Secondary School Partnership

CYSCA Archives for 2003

On October 25, 2003, members of last winter's(December '02/January '03) Secondary School Partnership group gave a workshop at School #190 in which they reported on their experience and projects which have followed from it. The workshop was opened with a greeting by teacher Irina Amiryan, who gave a short history of the exchange program. Next Lilit Baghdasaryan described her project on "Fairness" and the "No Smoking Project", in which the group prepared posters, and played the games with fellow students and gave them the pens with "No Smoking" written on them. This resulted in a decrease of the number of smokers at school.

Sona Nazaryan thanked CYSCA for organizing such a wonderful Exchange Program. She said it was a great experience for her and she studied a lot in the USA. She is participating in the "No Smoking Project" and "Makur Yerevan" ("Clean Yerevan"). The students organized a "Makur Dprotz" ("clean school") program and worked in the garden near School #190. The group will gather materials and photos for a school newspaper. Sona is now studying in the Briusov University College and will try to spread these ideas to students there. Edgar Khachatryan told about his "Country Project" in which he researched information on Japan
m the Internet for a geography lesson.

Anna Harutunyan, student at School #65, teaching neighborhood children inthe summer 2003 kindergarten program that she ran as a free service to the community. She taught the English alphabet, sang songs, and talked to the children about what they wanted to be when they grew up.CYSCA had supplied crayons -- which the children used in their abc work and art projects.Joanne Hartunian says of Anna and other Secondary School Partnership alumni/ae "I am proud of the work these kids do when they return to Armenia."

The Principal of School #190, Karine Zatikyan reported that she has seen real results in her school from 3 years' work with CYSCA.ę Teachers have become more active, the students know the English language better, and they have an e-mail connection with their new friends in USA. In addition they are studying the idea of civil society and try to spread their knowledge to other students.

Lusine Mkhitaryan described the Student Council in School #190, of which she is the President. It was newly-formed at the beginning of the school year.They have 19 members and 3 vice-presidents, and meet once a week. They have set up a suggestion-box in the school where students can put recommendations. Lusine also told about a Club of the Merry and Sharp-Witted, named after a famous program on Russian TV. The CYSCA exchange students said they would be glad to help in this. Lilit Malkhasyan, a student who had not been part of the Exchange said she really wants to be aware of and participate in these students' projects, because she considers that they are doing very interesting work.

At the end of the workshop, I gave them the tickets to Moscow Movie Theatre for special admission to the US Embassy American Movie Classic series.

SECONDARY SCHOOL PARTNERSHIP TO PROMOTE CIVIL SOCIETY

US summer 2002 exchange trip

Last June, a group of 20 students and teachers from CYSCA set off for three weeks in Yerevan, to be hosted by students and teachers from schools #65 and 190 who had visited here the previous December, thus completing the second year of two-way exchanges in the Secondary School Partnership to Promote Civil Society. The exchange is funded in part by the US State Department Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

Pre-departure orientation took place over several months of group discussions and lectures by guest speakers in which students learned about Armenian history including the Genocide, and studied the Cold War in depth, using curriculum on international law, diplomacy and civil society development from the Toors Cummings Institute at Connecticut College, and Close-Up, Washington, DC.

According to Rev. Joanne Gulezian-Hartunian, Project Manager for the Secondary School Partnership, highlights of the summer trip were an official welcome by students wearing traditional folk dress; a meeting with Mayor Robert Nazaryan of Yerevan, where the group was interviewed by TV reporters; the Saturday afternoon session with the young volunteers of Makur Yerevan ("Clean Yerevan"), sweeping up trash in the streets of Yerevan (see article on p. 13); visits to the School for the Visually Impaired and an orphanage, where the group read to the children, played games with them, danced and developed friendship.

At schools #65 and 190, classes were given in Armenian conversation for the US students, using traditional methods of conversational Armenian and vocabulary. The group recommended that this be a pre-departure program for the next group going to Yerevan. Rev. Hartunian commented that "This speaks well of the students that are accepted into our program, because it shows a desire and willingness to try and understand and immerse themselves in a different culture and language." The visitors also joined with their host students in workshops on conflict resolution, English literature and Armenian classics. The group was also given a lecture on a free and independent Armenian media by Vardan Hovanessian from CBS, Moscow, who had been imprisoned in Azerbaijan and freed by Amnesty International.

The concept of volunteerism was a main theme of the trip. The Armenian hosts had visited Perkins School for the Blind here in Watertown in January 2002. Inspired by this, they created a project with the School for the Visually Impaired in Yerevan, visiting on a monthly basis. Similarly, the idea for establishing Special Olympics came out of the group's visit to the Peace Corps office in Yerevan.

While in Armenia, each US student focused on one aspect of civil society, e.g. media, law, gender issues, environmental issues, and made a two-year commitment to a project. Rev. Hartunian says, "To call it an exchange is a misnomer. It is a commitment to democracy-building in both countries through school partnerships and joint program development. The US State Department Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs was so impressed by the Armenian team's level of of volunteer activity and program development that they issued their own award to commend the founders of the project and the volunteers."

