On Sunday, September 25, 2011 the Cambridge Yerevan Sister City Association (CYSCA) hosted a celebration of the 20th Anniversary of Armenian Independence, in collaboration with the Armenian Cultural Foundation (ACF), Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU), Armenian International Women 's Association (AIWA), Armenian Library and Museum of America (ALMA), andNational Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR). The event was held at the Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church on Brattle Street in Cambridge.

CYSCA chairwoman Cheryl Shushan opened the program welcoming the guests and introducing the evening 's mistress of ceremonies, past Massachusetts state representative and Massachusetts Registrar of Motor Vehicles, Rachel Kaprielian. Father Vazken Kouzouian of Holy Trinity church followed with a prayer, in both English and Armenian, blessing the event 's participants, Armenia and its people, Armenia 's government officials, Armenia 's clergy, and members of the Armenian armed forces. The Lord 's prayer (Hayr Mer) was sung by the Arlington - Belmont Chorale led by director Barry Singer and accompanied on the piano by Michael Becker. In her opening comments Rachel Kaprielian observed that, what was a dream 20 years ago is today a reality - an Independent Republic of Armenia. Also present was Reverend Avedis Boynerian, pastor of the Armenian Memorial Church.

Arlington-Belmont Chorale	Left to right- Registrar of Motor Vehicles Rachel Kaprielian, Amb. Rouben Shougarian, State Rep. Alice Wolf	Keynote speaker Amb. Rouben Shougarian addresses audience.

February 24, 2011

On October 5-8, 2010 Yerevan held its first science festival. It was inspired by the visit of its organizer Dr. Gayane Poghosyan to observe the Cambridge Science Festival in the spring of 2010 at CYSCA's invitation, her goal being to gain ideas to take back home. In addition CYSCA gave partial funding to the Yerevan festival. 

Focused on the theme "Towards a Green Economy", the festival was held in conjunction with Armenia's Renewable Energy Week at the Moscow House in Yerevan.The Yerevan Science Festival attracted 4,000 people (2,500 of whom, mostly youth and school children, attended museums on a special day devoted to this). The festival included exhibits showcasing research by academic institutes, universities and professional groups, a conference on the topic "Towards a Green Economy", additional round-tables, a meeting for students and school children with Radik Martirosyan, President of the Armenian National Academy of Sciences, an exhibition and contest of art work made of recycled materials by students, and the museum-visiting day

With this festival, Dr. Poghosyan hopes not only to have promoted interest in science among all ages and sectors of the public, but to provide the basis for Yerevan to network with other cities worldwide about this exciting form of science education. A biologist by training, she is Chief Specialist of the State Committee of Science of the Armenian National Academy of Sciences. 

During her visit Dr. Poghosyan was able to see the nuts and bolts of organizing a science festival event, since CYSCA itself held a panel discussion on the future of fuel cells, inviting a fuel cell expert from Armenia, Agassy Manoukian, CEO of H2Economy to participate, along with three other CEOs of local fuel cell companies-- Radha Jalan of ElectroChem, Inc. and Brad Bradshaw, CEO of Hy9 Corporation, and Charles Myers, President of Trenergi Corp. and interim President of the MA Hydrogen Coalition.

Poghosyan was also able to to attend a meeting with administrators of the Cambridge Science Festival at the MIT Museum, which plays a lead role, and also representatives ofother US science festivals who were observing in Cambridge. The MIT Museum has also created the Science Festival Alliance (see http://www.sciencefestivals.org/) along with UCSD, UCSF, and the Franklin Institute. This network, funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation, works to encourage and promote the organization of science festivals both throughout the US and internationally.

Since Dr. Poghosyan is also Armenia's designated point person for Education for Sustainable Development through the UNESCO Chair of that name, charged with promoting a sustainable development perspective in the entire educational system in Armenia, while she was in Cambridge she held meetings with environmental educators at area universities and NGOs as well as environmental leaders in Cambridge City Government and teachers in the Cambridge School Department.
Besides CYSCA, other funders of the festival were the Armenian State Committee of Science of the Ministry of Education and Science, Renewable Energy and Energy Saving Programs, the Global Ecological Foundation, UN Development Program, and the Center for Ecological-Noosphere Studies of the National Academy of Sciences, which administered the festival.

To see more photos of the Yerevan Science Festival, go to this Flickr link for the Young Biologists Association NGO.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ybango/sets/72157625575745656/with/5251697712/

Artwork made of recycled materials.

