Armenia Tree Project
57/5 Arshakunyats Street
Yerevan, Armenia 0026
Tel: (37410) 44-74-01
Email: info@armeniatree.org

PRESS RELEASE
March 6, 2006

`Regional Environmental Center’ Hosts Official Launch of ATP Environmental
Education Curriculum

YEREVAN–The Regional Environmental Center for the Caucasus
() hosted the official release of Armenia Tree Project’s
new environmental education curriculum, `Plant an Idea, Plant a Tree,’ on
March 30. The curriculum was developed last year by Armenia Tree Project
(ATP) in collaboration with Karla Wesley, PhD.

The curriculum was recently approved as a teacher’s manual for use in public
schools all over Armenia by the Ministry of Education and Science. In
addition to Dr. Wesley and ATP Environmental Education Program Manager
Gayane Ghukasyan, many others who contributed to the development of the
publication were present, including Luba Balyan of the Birds of Armenia NGO
and Sirvard Mamikonyan of the USDA’s Center for Agribusiness and Rural
Development.

The event was attended by representatives from the Ministry of Education,
Yerevan State University, World Wildlife Fund and other NGOs, as well as
teachers and principals from various schools. The Royal Netherlands Embassy
funded the printing of the curriculum for each school in Armenia, and many
of the guests were interested in obtaining additional copies from ATP.

Dr. Gayane Ghukasyan welcomed the participants and announced that 1,450
schools in Armenia will receive the book for use in its environmental
education program. She explained that ATP has already established
cooperation with 13 schools, which are using the publication in their youth
clubs.

Karen Melkonyan, head of the curriculum evaluation department of the
Ministry of Education expressed his appreciation for the interactive methods
in the curriculum, and recommended it to all schools in Armenia. `One of the
advantages of this publication is the new teaching methods suggested which
create better and long lasting understanding,’ stated Dr. Melkonyan. `The
author has studied Armenian culture and nature–which is very
gratifying–and used it as examples in the curriculum.’

`Armenian culture at its best reveals the relationship between human being
and nature. That is why children of Armenia should not forget about the
magnificent culture they inherited to preserve and be proud of,’ replied Dr.
Wesley in her remarks.

`This publication presents very informative and useful material that can be
used by all educators dealing with scientific subjects in schools throughout
Armenia,’ stated Anahit Bakhshyan, the principal of School No. 27, who also
commended ATP and the creators of the curriculum.

An electronic version of ATP’s environmental education curriculum is
available in English and Armenian at the following link:

PH OTO CAPTION: (L to R) Contributors Sirvard Mamikonyan and Luba Balyan, ATP
Foundation President Susan Klein, curriculum lead author Karla Wesley, ATP
Environmental Education Program Manager Gayane Ghukasyan, translator Gayane
Zavaryan, and ATP Community Tree Planting Program Manager Anahit Gharibyan