Another region of Armenia, through which the route of the Caravan passed, was Gegharkunik. Here, in the town of Gavar, several events organised by our Caravan team took place at once.
Ani Kojoyan (Armenia) was again able to engage the participants of the training “Education in the 21st Century. Gender Component in the Context of Inclusive Education”.
Education is the key to drive us in our life; it is about knowledge, skills, values and practices. At the same time, education can be both empowering and oppressive. In case of empowerment, education should be inclusive, based on participatory method from gender perspective as well, taking into consideration the needs and interests of female and male students, giving each an opportunity to thrive and grow rigorously and abundantly to each of them, based on their own peculiarities, including gender; otherwise education can turn into a tool of oppression for kids in schools
Ani Kojojan
Meeting was organized in cooperation with Bayazet Center and Գավառի Քաղաքային.
Young residents of Gavar together with Narine Teknejyan (Armenia) discussed the role of non-formal education in the transformation of society.
Students and youth specialists discussed the challenges of non-formal education, defined the difference between formal and non-formal education, specifics and values of non-formal education.
The participants of the training identified the main problems related to the education of youth in Armenia. These are lack of modern and up-to-date education, educational programs, literature, description of approaches and methodology, lack of participatory and inclusive approach in research in this sphere.
The participants also noted the gap between the labor market and specialists, the need of young people to learn by doing and gain practical knowledge.
Project-based learning that emphasizes inclusion and promotes social justice was suggested as a possible solution to these problems.
Oksana Urban (Ukraine) spoke about what competences leaders need and how to organise teamwork.
The discussion “The Gap between Reality and Democratic Values: How to continue working when it becomes frustrating”, which was led by Evgeny Goshev (Bulgaria/Georgia).
And participants of Anna Mekhakyan’s (Armenia) training discussed how to increase access to education.
A prominent challenge discussed was the issue of inter-city transport. This challenge particularly affected the children residing in neighboring villages, as limited transport options hindered their participation in various educational programs and activities. This issue underscored the need to address infrastructure gaps that restrict access to education and extracurricular opportunities.
Another significant concern raised by participants was the prevalence of bullying in schools.
To combat this issue, participants proposed a project idea aimed at raising awareness and preventing bullying. The suggested project involved creating a social video campaign that would educate and sensitize students, parents, and the wider community about the harmful effects of bullying. This project aimed to foster a collective effort toward preventing bullying and promoting a safe and supportive learning environment. Participants emphasized the importance of involving as many stakeholders as possible to maximize the impact of this initiative.
The Gap between Experienced Realities and Democratic Values: How to Keep Going When it Gets Frustrating.
This was the topic of the discussion moderated by Evgeny Goshev (Bulgaria/Georgia).
Target Group: students, youth workers, civil society activists.
Challenges: Major challenges highlighted by the participants: war experience and uncertainty, women’s rights and trust in institutions.
Suggested solutions: applying ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Theory), strengthening social cohesion.
See a large photo report from these events.
Photo by Harut Chatinyan.
Caravan is organized by Eastern-European Association for Citizenship Education under support of the Federal Agency of Citizenship Education of Germany (bpb) and funded by German Foreign Office. NGO “Youth is Power” is local partner of Caravan.
Reed also:
See the preliminary program of the Caravan in Armenia
EENCE Citizenship Education Caravan kicked off in Armenia. See the big photo report!
EENCE Citizenship Education Caravan moves through the regions of Armenia
EENCE Citizenship Education Caravan in Armenia. Day 3, Armavir
EENCE Citizenship Education Caravan in Armenia. Day 4, Gavar