses connected with the training and the program is paid by the Junior Achievement of CIS countries.

Armine Mardanyan of school #1 of Nor Kharbert and Vahe Manoukyan of school #2 of Nor Geghi also won prizes of $350 each.

Two of Junior Achievement of Armenia’s outstanding students participated in a two day workshop on business ethics in Almaty, Kazakhstan from October 27 to 28, 2006. They were joined by students of Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. The students, Naira Mkhitaryan of Etchmiatzin school #4, and Ani Simonyan of school #1 of Nor Kharberd were selected among their peers based on an essay they wrote addressing ethical issues in the business world. They were accompanied by Anahit Manoukyan, program coordinator of Junior Achievement of Armenia. The program included workshops, lectures, meetings with notable businessmen and an activity called “Global Business Village” which asked the students to present their national business practices.

The British Council and Junior Achievement Worldwide came together with a program challenging students to come up with innovative ideas for a business partner. The Skills@Work Challenge is a series of national competitions among 9 Eastern European Countries and Great Britain, leading to an international competition in Europe, aiming to encourage young people to use their skills in enterprising and innovative ways, ultimately enhancing their employability and entrepreneurial flair. More than 1,000 students took part in the national competitions. The business community is asked to give the students a challenge which they have to solve within just a few hours and then make a presentation in front of a jury.

The first national competition was held in Yerevan State College of Informatics on  11 November 2008. During the day, Armentel’s Beeline company, the business partner, gave the students a ‘challenge. The jury members included Ambassador of Great Britain, Representative of International Monetary Fund and President of Beeline Company, and representative from the Ministry of Education. The challenge was to come up with a program for a family who uses the services of the cellular phone company. The family consisted of working parents, retired grandmother and two students.

The winners of the national competitions participated in the international finals in Sofia on 11-13 March  2009. The Skills@Work Challenge was such a big success that the British Council and ArmenTel CJSC continued to sponsor the program the following year. This time, vocational school students were asked to present essays on the topic “What I would do if I was General Director of ArmenTel CJSC”. Three hundred fifty students submitted their essays. Subsequently, fifty students were selected to participate at a weekend camp where their new assignment was to develop an interesting web page. Among the jury members were General Manager of ArmenTel Mr. Igor Klimko, member of Parliament Mrs. Anahit Bakhshyan, director of British Council Arevik Saribekyan and Head of Technical Colleges of the Ministry of Education Mr. Artak Aghbalyan. The winners from this competition were then tested for their mastery of the English language so that they could easily converse at the international competition.

The winning students were to represent Armenia in Belgrade, Serbia from April 4 to April 6 . Everything needed for the trip was prepared , visas, paperwork and tickets purchased. A day before departure , the Airlines could not guarantee that flight from Yerevan to Vienna could be made on time or if there would be a flight out Vienna to Serbia, given to volcano in Iceland. It was decided that JAA could not risk going to Vienna and the trip was not taken by the Armenian children.
2009 Brain Ring Competitions with the Central Bank:
The Brain Ring competitions have a long tradition at JAA. This is the opportunity which allows students to test their knowledge among their peers. Teams from different schools compete with each other first at the regional level, and then at the national level to emerge as winners. The test questions evolve around economics. The competitions started in March and the final phase of the competitions were attended by the wining teams from each region.

In 2009 and 2010 the event took place in collaboration with the Central Bank. In 2009 it was held at the Central Bank building. In 2009 JAA has enrolled 550 schools and 2750 students and The students spent the whole day at the Central Bank competing until the final phase of the competition. The final pool took place in late afternoon in front of an audience, media and four jury members: Then member of Parliament , now Minister of Education Armen Ashodian, JAA Central Bank Deputy Director Vahe Gabrielyan, HSBC Director Tim Slater and JAA Executive Director Armine K. Hovannisian acted as jury members. The winning team was the team for Vardenik. The winning team was awarded with the opportunity to attend JAA’s summer economics camp.

