Armenia Tree Project continues to expand its reach through its environmental education programs in different parts of the world. Most recently, ATP held its first lesson in Rostov-on-Don in Russia, and is collaborating with the Armenia Academy at Blair High School in California.

In Rostov-on-Don, the third largest Armenian community in Russia, an Environmental Education lesson was held for schoolchildren at the youth center of the Armenian community, The Armenian Sunday School of the Armenian Youth Community on Don. In attendance were board representatives of the youth organization, including Gevork Grigoryan, who is also an ATP Ambassador in the community.

The lesson was conducted by local teachers and designed by ATP Environmental Education trainers. It featured demonstrations on tree planting, and important information about ecology. The children were delighted to receive ATP t-shirts, Building Bridges newsletters, gifts, as well as seeds to grow at home and later plant at the Armenian Church of Bolshiye Saly.

“Within decades, the kids will grow up, and so will the trees that they’ll plant. This beautiful tradition will be a part of their lives,” said Tsovinar Sargsyan, a teacher at the youth center.

The community will host another lesson soon. The lesson will focus on the incredible lives of bees, and the ATP Environmental Educational team in Yerevan plans to send honey and educational posters made by “Eco-Club” students!

Meanwhile, in California, the Armenian Academy at Blair High School is celebrating and memorializing their establishment as the first Armenian Academy in the United States by planting 50 trees in Armenia through ATP- one for each student in the inaugural class. The trees will be planted at Ashtarak park in Armenia, which is a special park planted by children of the Environmental Educational program.

The Armenian Academy at Blair High School in Pasadena was created in response to community interest in August 2020 for the district to offer an Armenian bilingual high school option. The program provides a unique opportunity to expand Pasadena Unified School District’s bilingual and biliteracy academic options, and Blair High School is the district’s first high school Armenian Dual Language Immersion Program

ATP weaves education and awareness through all of its programs, fostering the next generation of empowered environmental stewards. Whether they are taught inside Armenia or in schools around the world, ATP’s interactive programs aim to raise the environmental consciousness of each and every student in the hopes that responsible behavior and sustainable practices will become an integral part of their lives. The goal is to continue expanding the reach of Environmental Education lessons across different communities around the world.

Armenia Tree Project, established in 1994, is a non-profit organization that revitalizes Armenia’s and Artsakh’s most vulnerable communities through tree-planting initiatives, and provides socio-economic support and growth. It is based in Yerevan, Armenia and has an office in Woburn, Massachusetts. For more information, please visit the website.