June 16,2010

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.- On June 16, the Cambridge-Yerevan Sister City Association (CYSCA) held its 24th Annual Meeting at Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church of Greater Boston, on Brattle St. in Cambridge. The keynote speaker was Brian Corr, executive director of the Cambridge Peace Commission, who serves ex-officio on the CYSCA Board.

May 27, 2010

Dr. Marina Nalbandyan, environmental scientist from Armenia delivered a paper on water quality at the annual conference of the U. S. Society of Civil Engineers in Providence during May 2010 attended by 500 participants. Marina's paper was one of 3 papers selected for presentation at the conference out of 700 applicants.

Marina is an alumnus of the CYSCA US government- funded Community Connections project for environmental specialists in the year 2000 and has been working since then researching Armenia's water quality and supply issues in Armenia.

Following her return to Armenia in 2000 along with colleagues she produced the first of its kind "Environmental Dictionary" in Russian, English and Armenian, a booklet on Environmental fairy tales for teaching kindergarten children, and organized an environmental conference, all with the support of CYSCA.

During her recent trip, Marina was hosted by Paul Boyajian and his wife Christine of Natick, MA. Paul had met Marina in 2000 when CYSCA visited the firm Parson's Engineering, organized by Zareh Maserejian. Paul and Zareh arranged visits for Marina to the MASS Department of Environmental Engineering, water treatment facilities, and professors at MIT during her short visit to the Boston area.

March 21, 2010

A panel discussion featuring the president of a hydrogen fuel cell company from Armenia and two local counterparts will be held on April 29, 2010 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm at the Community Room in the Cambridge Public Library, Main Branch, 449 Broadway,Cambridge. This event, sponsored by the Cambridge-Yerevan Sister City Association (CYSCA),is a part of the fourth annual week-long Cambridge Science Festival which runs April 24-May 2,organized by MIT, Harvard University, the City of Cambridge Public Schools, Public Library, WGBH, and the Museum of Science, Boston.

Admission is free and the public is invited to learn about fuel cells.  Are they a promising piece in the puzzle of moving to a worldwide non-carbon energy future?  Agassy Manoukian, CEO of H2Economy in Armenia will describe innovative work being done by his company; Radha Jalan CEO of Boston-area ElectroChem, Inc. and Brad Bradshaw, CEO of Hy9 Corporation will describe their companies' developments and achievements in this field and all three will report what is happening globally to further hydrogen technology as a practical and economically viable green, alternative energy source.  Charles Myers, President of Trenergi Corp. and interim President of the MA Hydrogen Coalition will moderate the panel.

Accompanying Manoukian to Cambridge from Armenia is another guest of CYSCA, science educator Gayane Poghosyan, the chief specialist of the State Committee of Science of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Armenia who will attend the festival events and meet with its organizers and science educators in the Greater Boston area. Poghosyan is a specialist in biology and environmental issues. For further information contact CYSCA, c/o Alisa Stepanian, e-mail or visit WWW.CYSCA.org

March 18, 2010

The Cambridge-Yerevan Sister City Association (CYSCA) announces publication of a booklet "How to Write a Sound Business Plan" authored by, Mkrdich (Misha) Tadevosyan, Head of Development, Analysis and Risk Management of the Anelik Bank, Yerevan, Armenia

This book, conceived by Misha, was financed by CYSCA. Misha was a participant in a USAID financed Community Connections training program for entrepreneurs from Armenia hosted by CYSCA in 2004, during which he was exposed to USA business practices, especially in the credit approval process by financial institutions . Misha returned to Armenia with ideas that he implemented. This is the second in a series of booklets Misha has produced for Armenia's micro businesses, the first one covering "Easy Use Guidelines for Armenian Entrepreneurs" in its second edition published in 2009 also with financial support from CYSCA.

The driving force behind this publication is Misha's observation that while Armenians have an innate talent for establishing and running businesses, they lack the knowledge of raising capital according to Western standards and norms. There are many such booklets written in English and other languages, but this booklet is the first comprehensive guidebook of its kind written in plain Armenian.

The guidebook serves those who wish to start a business or develop an existing one. It provides a step- by- step process for writing a sound plan that can be used to obtain capital from lenders, attract new investors, as well as to run a successful business. It can also be used as a textbook by educational institutions. It has been prepared for the Armenian business environment and contrasts western-style business plans and the Armenian variant. A chapter has been written on pitfalls to avoid. Included as an appendix are examples of actual business plans of Armenian companies which Misha has experienced as a loan officer at the Anelik Bank representing several sectors, including manufacturing, retail and service companies.

