Discover the Caucasus – Edition 8
Every year, before the academic year, the “Youth Cooperation Center of Dilijan” NGO hosts volunteers within the European Solidarity Corps program. Volunteers from Germany are generally hosted for 10-12 months.
The volunteers primarily engage with children and youth within the community, orchestrating informal educational and recreational activities aimed at acquainting local youth with European culture and values.
The goals of the “Discovering the Caucasus” project are:
– To empower young people by equipping them with relevant knowledge and resources
– Promote solidarity between young people from different countries, cultures, social and educational backgrounds
– Contribute to the spread and internationalization of educational youth programs offered by non-governmental youth organizations operating in the South Caucasus.
Frank Martin and Joshua Heck from Germany joined our organization in 2022-2023. They have been living and volunteering in Dilijan and neighboring communities since September 2022.
Frank Martin
Frank is 24 years old, a historian/political scientist by profession. He likes to cook, climb mountains, and read books.
Read about Frank’s first 6 months of volunteering below:
Joshua Heck
Joshua is 23 years old, studied industrial engineering, and likes learning new languages, reading, playing the guitar.
Read about Joshua’s first 6 months of volunteering below:
For several years, the YCCD NGO has been implementing the “European Club” program in collaboration with young European volunteers engaged in voluntary service in Armenia.
Under this initiative, educational and recreational clubs have been established in schools located in the Haghartsi, Teghut, and Shamakhyan areas of Dilijan community in Tavush region. The primary aim is to acquaint school-age children with the history, geography, and governmental structure of various European Union countries through informal education.
During each session, children explore a different EU country through engaging, innovative, and enjoyable educational games and methods. Additionally, these clubs foster the development of teamwork, communication, cross-cultural understanding, creativity, and critical thinking skills among the children.
Volunteers lead the club sessions in English with the assistance of an interpreter, and meetings are convened once a week at the respective school premises within the community.
Below are photos taken during the 2022-2023 academic year in the schools of Teghut, Haghartsin and Shamakhyan settlements of Dilijan.
IRELAND
POLAND
FINLAND
ROMANIA
GERMANY
LATVIA, LITHUANIA, ESTONIA
THE KINGDOM OF DENMARK
MID-TERM SUMMARY:
In each school, a midterm review was conducted on the European countries already passed.
The club participants presented 10 European countries studied so far by their choice, which was followed by the “Millionaire” game, built around the 10 countries, which was an interesting and innovative way for the participants to test their knowledge of Europe.
FRANCE
NETHERLANDS
HUNGARY
GREECE & CYPRUS
SPAIN
CZECH REPUBLIC AND SLOVAKIA
SWEDEN
SIGNING MOUs
The “Youth Cooperation Center of Dilijan” has officially signed memorandums of cooperation with Dilijan Vakhtang Ananyan Secondary School No. 5 and Haghartsni Secondary School.
These memorandums outline a commitment to enhanced collaboration, particularly in the areas of youth skill development, non-formal education implementation, and the execution of socially oriented projects.
ITALY&MALTA
For several years, Europe Day has been celebrated across various regions of Armenia, symbolizing peace and unity. On May 9th, in honor of Europe Day, the “Youth Cooperation Center of Dilijan” NGO, in collaboration with its volunteers, German Josh and Frank, organized a commemorative event.
The event adopted an informal format, focusing on the European Union, its objectives, cultural diversity, cooperation with Armenia, and intriguing facts. Catering to both adults and children, a dedicated pavilion was set up where young visitors engaged in painting the flags of European member states, blending learning with enjoyment.
Members of the “European Club” played a pivotal role by imparting their knowledge to event attendees. Additionally, visitors participated in typical European games such as Mölkky and Kubb, along with experiencing Bulgarian and Irish national dances, offering them a deeper insight into European culture.
Special appreciation is extended to the Dilijan Tourist Information Center for their invaluable support in making the event a success.
EUROPEAN CORNERS
Upon the initiative of the “Youth Cooperation Center of Dilijan” NGO, European corners have been established in Dilijan’s Vakhtang Ananyan Secondary School No. 5 and Haghartsni Secondary School.
These corners are furnished with maps detailing historical and cultural facets distinctive to each European Union member state, alongside an array of materials and books about Europe.
Gratitude is extended to the embassies of Sweden, Germany, and the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Armenia for generously providing didactic materials and art books in support of this endeavor.
CLUB SUM UP EVENTS
Throughout the 2022-2023 academic year, the “European Club” operated within Dilijan V. No. 5 named after Ananyan, Haghartsni, and Teghut secondary schools. These sum-up events served as platforms to consolidate the knowledge acquired over the year concerning the European Union and its member states.
The events were designed to be interactive, featuring traditional European dances, songs, and concise informational presentations, creating engaging and informative experiences for participants.
The “Discovering the Caucasus” European Solidarity Corps project is implemented by the “Youth Cooperation Center of Dilijan” NGO in cooperation with the German “European Intercultural Forum” organization.
The project is financed by the EU Erasmus Plus program, the German National Agency.