SYUNIK, Armenia – A project organized by Ms. Varduhi Ohanjanyan, a teacher at #5 Primary School in Kapan, was a winner of the Environmental Education Micro Project Competition. The project, titled “Shikahogh,” involved about 120 schoolchildren from Kapan Primary School #1 and Primary School #5.
The project consisted of four visits to local environmental institutions in Kapan, including: NGOs; the National Polytechnic University of Armenia’s Kapan branch; and field trips (including trips to Shikahogh State Reserve). The schoolchildren also conducted research on three rivulets’ biodiversity. Students presented their findings and results in a final event organized at the end of the project.
The project was one of the 10 winners of the Environmental Education Micro Project Competition. The winning projects represent the best from a pool of 130 applications from across the country. The competition was administered by the AUA Acopian Center for the Environment. A selection team, comprising EEN members, reviewed and made the final decisions on the competition’s winners.
The competition is financially supported by the Norwegian Embassy Small Grant Program. The aim of the Norwegian grant is to develop environmental education capacities in Armenia, including the establishment and strengthening of the Environmental Education Network (EEN), a learning partnership between civil society, educational institutions, government, and international organizations.
The AUA Acopian Center for the Environment (AUA ACE), a research center at the American University of Armenia, promotes the protection and restoration of the natural environment through research, education, and community outreach. AUA ACE’s focus areas include sustainable natural resource management, biodiversity and conservation, greening the built environment, clean energy, and energy efficiency, as well as information technology and the environment.
