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PRESS RELEASE

Friday, August 25, 2006

AGBU GENERATION NEXT MENTORSHIP PROGRAM ACHIEVES NEW HIGHS

GLENDALE, CA – Living up to its mission, AGBU Generation Next
Mentorship Program continues to provide its participants with
innovative and productive group activities throughout the
summer. Moreover, the Program has benefited from the addition of an
enthusiastic new Director, Ara Arzumanian, who has been extremely
pleased with the overall results and commitment demonstrated by the
mentors.

"We have a great group of youth and a tight-knit team of dedicated
mentors," said Arzumanian. "When I assumed my position this past
March, I knew I had my work cut out for me, but I didn’t expect that
we would experience such growth in such a short amount of time. In
fact, during these past four months, we participated in an improv
comedy show, took the students to a theatrical performance, a
photograph exhibit, had a game day at the park, and put on a great
artistic showcase-our biggest ever. We also recruited seven new
mentors and have 10 more ready to get started this month."

In addition to these achievements, the Program received funding from
the Glendale Unified School District, and obtained scholarships for
seven Generation Next youth to participate in personal development
courses, and two students to attend summer camp.

Recently, Generation Next students participated in a Bullying
Awareness Workshop spearheaded by Melina Sardar of Ark Family Center,
Inc. Sardar is Chair of the Glendale Community Action Against Bullying
Committee (CAAB), a coalition of which Generation Next is also a
member. On that day, the students learned about the various forms
bullying can take, and were taught how to deal constructively with
potential situations.

The following week, Generation Next partnered with We Care For Youth,
a long-standing youth program in Glendale, to bring together Armenian
and Latino youth, and address issues of interethnic violence in their
local community. Recognizing the tension that has resulted in many
instances of violence over the past decade, AGBU Generation Next
Mentorship Program took the initiative to address this issue by
exploring the root causes of the hostility.

The fruitful summer culminated with a trip to Malibu Creek State Park,
where both mentors and mentees overcame personal fears and limitations
by climbing a 40-foot tall cliff. "I was thoroughly impressed with our
youth," commented Arzumanian. "Almost all of them made it to the
top. With no prior rock climbing experience, these kids climbed a
completely vertical rock face, 40 feet into the skyline, an exercise
to prove to themselves that they can accomplish any goal that their
mind can conceive." Champions Sports Adventure Programs, which
facilitated the activity, co-owner Brad Lupien explained the goal of
the experience by saying, "When faced with the challenge of trusting
the rock climbing equipment, the climbing guides, their peers and,
most importantly, themselves, the AGBU teens demonstrated both a
phenomenal ability to work together and an immeasurable amount of
self-confidence."

With his eye on the future, Arzumanian is optimistic: "We’re looking
forward to continuing a great year, and working with all types of
organizations. Things are going well for Gen Next. We’re going to
recruit mentors and raise money, and if anyone out there wants to
help, roll up your sleeves and give me a call."

For more information on AGBU Generation Next, please call (626)
794-7942 or visit

For more information on AGBU and its other youth programs, please
visit