In 2010 50 schools and 250 students participated in Brain Ring competition which also was organized in collaboration with the Central Bank. The jury members were Vice Minister of Education Manuk Mkrtchyan, HSBC representative Irina Seylanyan, Member of Parliament Anahit Bakhshyan and Board Member of Central Bank Amalya Saribekyan.
JA More than Money

A program called JA More than Money, in partnership with HSBC was initiated in 2008. JA More than Money teaches students about earning, spending, sharing, and saving money, and businesses they can start or jobs they can perform to earn money. The program emphasizes social studies content while providing a strong focus on mathematics, reading and writing skills. The JA More than Money experience enhances students’ classroom curriculum. Students are encouraged to use innovative thinking to learn money-management skills that support positive attitudes as they explore and enhance their career aspirations

Through a variety of hand-on activities and technological supplements designed to support differentiated learning styles, students develop a better understanding of the relationship between what they learn at school and their successful participation in a worldwide economy. JA More Thank Money is a series of six sessions. The program is packaged in a portfolio containing detailed session plans, informative Take-Home Flyers for students, volunteers, after-school staff, and teachers. With the financial assistance of HSBC bank, JAA started the program in 6 schools, 5 in the Armavir region and one in Yerevan. The program lasted from February 1, to April 1, 2010. All materials including students’ materials, workbook and teachers’ guide were translated. 6 teachers were trained. The employees of HSBC were very much important part of the program. Four of their staff actively volunteered and worked with the students in the classroom.

Community service
Another favorite event having a long tradition at JAA is the “I am the Master of my Nation: where students have to undertake a community project. The good projects are presented to the central office in Yerevan. The activities ranged from cleaning up the environment to tree planting to helping the needy. More than 234 schools and 4500 students participated in community service programs.
Skits on the Rights of Children
On November 19, the Swedish Embassy in cooperation with the Estonian Embassy, Junior Achievement of Armenia, the Children’s Museum and Oriflame held the opening of the Ilon Wikland Exhibition of illustrations entitled Karlsson is Flying on the Roof Again . The afternoon was also organized to mark the 20^th anniversary of the international Convention on the Rights of the Child. In attendance were more than 150 guests including government officials, UN representatives, representatives of the diplomatic Corp, NGO’s and media.

The event had two components:

1. 
   An exhibit of the sketches or illustrations of the book Karlsson Who Lives on the Roof, a story written by Astid Lindgren and to this day widely aired as a cartoon in the former Soviet Republics. It is shown on Kentron TV in Armenia.
   
2. 
   Skits performed by children depicting the rights of children
   

Ms. Ilon Wikland was invited to present her illustrations of the book entitled Karlsson Who Lives On The Roof, a story written by Swedish author Astrid Lindgren. The reason this event was selected is because Sweden is very much identified with this story in the former Soviet Republic and especially in Armenia and the Swedish Embassy wanted to organize something that would recognize their work.

More than 400 students from 20 different schools took part in the national competitions on Sketches and Skits. Five schools were selected for the final event.

The event was grand also because major comedy stars took part in the skits with the children. They were Ashod Ghazaryan, Hrant Tokhatyan and Zara Aramyan. The skits were performed in English.

The goals of the project were to teach children their rights under the international Convention on the Rights of the Child through a form of art: acting. It was to provide information and a forum for discussion on the rights and responsibilities of children as young citizens of their country and of the world. Children by learning their rights will grow up to be citizens who are aware and respectful of human rights.

OBJECTIVE FOUR:

Develop and implement an Economics degree at Armenia’s Pedagogical Institutes to provide a pool of new trainers and instructors to support the sustainability of Economics in the nation’s secondary schools.

JAA continued to support the economic education curriculum at the Pedagogical Institute in Yerevan. Support included providing an MBA instructor from Yerevan State University to teach the economics course. JAA established this course at the Yerevan campus in 1998 with assistance from the professors of the Economics Institute who drafted the curriculum.

In 2007 21 students and in 2008 15 students were enrolled in JAA economics program.

OBJECTIVE FIVE:

Promote economic education in Armenia by working with the Ministry of Education and Science to secure placement of economics in the secondary school curriculum.

JAA’s executive director consulted and advised the Ministry of Education and Science on a framework for implementing economic education in the secondary school curriculum. At the conclusion of the grant period, the infrastructure and mechanisms needed for the Ministry to sustain the economic education program took place, guaranteeing economic education to 40,000 9^th grade high school students each year. Economics now is a mandatory course and is part of the social studies curriculum.

Gyumri’s school # 20 provided free of rent offices for our Shirak branch since 1994. Grigor Lusavorich University in Ejmiadzin has welcomed our office in university since 2000. Yerevan school # 42 deserved special recognition for its contribution in offering training venue free of charge for our program. The total volunteer worth for the program exceeded $6,000.

In 2009 JAA chose a unique way to celebrate Children’s Day. Forty students from the remote villages were assembled at the headquarters’ of HSBC bank for a Career Day. Dressed in HSBC T-shirts and caps, the students were first greeted by HSBC CEO Tim Slater, and then were taken around to various departments to observe and hear the different officials in charge speak of their work and answer questions of the students.

Twenty schools in the far remote regions were identified to participate in that program. Twenty teachers were trained and as of September started teaching in their respective schools.