Commenting on his new booklet, Misha stated, "The goal of this booklet is to provide Armenian entrepreneurs with answer to their frequently asked questions, help them develop knowledge and skills, attract investments, obtain loans and improve their efficiency in running a business".

Copies of the booklet in Armenian may be obtain by contacting Mkrtich Tadevosian,Ph.D., at m.tadevosyan@yahoo.com or mkrtich.tadevosyan@anelik.am. Telephone, (37410) 26-60-58 or (37491) 41-13-79.

Photo caption: Mkrtich Tadevosyan at the presentation of his booklet n Armenia

CYSCA received a Certificate of Appreciation dated Feb 1, 2010 from the US AID (Agency for International Development) for its outstanding training of 180 professionals from Armenia under 18 Community Connections projects in many diverse fields since 1998. CYSCA is grateful to the many host families, host training organizations and many other volunteers who have worked hard to make our projects a success.

Certificate of Appreciation from the US AID (Agency for International Development)

October 27, 2009 1:16:50 PM EDT

Cambridge, MA: The Cambridge-Yerevan Sister City Association, Inc. (CYSCA), announces the release of a second edition of a business guide titled, "Easy Use Guidelines for Armenian Entrepreneurs". This guidebook is written in simple everyday Armenian and English for use by entrepreneurs in Armenia to guide them through the steps to establish, finance and run a business in Armenia.

The principal contributor and driving force for this guide is Mgrditch (Misha) Tadevosian, an executive of the Anelik Bank, who had participated in a CYSCA sponsored, U. S. government funded "Community Connections" entrepreneurship training program in Cambridge, MA in 2004. Following his return to Armenia Misha collaborated with other alumni of the CYSCA training program, Irina Belubecyan, Gegham Petrosyan, and Marine Ghaghramanyan, to produce a first of its kind, and much needed, guidebook, for inexperienced entrepreneurs in Armenia, sponsored and funded by CYSCA. This first guidebook was so popular that it was soon out of print and required an updated second edition. In 2009 Misha and his team updated and published a second edition, followed by an English translation, sponsored and funded by CYSCA.

CYSCA obtained the support of the U. S. Peace Corps English language experts in Armenia to assist in the editing of the English version, which resulted in the publishing of this updated English version. During his visit to Armenia in September 2009, CYSCA board member Jack Medzorian accompanied Misha Tadevosyan and former CYSCA board member Saro Khachikian to present 25 copies of the newly printed 2nd edition of the Business Guide English version to Ms. Lee Lacy, country director of the U. S. Peace Corps, for use by Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs). She stated, "We thank Misha, his co-authors, and CYSCA for producing the booklet, which will be an invaluable tool in helping our PCVs in Armenia assist entrepreneurs in the villages, where business knowledge and experience are frequently lacking".

Medzorian commented on the booklet "This project helps us fulfill our ultimate goal in the training of professionals from Armenia, which is to follow-up and implement the knowledge and ideas gained through our "Community Connections" training program". Tadevosian responded, "We are pleased that we were able to utilize the experience we gained during our CYSCA training program to produce this guidebook, which has proven to be very helpful to entrepreneurs in Armenia in running their businesses".

CYSCA was formed in 1987 by a group of concerned citizens of Cambridge, MA and the city of Yerevan, Armenia, who believed that a partnership with a Soviet city would promote peace. In the 22 years that followed, many activities have taken place, including citizens exchanges and training programs for professionals in the fields of education, economics, environment, music, arts, culture, medicine, public health, school aid, youth exchanges, tourism, theater, social work, museum management and humanitarian aid.

From L to R, Stepan S'Hoyan, U. S. Peace Corps, Ms. Lee Lacey, U. S. Peace Corps Country Director, Jack Medzorian, Misha Tadevosian, and Saro Khachikian.

Cambridge, MA, February 23, 2009: The Cambridge-Yerevan Sister City Association, Inc. (CYSCA) announces receipt of a grant for the training of 10 social workers from the 11 regions of Armenia. The grant is sponsored and funded by the USAID under its Community Connections program. The professionals from Armenia will arrive in the Boston area June 3, 2009 for an intensive three-week training program developed by CYSCA aimed at the professional development of social worker skills, especially in practical applications of their work.

The participants will be professional social workers selected competitively from government agencies, NGOs, and academic institutions in Armenia. Social work in Armenia is relatively new, having emerged as a public need since independence in 1991. Yet, while there is adequate theoretical training in Armenia, there is a lack of practical knowledge and experience in social services. The objectives of this project include exposure to public/private partnerships; development of needs assessment capabilities, accountability, feedback, monitoring and evaluation techniques; funding mechanisms; case management and others. The over arching goal is to equip the participants with knowledge of how social services are conducted in the USA and to give them ideas and methodologies they may adapt in Armenia. Another important part of the training program is for CYSCA to assist the participants in developing action plans they can implement in Armenia.

The training program organized by CYSCA will be its 18th Community Connections project for Armenian professionals since 1997. Previous programs have focused on a wide variety of themes such as business, public health, environment, education, tourism and tourism education, business, historic preservation, public health, employment, aviation management, museum management and theater management. Knowledge and ideas acquired by the participants have been shared in Armenia with a wider audience through follow-on programs organized by Community Connections alumni assisted by CYSCA, examples of which are: an Armenia Export Catalog, guidebooks Armenia Investment Guide, How to finance your business, How to start and run your business in Armenia, business skills training program, export marketing seminar, environmental dictionary, environmental education seminar, booklet of Environmental games for children, transportation management CD, statistical survey of businesses in Armenia, business seminars/conferences, museum management conference, and others.

"We are honored that the USAID has again chosen CYSCA to host a Community Connections training project for Armenia", commented Jack Medzorian, CYSCA Program Director. "We know that our programs are successful when we visit Armenia and observe first hand that the knowledge and ideas that our alumni take home are implemented in their own native country. At the same time, we also learn from them, so it is truly a two way street".

In addition to conducting a training program for the social workers, CYSCA will recruit host families to furnish home stays to expose the participants to everyday home life in the USA. Anyone interested in volunteering to host should contact CYSCA staff at the e-mail addresses below. Also, CYSCA will include in its program an "Experience America" sight seeing component to acquaint the participants with the culture, history and values of our American society.

The Community Connections program is sponsored by the U. S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and administered by its programming agent World Learning, Inc. It is designed to promote public diplomacy through the exchange of cultural ideas and values among participants, U. S. families and local community host organizations. It seeks to establish and strengthen links between U. S. communities, Armenia and other former Soviet republics.

Cambridge, Mass. - On Thursday, June 19, a group of theater professionals visiting from Armenia had the opportunity to visit the newest theater in the city of Cambridge and to talk at length with the two artistic directors, who will manage and supervise the productions once the facility opens in late July with its first performance.

The group, accompanied by their translator Armine Medzorian and sponsored by the Cambridge-Yerevan Sister City Association (CYSCA), met with Mimi Huntington, artistic director of the Nora Theater, and Debra Wise, artistic director of the Underground Railway Theater, for a tour of the new Central Square Theater, still under construction, but nearing completion.  The visit was just one stop on a busy three-week program that includes meetings with leading theater companies in Cambridge and Boston, as well as university theater programs and professionals associations and a trip to New York

The creation of the theater, which will have two stages--one seating 250 people and a smaller stage seating 50--represents collaboration between the City of Cambridge, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and private donors.  The new and handsome two-story building on Massachusetts Avenue will house at least two MIT tenants, a restaurant and perhaps a design business, with the bulk of the space devoted to the theater and its offices. The building is state-of-the-art, with dressing rooms,laundry, offices, conference space, a green room, classrooms for community education classes, and of course, the two stages, the larger of which is two stories high and boasts a moveable performance space. In addition to performances, the theater will sponsor play readings, late night cabarets and collaborations with visiting artists and after-school and vacation classes for students in the Cambridge schools.

Explained Wise, "Twelve years ago, we realized that both theaters needed a home.  We also heard that MIT wanted to give back to the community."

Said Huntington, "We started to talk to the MIT real estate office.  We had to learn about their mindset and they had to learn about ours.  We had to find a way to bring a benefit to MIT, while at the same time they would provide the benefit to the community of a cultural resource."

The outcome was a compromise--a low-rent space for the theater and the occupation of some of the space by tenants who pay rent directly to MIT. The Cambridge Historic Commission was also interested in the space as it included the oldest standing wall in Cambridge.  Although that wall could not be preserved, another compromise was the agreement to replicate the old building.

Not surprisingly, the most frequent questions from the Armenian participants involved the issues of fundraising.

Tigran Mikhoyan, director of the Hamazgayin State Theater in Yerevan, wanted to know, "What are the most successful methods of raising money for the theater?"

Wise responded, "One of the best ways to raise money has simply to show people this building.  Once they see it, they realize there is great potential for cultural output.  Secondly, you simply have to have the courage to ask.  And we've done a great deal of outreach to show how the project could be beneficial to the community."

Said Mikhoyan, "You've mentioned several times that this is not just a project to benefit the Nora Theater and the Underground Railway Theater, but that it is truly for the community, for everyone."

Both Wise and Huntington stressed ways in which the theater had connected with local people, both stars and others, to gather support for the project.

Said Wise, "The actor, Matt Damon, came from this neighborhood and went to high school here.  His very first professional engagement was with the Nora Theater.  He cares a lot about this community and he helped a lot with our first big fundraising event in June 2005.  He came with his (then) fiancee (now wife) and his fiancee's mother.  We were able to raise $150,000 at that event."

Wise continued, "Another way we are building a connection between the theater and its donors is to have a mural on the wall with the faces of the donors or the face of someone a donor admires.  One of our first donors chose to depict the abolitionist W.E.B. Dubois, who fought slavery."

Commenting on the differences between the financial situations of theaters in Armenia and the US, Vardan Mkrtichyan, lecturer at the Yerevan State Institute of Theater and Cinema, said, "Economically, there is just no comparison.  Art grows with a strong economy and you need wealthy individuals to make investments in the theater.  There has not been much of a tradition of that in Armenia."

Another area where there is a great difference between American and Armenian professional theater is the question of union protection for actors and stage managers.

Said Mkrtchyan, "In Armenia we have a theater workers union, but it does very little to protect the actors and has almost no power."

Huntington suggested that he search the Internet for the Actors Equity website.  "You can find agreements, contracts, by-laws of their organization, which is a national union that protects actors and stage managers.  You can learn from that model."

Another small but telling difference that involves resources is simply the handling of actors' makeup.  In Armenia, there is perhaps one makeup person for the entire cast.  At the Central Square Theater, each actor has his or her own makeup person and if there is a special prop, such as a large wig, a person is hired just to take charge of that wig.

Man Mkrtchyan, executive director of the International Shakespeare One Man Show Festival in YErevan, said, "The most important thing I am learning here is the way of management and about fundraising, which is so important.  We are just beginning to raise money from private donors in Armenia.  We don't get much from the government although the municipality of Yerevan gives us some money."

  Wise stressed the power of collaboration.  The Nora Theater and the Underground Railway Theater have different missions.  The Nora Theater puts on plays that have already been written--contemporary classics of the past 15 years or so--and sometimes puts on world premieres.

The Underground Railway Theater is more oriented to community theater and chooses plays that "can stir you up," said Wise.

She added, "We want to connect the professional theater with the community."

Some examples of each efforts are the recent production of Lewis Carroll's "Alice"--plays where children were brought in to play some of the smaller parts.  Another was a play about homelessness.

Said Wise, "We did improvs with people who had homes and people who didn't.  We used a lot of puppets."

Another of the company's community-oriented projects was a play about people who have difficulty learning to read, titled "How Do You Spell Hope?"

Vardan Mkrthchyan wanted to know if there was any competition between the two theaters.

Huntington said, "Absolutely not.  We share resources and personnel and work as one in those respects.  That gives us more opportunities for artistic output, but we alternate performances."

Wise said, "We came together to build the theater and to raise some money.  We also hired an executive director who helped us become a more professional organization and we jointly hired a fundraiser."

Tsolak Galstyan, Open Air events manager for the High Fest International Theater Festival in Yerevan said he most appreciated the trip to New York where the group was able to talk to top-level theater professionals and to take in a performance of the musical, "Gypsy."

It was so important to be with successful producers and theater mangers and to learn from them," said Galstyan.  "But back in Armenia, we just have some very basic problems, such as being able to find the right theater spaces.  But I've learned something here about the idea of bringing community people into the theater."

At the close of the presentation, Ruben Babayan, director and art manager of the State Puppet Theater, presented Huntington and Wise with an Armenian stage puppet and thanked them for their efforts.

