НПО «Юношеские достижения Армении» (Армения)
Шаблон:Unitedt Junior Achievement of Armenia (JAA)
http://www.jaarmenia.org/pages%20REV/mission.html
Junior Achievement of Armenia (JAA) gives today’s Armenian youth the necessary skills and knowledge to compete and succeed in tomorrow’s world. The mission is accomplished through economics and civics education. With both theoretical instruction and practical training, JAA teaches young Armenians how the free enterprise system operates, the role of business in the global marketplace, the hands-on fundamentals of running a business, partnering between public and private enterprise, and the basics of democracy-building, including human rights, civic duty, and social responsibility. JAA is an affiliate of Junior Achievement Worldwide (www.ja.org), which has member nations in over 100 countries around the globe.
Begun as an after-school elective in eight schools, today JAA is offered as high school and college courses. Currently, we reach 170,000 students in every school and region of the Republic of Armenia, including the Pedagogical Institutes. By 2005, nearly 20% of Armenia’s population will have taken classes with a JAA-trained instructor. In all our work, JAA is dedicated to improving the lives of young Armenians by giving them the tools to compete in a global economy and foster democracy in their nation. We are introducing innovation and progressive ideas at a pace and scope that surpass most non-government organizations operating in Armenia today.
Our funding derives primarily from United States foreign assistance programs, foundation grants, special events, and individual contributions.
Junior Achievement of Armenia is an affiliate of Junior Achievement International (www.jaintl.org), which is an affiliate of Junior Achievement, Inc. The Junior Achievement program was founded in 1919 in Springfield, Massachusetts. The original goal of Junior Achievement was to give young people the skills they needed to succeed in a business environment once they entered the workforce. This was accomplished through an after-school program that gave students the opportunity to run their own companies.
In 1974, Junior Achievement began offering programs that were integrated into the school curriculum. With this new focus, business people began visiting classrooms to share their real-life experiences with students during normal school hours. Today JA spans the K-12 curriculum. By 2005, JA estimates that 11 million students in the United States will be enrolled in its classes.
In 1955, JA established its first international operation in Canada. Following this, the program was implemented in several countries. By the time the Berlin Wall fell, interest in Junior Achievement was growing at a phenomenal rate. Junior Achievement International was established in 1994 to develop and serve JA programs outside the U.S.
Today, Junior Achievement International serves over 1.75 million young people in 112 countries around the world. What's more, the program has been developed in 36 languages. JAI is a not-for-profit organization and a registered non-government organization (NGO). It is supported by international corporations, foundations, individuals, and development organizations.
Historic Highlights 1992-1998
1992 Cynthia (Broussalian) Tusan contacts Junior Achievement International (JAI) about a JA/Armenia program. A grant of $1,000 is provided by the Armenian General Benevolent Union to support a feasibility study. Aram Garabedian composes the first translation of JA materials.
A JAI affiliation application is signed, and JAA is off and running. Vahram Gabrielian is appointed as the first Executive Director. JA of Southern California provides important support during this formative period.
1993 Dr. Mihran Agbabian and Governor George Deukmejian become the first members of JAA’s Honorary Board. Mid-year, Peace Corps volunteer Trish Fitzgerald and Triad Consulting’s Hasmig (Gevondian) Kouchakdjian are hired to implement a pilot program in eight schools. The US Agency for International Development provides funding for this program. The US Information Service grants funds to translate and print the Applied Economics textbook. MBA students from the American University of Armenia and Haigazian College are hired as teachers. The Presidents of JA of Miami and Cocoa Beach, FL travel to Armenia to assist their training.
1994 California attorney and Republic of Armenia native Armine Hovannisian resigns from the Board of Directors, and is appointed JAA Executive Director.
A start-up grant of $620,000, over a two and a-half year period, is received from USAID as a result of the success of the pilot program. The grant will fund the sustainability and expansion of the program.
An Advisory Board is formed to broaden JAA’s support base in California, throughout the US, and around the world. Dr. Joseph Carrabino, Joseph Stein, and Alice Petrossian are among its first members.
1995 The translation of JA’s Applied Economics textbook, the first material of its kind in Armenia, is completed.
The first-ever Economics Summer Camp, held every year hereafter, is organized in Armenia by JAA.
