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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Friday, March 25, 2005

AGBU SCHOOLS BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AND ARGENTINA

Canoga Park, CA – The second visit since 1999, Argentinean Armenian
high school students from AGBU Marie Manoogian Institute in Buenos
Aires were invited to Canoga Park, California, to participate in
AGBU Manoogian-Demirdjian School’s Student Exchange Program from
January 22nd to February 12th, 2005. Through the exchange program,
AGBU schools of Southern California and Argentina foster AGBU’s
mission to provide Armenian youth with well-rounded educations that
also expose them to the common values that bind Armenians together.

“We were honored to welcome our Argentinean students,” said Hagop
Hagopian, Principal of AGBU Manoogian-Demirdjian School. “This was an
enlightening experience for everyone involved. As the Argentineans
became exposed to our Southern Californian culture, we also got a
taste of theirs. We hope, through this experience, all the students
created friendships and memories that will last a lifetime.”

Chaperoned by Miriam and Jose Tabakian, 14 Argentineans participated in
Manoogian-Demirdjian School’s integrated exchange program of academic,
cultural, and recreational activities, and were hosted by twelve Los
Angeles-area Armenian families. Over the three weeks, the 14 high
schoolers attended classes, including Armenian Cultural Studies,
English Reading Comprehension, English Composition, English Grammar,
Armenian Music, and a variety of elective courses, including Sports,
Computer, and Junior Achievement. Additionally, group outings were
planned to various destinations, including Disneyland, Universal
Studios, Rodeo Drive, Magic Mountain, AGBU Pasadena Center, and the
Western Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

During August of this year, the academic and cultural exchange will
continue when Manoogian-Demirdjian School students travel to Buenos
Aires for the first time to participate in a comparable program hosted
by AGBU Marie Manoogian Institute.

AGBU Manoogian-Demirdjian School in Canoga Park, California, and AGBU
Marie Manoogian Institute in Buenos Aires, Argentina, are two of AGBU’s
leading Armenian day schools and together offer instruction to over
1,300 students. For more information on AGBU Manoogian-Demirdjian
School, please visit For more information on AGBU
Marie Manoogian Institute, please visit

AGBU is the largest Armenian non-profit organization in the world and
annually touches the lives of 400,000 Armenians. For more information
on AGBU and its schools, please visit