Other participants in the group included Ruben Abrahamyan, assistant general manager at the State Marionette Theater in Yerevan; Hovik Chakhmakhchyan, director of the State Drama Theater;  Armen Harutyunyan, deputy dean of the Theater and Cinema Department at the Yerevan State Institute of Theater and Cinema; Narine Grigoryan, lecturer at the Yerevan State Institute of Theater and Cinema and Emin Torosyan, chief administrator and deputy director at the Hamazgayin State Theater.

In a brief meeting following the formal visit, Huntington and Wise discussed possibilities for future collaboration with Suzanne Pearce, CYSCA's Board of Directors president.

Said Wise, "We would love to bring a theater group here from Armenia to perform.  And we want to continue to be an active resource for sister city projects and exchanges in Cambridge."

Theater Problems in Armenia

Despite the long, rich history and legacy of excellence in the performing arts, theaters in Armenia have fallen on hard times.  The economic crises following independence in 1991 has had a serious impact on theaters and performing arts in Armenia, which are still nearly all state funded. Furthermore, many theater managers in Armenia are not familiar with new developments in theater management and education.  It is the principal goal of this project to expose the participants to modern practices in the theater and arts, to introduce U. S. cultural and management policies, and encourage international cooperation.

The Training Program

The program will include meetings with theater companies, dramatic arts centers, associations, and universities that will involve seminars, round table discussions, talks, and hands-on training covering specific objectives of the program.  These include: modern best management practices in the theater, fundraising techniques, PR and marketing, innovation  and new techniques, education and the theater, cooperation with universities and businesses, attracting young and talented artists, etc. Also included in the program will be a visit to New York City to meet with performing arts professionals from that great city of dramatic arts and theater.

CYSCA Program Director Jack Medzorian commented, “We are privileged to have been selected to organize this exciting project and look forward to hosting our visitors with great anticipation. We are confident that this will be another successful project, our 16th since 1997, hosting professionals from Armenia and are confident the participants will return to their native country with many new ideas and concepts to implement in their society”

The program also includes a cultural component called “Experience America” to expose the participants to American history, culture, values and everyday life as they visit historic and cultural sites in Greater Boston.  Housing will be provided by local volunteer host families.  Anyone interested to host one of the guests may contact Ms. Taya Battelle, program administrator at 617-277-9548. For more information about the project contact Ara Ghazarians, project manager at 781 646-3090.

CYSCA HOSTS MUSEUM MANAGERS FROM ARMENIA

In June 2007 CYSCA was awarded a grant from the World Learning, Inc. to host ten Museum Managers from Armenia for a 24 day comprehensive training program in Greater Boston. The main goal of the program was to provide visitors with professional training on all aspects of museum management including contemporary methods of exhibiting, fundraising, marketing and promotion of museum activities to attract sponsors and visitors, effective PR, youth education and family programs, modern museum design, new preservation methods, as well as promotion of museum management as part of a program to preserve Armenia’s rich and ancient national heritage and improve tourism development.

The ten visitors (six women and four men) arrived at Logan airport on August 2 for a period of twenty-four days of intense training in New England. They were welcomed by several CYSCA members and volunteers and transferred to the Sheraton Commander hotel in Harvard Square. The first three days the group spent in orientation meetings and tours of the city to get familiar with the public transportation system and locations of some of their upcoming activities. Before placing the visitors with their host families, CYSCA organized a lovely welcome reception at the Sheraton Commander hotel attended by CYSCA Board of Directors, professional training providers, host families and volunteers.

The professional training program began on August 6 with presentations by representatives of the New England Museum Association, Harvard’s Peabody Museum as well as Invivia Company in Cambridge specializing in contemporary display and exhibit designs.

Over the next two and a half weeks the Armenian visitors were involved in many activities and events prepared for them by CYSCA according to a very detailed and comprehensive schedule. The Armenian guests attended presentations and workshops and participated in tours and site visits at the following historical sites, museums and cultural and educational institutions: the Lexington and Arlington Historical Societies, the Minuteman Park in Concord, Adams National Historical Park in Quincy, Harvard’s Fogg Museum, Museum of Fine Arts, Northeast Document Preservation Center in Andover, Museum of African American History, the Children’s Museum, the MIT Museum, the Textile History Museum in Lowell, the Institute of Contemporary Art, and the Science Museum. In addition, the visiting group attended detailed tours at the Armenian Library and Museum of America (ALMA) which houses the largest collection of museum objects related to culture and heritage of the Armenian Diaspora as well as at the Armenian Cultural Foundation (ACF) which serves as a repository of rare collection of historical books and priceless artifacts. There were many highlights of the program: during the exit evaluation meeting the visitors mentioned the Children’s Museum and the Museum of Science as the most impressive because both museums feature well-organized and very creative programs for children and families, innovative display techniques, educational programs in science and art, volunteer programs and effective fundraising campaigns. CYSCA was able to arrange very informative panel presentations with participation of department heads and key specialists at both museums, which were followed by a question and answer period and a demonstration of a specific display or an educational program like an electricity exhibit or a live animal demonstration at the Museum of Science. Another highlight of the program was the visit to the MIT Media Lab and the MIT museum. One of CYSCA’s Board members who is employed by MIT arranged for a very exciting visit to show the participants how a cutting edge technology is being developed and used for contemporary museum design and display in this country and abroad.