The two teachers on the trip had their own individual programs, meeting with their counterparts and studying the Armenian education system. Andrew Crowe, who teaches English in Arlington, taught lessons on American short stories and also introduced the game of Ultimate Frisbee to his hosts. Belmont teacher Cheryl Shushan gave a series of classes on conflict resolution, setting the stage for further CYSCA-sponsored work in this area (see article about Nancy Kalajian's project on p. 6). Rev. Hartunian said that the educator program "strengthens teacher skills to identify multiple intelligences, thereby utilizing all of Armenia's future brain power." (The work of Howard Gardner is beginning to be introduced in Armenia.) "Armenia is not a country to be examined, but to be explored with its limitless possibilities and the greatest of all resources, its people. Armenia does not need to be taught how to fish; it needs to be pointed in the direction of the best catch. I believe our program has done that."

DECEMBER-JANUARY ARMENIAN EXCHANGE VISITORS

On December 26, a new group of students from Schools #65 and 190 arrived from Yerevan. They were accompanied by two teachers from each school, who had their own program designed to acquaint them with education in the US. Students and teachers were hosted by members of the summer group from Belmont and Arlington High Schools, as well as potential new travelers for summer '03. The program was an intense mix of sightseeing and getting to know the Boston area, with field trips, films and classroom discussion relating to the central theme of "Diversity and Tolerance." A number of dinners with hosts from different cultures (Spanish, Brazilian, Indian, German, Italian, Polish, Arab) gave the group a direct experience of the diversity in US society, as did an evening Seder at Temple Beth Shalom in Cambridge, and dinner preceding it at the Middle East Restaurant, courtesy of owners Joseph and Nabil Sater. It was a fortunate coincidence that by arriving right after Christmas, the group was able to attend a performance of the Christmas Revels in Sanders Theatre in Cambridge, featuring Armenian and Georgian music and dance. The two cultures bridged by the story of the life of the troubadour Sayat Nova.

An afternoon with the "Peace Games" staff has by now become a staple of our US program. This time, not only did the group learn a number of cooperation and leadership games from Steve Brion-Meisels and his colleague Kori Redepenning, but managed to teach them their own game, in which the group becomes a "human knot" and then unties it.

Every year, the program looks at a number of aspects of civil society. This year, visits were made to various town departments and agencies such as the Belmont Police Department and Belmont Municipal Light Company, the Cambridge Recycling Center and Cambridge Business Development Center, Cambridge City Council, and the State House. Cambridge Mayor Michael Sullivan and his staff hosted the group for a reception, and particularly memorable was City Councilor Marjorie Decker's pep talk about young women (like herself) becoming leaders and going into politics. A visit to Cambridge Rindge and Latin High School (CRLS) made a large impact on the group, because of its diverse student body, the fact that its students speak 62 languages, and because Ben Affleck and Matt Damon (famous movie stars worldwide!) went there. This visit, which was arranged by Mayor Sullivan„s Education Liaison, Ruby Pierce, included a chance to meet with Assistant Principal Caroline Hunter, and tour the brand new Rindge School of Technical Arts, whose Executive Director Steve Spofford hosted a wonderful lunch prepared by the CRLS School of Culinary Arts.

Thanks to CYSCA Board Member Laura Margosian, who serves as Director of CRLS High School Volunteers Placements, Projects, and Training, the group spent one day at Harvard with the undergraduate-organized Harvard Political Education Project. Together with 125 students from CRLS, the Muriel S. Snowden International School and Dorchester High School they served as members of a model US Congress, drafting and voting on bills on the cutting-edge US issues of surrogate motherhood, school prayer, racial redistricting and Missile Defense. For Lilit Baghdasarian, this was a dream come true to set foot in Harvard Yard, and she was inspired to get up and speak to one of the bills in front of the whole Model Congress.

As the Armenian students and teachers look back on their trip, one general impression about the US is emerging from their emails: that US students are greatly encouraged to develop and express their own opinions on issues. As the students were departing for home, they said they would like to pursue the following projects: an anti-smoking campaign; landmines; work with the Armenia Tree Project; work with fairy tales to develop different outcomes which resolve conflict; "something which helps to develop respect," "tolerance," and in general, to be a volunteer. We look forward to their success!

For further reflections on the impact of the trip upon our visitors, watch the CYSCA website (www.cysca.org). In addition, CYSCA publishes "Educators Abstracts"an annual compilation of reports by both the US and Armenian teachers.

CONFLICT RESOLUTION WORKSHOP HELD IN ARMENIA

It wasn't just the heat that was rising in Armenia late last summer so was the fervor of excitement that ensued during the Conflict Resolution Workshop held at two schools in Yerevan. CYSCA Board Member and teacher Nancy Kalajian, wrote the grant that funded this program. She organized and implemented the Workshop which involved 38 high school students and 9 teachers in developing an understanding of the roots of conflict, and techniques to resolve issues central to their lives and even the greater community.