JAA hosts its first Summer Study Abroad program, bringing the program’s most outstanding students from Armenia to the US. They participate in JAI’s international student forum, and travel to Southern California for meetings, tours, and site visits. A similar program is offered annually hereafter.
JAA incorporates as a nonprofit, public benefit corporation in the State of California, and registers as a legal entity in the Republic of Armenia.
1996 JAA receives 501(c)(3) determination from the Internal Revenue Service.
Cynthia Tusan receives JAI’s Golden Global Leadership Award at a banquet in Los Angeles, CA. Hundreds of supporters attend JAA’s first banquet in Los Angeles, CA with keynote speaker Govenor George Deukmejian.
1997 Joining our Honorary Board are Kenneth L. Khachigian, a political analyst and campaign strategist, and Ambassador Edward P. Djerejian, Director of the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy at Rice University.
The Los Angeles and Chicago Regional Committees are established to promote community awareness, fundraising, and activism for the organization.
In May, a team of independent evaluators from the Western Institute for Research and Evaluation travel to Armenia to review the JAA program. The team spends one week in Armenia meeting with dozens of officials and non-government representatives, as well as interviewing members of JAA’s staff. The WIRE group also visits schools in JAA’s regional centers. The final report of the team praises JAA for its program.
In the summer, JAA organizes a panel discussion at the Armenian International Women’s Association’s conference in Paris, France. Recognized for her superior work as Executive Director, Armine Hovannisian receives one of AIWA’s Women of Achievement Awards.
At its annual fall banquet, the Rotary Club of Yerevan presents Mrs. Hovannisian with a Rotary Foundation grant of $12,000. These funds will support the expansion of the program in the Etchmiadzin region.
1998 The first civic education training program for JAA teachers launches a new civics curriculum. Seventeen JAA instructors spend one month in the US for training. The program takes the group to Southern California for three weeks and to Washington, D.C. for several days. This experience is supported by USAID and the Academy for Educational Development.
Eight JAA principals experience several weeks of civic education training in the US. They visit Los Angeles, CA, Bloomington, IN, Iowa City, IA, New York, NY, and Washington, D.C. Funding is from the US Information Service.
JAA is invited to present a report on its progress and success at the annual meeting of JAI’s Board of Directors, held in Washington, D.C.
USAID approves a grant extension of $679,000 for use through August 1999.
New JAA Regional Committees in the Washington, D.C. area and San Francisco Bay Area are formed.
JAA’s first major matching grant is received from Melik and Marlen Kumjian of Whittier, CA. They pledge $5,000 annually, through the end of the century, to match the funds raised by JAA’s Regional Committees. JAA (Junior Achievement of Armenia - Branch of Junior Achievement International) Address: 39 Abovian Street, Yerevan, 375002, Republic of Armenia Phone: (374 1) 52 08 37, 56 67 50 Fax: (374 1) 52 52 67 E-mail: jaa@arminco.com, junior22ach@yahoo.com
Ms.Armine K. Hovannisian Executive Director
Mr.Grigory Nazaryan Project Administrator E-mail: jaarmenia@yahoo.com
Date of Establishment: 1993.
The mission of JAA is to introduce the study of applied economics and civic education in the educational curriculum of Armenia, train teachers.
Current activities From October 2000, we started training of 55 teachers concerning Human Rights, Civics and Basics of State Law, who in future have to train the last 1500 teachers from all marzes of our country. For those teachers had been organized different seminars with the participation of professional specialists. We have organized Lousakert training for them.The training of last 1500 teachers began from March, 2001. Twice a week in all regions of RA had been hold trainings concerning the above mentioned subjects up to July 15, 2001. Had been hold exams of these subjects. In the end had been hold oral exams in all regions. More than 35 of our trainers were trained in the US. Teachers of our new program visited different places as well as NP, Constitutional Court, UN office and met with different politicians.
From the September of 2001, we are going to begin the next training program which will engage more than 1200 teachers.
Major Projects We also organized seminars in various sites of our country with the participation of US trainers. Simultaneously besides of this new program JAA continues teaching Applied Economics and Civics in more than 330 schools of RA. In scope of our program had been hold competitions among our pupils concerning AE and Civics, the winners spent a week in JAA Camp. In March we organized a competition among pupils on AE, and winners let for the US.