CYSCA conducted three Action Plan meetings during which the participants discussed many ideas for follow on projects that they would try to implement in Armenia based on the knowledge and experience they have gained during their stay in the US.

In addition to all the site visits and museum tours the guests participated in a joint forum organized by CYSCA and the Armenian Library and Museum of America. This event gave the participants the opportunity to talk abut their perspective museums, problems and challenges they face and answer many questions by a wider community.

It is worth mentioning that this particular group stood out compared to other groups hosted by CYSCA over the past 10 years: this was a talented vocal group: several guests were excellent singers with beautiful voices – they would sing in the van en route to a site or at a dinner/barbeque, or together with someone whom they just met. While at the Museum of African American History in downtown Boston one of the presenters was so impressed by the group that she sang a beautiful Gospel song in honor of the visitors. This was another highlight of the program which the guests would surely remember for a long time.

CYSCA organized many cultural activities for the guests on weekends and some evenings. They included tours of Harvard Square and Boston downtown, two cookout/barbeque dinners hosted by host families and Board members, additional visits to Boston museums and attractions as well as a sightseeing tour to Boston Harbor Islands. For three weeks the Armenian guests were living with volunteer host families in the Greater Boston area which made it possible for them to experience home life, customs, traditions, diversity and history of the US. Many host families developed a very good relationship with their guests, they became close friends and are planning to go to Armenia for future visits. One of the visitors was a double amputee, disabled person who could move around in a wheelchair. All her needs were completely satisfied thanks to CYSCA’s outstanding volunteers Jirair and Carol Babikyan who covered many challenging logistics.

At the end of the program CYSCA held a comprehensive Evaluation and Action plan meeting. The participants went over many aspects of the program and filled out detailed Evaluation forms that were mailed to the World Learning immediately after the planned schedule of activities was completed.

As has been CYSCA’s long-standing tradition, the end of the program in Boston was marked by a lovely farewell dinner for the guests, their internship providers, host families, CYSCA Board and many volunteers. During the farewell dinner all the visitors expressed their gratitude to the US funding organizations: the USAID and the World Learning for providing financial support for such important projects and to CYSCA for successful organization and implementation of the professional training program. Many beautiful Armenian songs were sung at the dinner, and in general it was a warm, emotional and very inspiring event.

The group departed on August 24, 2007 back to Armenia after warm and heartfelt good-byes at Boston Logan airport.

GRANT RECEIVED FOR NEW SCHOOL-TO-SCHOOL DIALOGUE ON THE NILE RIVER BASIN.

From February to April 2006, student after-school clubs at Cambridge Rindge & Latin High School and School #190 in Yerevan will address a topic that is farther afield from their own daily concerns, and far from their own national boundaries, but is of global significance. They will research and take on the roles of the ten African countries that depend on the water of the Nile Basin. Through email they will enter into a mock negotiation to agree on how to share access to the water. The advisor in Cambridge will be Aren Ghazarian, an alumnus of the CYSCA summer program who has experience working in a number of international settings, and a deep interest in conflict resolution. Overall Coordinator is Joanne Hartunian.

Partial funding for this project was received through a grant given by Hewlett Packard to Sister Cities International to fund four sister-cities partnerships to promote global citizenship and community leadership in young people worldwide. The other partnerships are: Rice Lake, Wisconsin with Zamberk, Czech Republic; San Diego, California with Jalalabad, Afghanistan and Sebastopol, California with Chihirin, Ukraine . In addition, four students from each partnership will be selected to take part in SCI's 50th Anniversary International Youth Summit on Global Citizenship in July, which is part of SCI's 50th Anniversary Conference.