This follow-on project of CYSCA's Secondary School Partnership to Promote Civil Society was funded by the US Dept. of State, Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs. The participants had been exposed to conflict resolution experiences while on an Inbound Exchange last winter in Belmont and Arlington and during classes taught by Cheryl Shushan, Belmont, during the Outbound Exchange earlier in the summer in Yerevan. Students shared that the introduction to conflict resolution had made an impression on their lives and they requested a continuation of the program to develop further conflict resolution skills that could benefit themselves, their schools, families and community. Students themselves came up with the idea to make posters and produce a video that could be shared with the wider school communities in Armenia.

The Conflict Resolution Workshop was held in School #190 in the SW District and School #65 in the Shengavit region of Yerevan. With nearly perfect attendance by most participants, despite the extremely warm weather, the 12-day program began with an orientation for principals and a 3-day seminar for teachers. After an introduction to various conflict resolution activities, the teachers experienced different teaching approaches and aids including setting up rules for mutual respect and careful listening; facilitating discussion groups, role plays and rotational group learning; and using graphic organizers and a journal to express one's thoughts and experiences in the program. The students attended the last nine days of the workshop, and the teachers-in-training assisted and helped facilitate small group work based on lesson plans they designed. Participants also used educational software that enforced goal setting, taking action steps and making decisions. One participant, Gohar Tovmasyan, a student at School 190, felt, "Though we are all different, we are thinking differently, we have different opinions, so we may not be agree with other people, but I learned that also that we must respect other people's opinions."

During cooperative learning and problem-solving activities, participants enjoyed role-playing scenarios at a peace table. Participants shared conflicts - including those at school, home, among friends, the community and world and discussed whether they were resolved and how. In discussing the two sister cities, Narek Gyurjnian, a participant from School 190, said "I think conflict is everywhere; it doesn't matter (whether it is) here (in Yerevan) or in Cambridge."

Students learned the stages in conflict, comparing it to an escalator; the higher you go up the escalator, the harder it will be to come down. They learned various techniques to deal with conflict and learned about win-win, win-lose, and lose-win approaches to conflict resolution.

One morning, David Nersisyan, a CYSCA Community Connections advertising and graphic arts professional in Yerevan, met with the group and discussed making posters. Later, the students were given a choice (an important aspect of civil society) whether to work alone or with a partner, to decide what they might draw and write when they created their posters about conflict resolution. Completed posters were discussed and later displayed in the classrooms, as well as proudly exhibited in the lobby of Hotel Armenia in Republic Square. The students were happy that visitors from various parts of the world would experience their bright and creative posters and perhaps be influenced by their uniquely portrayed images, thoughts and words related to conflict resolution.

Students improvised their roles and after some rehearsals, their performance "One Conflict in Our School Life" was videotaped. During the filming, the cameraman said how impressed he was with the students' high level of thinking and deep feelings.

Arman Karapetyan from School 65 said, "I like the video very much because we could show what we studied during this program." His classmate Hrayr Papikyan who acted in the video, said "I have learned how to act and to solve conflicts peacefully." During one showing, over 100 people viewed the video on a large screen, with requests that CYSCA conduct such a program at their school in the future

Student Lilit Baghdasaryan from School 190 reflected, "I think that if we want to build a civil society, we must at first stop our conflicts because during a war we can't build anything good. There mustn't be any conflicts and people always must respect each other, be kind and help each other without fighting. And of course we must learn to value the peace and create our civil society together and without conflicts!" Rosetta Avetisyan, a student from School 65, shared, "If everybody in this town will know about it (conflict resolution) then they will use it more in their life." Conflict is certainly something that many people can relate to, no matter where they live.

Participants gained an understanding of conflict and how to resolve conflicts in a peaceful way so that all involved are satisfied with its resolution. When conflicts were acted out or encountered, participants were able to discuss, sit at the peace table, and brainstorm and activate solutions. They were able to express their thoughts. After viewing the students' drafts of their posters, Somerville resident Dave Caruso said, "I'm really impressed with the unique presentations that the young teens are presenting. They seem to range from very simple to very complex feelings that are inside these children and they are very willing to share them with us; it makes me feel there's hope for the future."

At a program co-sponsored by CYSCA and the Boston Branch of the Armenian Students Association on October 25 at the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research in Belmont Nancy spoke about her experiences with the conflict resolution program and her impressions of education in Armenia. She shared portions of the student-made video as well as a news clip on the program that was featured on television in Yerevan. Student-designed posters were displayed and guests were invited to participate in an interactive "conflict resolution" activity.

Nancy also spoke to the Harvard Teachers Network on February 4, together with the Lesley Center for Peaceable Schools, and will make a panel presentation at the Harvard International Research Conference on February 28. The Yerevan students' posters are now on display at Longfellow Hall at Harvard's Graduate School of Education. To invite Nancy to speak to your church or civic organization contact Suzanne Pearce, CYSCA President, at 617-354-7648.