What does it mean to start a movement? Is it the number of followers you have or the funding you receive? Or is it, perhaps, the noticeable and powerful change you create in people’s quality of life, skills, and perspectives?
We were invited to spend the day with Teach for Armenia, a non-profit organization committed to delivering high-quality education in rural communities in Armenia and fostering a movement of leaders throughout the country. Founded in 2013 by Larisa Hovannisian, the organization currently places over 150 teacher-leaders in 115 schools nationwide. During the two-year program, Teacher-Leaders earn a teaching certificate, and some also participate in a unique Master’s in Teacher Leadership program developed in collaboration with Yerevan State University. Although most Teacher-Leaders are recent university graduates, Teach for Armenia also recruits professionals and experienced teachers looking for professional development experience who can make a difference in their local schools and communities.
“We at Teach for Armenia envision an Armenia and a free Artsakh where all students can access an excellent education. Our mission is to build a movement of people to bring that vision to life by increasing educational opportunities all over the country, not just in and around Yerevan,” shares Head of Development Katrina Shakarian.
After discussing some of the challenges facing Armenia’s education system with Katrina and Managing Director of Advancement Talin Baghdadlian, we headed to one of their partner schools in the village of Aragatsavan, located near the northwest border of Turkey. After a warm welcome from the leadership and students of Aragatsavan Secondary School, we sat in on an English class led by Teacher-Leader Tamara Margaryan. Unlike other classrooms where students doze off in their chairs and daydream about the lunch menu, Tamara’s group was bursting with energy. Hands shot up in the air at every opportunity, and students enthusiastically helped one another form words and sentences. To conclude the lesson, each student named a strength or value they admired in the person sitting next to them. “I believe in the power of positive change. I’m going to keep giving this kindness I’ve received from Teach for Armenia to my students, creating an unbreakable chain for generations to come,” shares Tamara.
Tamara was introduced to Teach for Armenia by her daughter and is now in the first year of her Teacher-Leader journey. Upon completing the program, she will join a group of 404 Alumni-Ambassadors – graduates of the Teach for Armenia program – who go on to influence education and other sectors at every level of leadership. “This organization not only helps students but also impacts the lives of educators,” she says. The Teacher-Leader believes that an educated generation is key to the collective’s survival and well-being. “Our future depends on them.”
By the end of our visit, we were convinced that a movement can only thrive with a community of like-minded individuals who share common values. From the team’s passion for structural change to the commitment of Teacher-Leaders like Tamara, Teach for Armenia’s mission of transforming students’ lives is embodied in the people who devote their efforts to making this vision a reality.
At Kaitzak, we believe that healthy communities are multi-layered and that, to achieve flourishing, we must attend to the needs of all members of the group. Teach for Armenia’s focus on cultivating leadership at every level, expanding access to education, and working within existing structures and institutions exemplifies what meaningful change looks like – on a micro and macro scale.
To learn more about and donate to Teach for Armenia, head to teachforarmenia.org.
