Armenia Tree Project
57/5 Arshakunyats Street
Yerevan, Armenia 0026
Tel: (37410) 44-74-01
Web:
Armenia Tree Project
65 Main Street
Watertown, MA 02472 USA
Tel: (617) 926-TREE
Email: info@armeniatree.org
PRESS RELEASE
May 23, 2006
ATP Breathes Life Into Environmental Education in Armenia by Organizing
Training for Teachers and Tree-Planting Guidance for Communities
YEREVAN–After publishing its environmental education curriculum, `Plant an
Idea, Plant a Tree,’ for public school students, Armenia Tree Project (ATP)
sponsored a special teacher training course on April 25-29 to explain how to
use the teacher’s manual.
A total of 16 teachers from Yerevan and the regions of Syunik, Lori, and
Kotayk participated in the `Training of Trainers,’ organized by Dr. Gayane
Ghukasyan, ATP Environmental Education Program Manager.
In his welcoming speech, ATP Director of Operations Vache Kirakosyan
emphasized the importance of teaching the environmental education curriculum
in local schools, and thanked all attendees for participating with ATP.
`Your cooperation is very important to increase the awareness of
environmental issues, specifically among Armenia’s youth,’ he stated. `As a
result of our work together, we may reap fruit in the very near future. The
assistance received from such motivated and devoted educators as yourselves
is another step toward improving the ecological situation in our country.’
All lessons were based on the contents of ATP’s environmental education
curriculum, which is available online at
The lessons were designed for
students in grades 4-9 in more than 1,400 schools throughout Armenia.
The workshop was also attended by Artashes Torosyan and Marine Aghajanyan
from the Ministry of Education and Science, Amalia Poghosyan from the
Armenia Social Investment Fund, and ATP supporter Joseph Matossian of
California.
The honored guests expressed their appreciation and admiration to the
teachers and the presenters. Artashes Torosyan expressed his confidence in
the preparation of the teachers, who will be going on from the workshop to
conduct similar training for their colleagues.
Vache Kirakosyan presented `Certificates of Participation’ to each of the
trainees, thanking them for their input and enthusiasm during the workshop.
Anonymous evaluation sheets revealed that the participants were very pleased
with the content and process of the training.
`It would be an honor for me to continue collaborating with the ATP
Environmental Education Program, as I feel this gives me an overall
understanding of a new methodology along with practical advice which I will
definitely apply in my teaching activity,’ wrote one teacher in the
evaluation. Another teacher believed the program should be expanded to the
governmental level under the slogan `Our Planet Belongs to Us.’
In addition to the environmental education training course, ATP’s Spring
tree planting campaign was accompanied by trainings organized by the
Community Tree Planting (CTP) Program at 19 sites all over Armenia. A total
of 1,334 community residents participated in the ATP trainings.
To ensure a high survival rate of trees at sites, ATP created guidelines on
tree planting and care. Prior to planting, CTP staff distributed the
information to local residents and trained them on topics such as the
special care different varieties of trees require, proper depth for planting
new seedlings, how often to irrigate seedlings, and how to monitor the
growth of the trees.
According to ATP site monitor Seyran Honhannisyan, `I was astonished to see
the children so well acquainted with planting techniques. Our training
allowed the children to get not only theoretical but also practical
knowledge. While putting seedlings in the soil, they were asking us great
questions regarding insects, plant diseases, and applicable pesticides, so
we had an opportunity to educate them even further on tree care.’
PHOTO CAPTIONS
1. (EE training.jpg) Armenia Tree Project organized a training course to
show teachers from Syunik, Lori, Kotayk, and Yerevan how to use its new
environmental education curriculum
2. (Kurtan village.jpg) Armenia Tree Project staff organized a training and
tree planting with the kindergarten class at Kurtan village
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress