AM CALLS staff is making regular monitoring visits to the six communities by providing close oversight and guidance in the process of implementation of small grants. As establishment of Parents’ Clubs was a mandatory component of the projects, AM staff encouraged the grantees to recruit parents who are enthusiastic and open to new initiatives, with sense of community ownership and are willing to allocate time and efforts for that initiative. While recruiting the parents the grantees also considered the status of the family. Thus, women from disadvantaged families with youth at risk were particularly encouraged to participate.
To promote capacity building and parenting skills of the parents involved in the Parents’ Clubs, a Resource Kit was developed by the identified 4 experts. Six copies of the Resource Kit were published and distributed to the six NGOs to pilot and assess the effectiveness of the tools included in the Tools Kit. The NGO representatives were asked to provide their feedback on the usefulness of the Resource Kit during the presentation of the Resource Kit which took place on March 11, 2016.
During its 5-day study visit to the U.S. the group of Armenian professionals had three workshops on the use and administration of YASI, led and facilitated by Jonathan Kidde, the Founder and Manager of Green Omega, his company that provides training technical assistance around restorative justice and effective intervention.
On April 10th a group of six Armenian professionals and two PH staff visited Vermont to learn more about the Youth Assessment and Screening Tool (YASI), to study its usage and administration.
On April 15th, as part of their travel to Vermont the group of Armenian professionals, participating in an exchange program to the U.S. visited South Burlington High School․
From January 26-30, 2016 within the AM CALLS program two US experts, Brian Williams, Assistant Principal of Burlington high school, former Principal of Burlington Sustainable Academy and Jason Lawson, SRO Program Supervisor in Burlington Police Department were invited to Armenia to share their effective experience on School Resource Officer (SRO) program.
“Offenders' Rehabilitation Center” State Non-Commercial Organization of the RA Ministry of Justice (MoJ), based on the positive experience of Parents’ Clubs established at the Abovyan penitentiary within the 2014-2015 AM CALLS project , plans to duplicate that initiative by establishing Parents’ Clubs at Alternative Sanctions Departments in Yerevan and Vanadzor which will promote development of positive parenting skills among female inmates and decrease cases of violence by parents towards their children.
Within the scope of AM CALLS project,starting from December 1, 2015 “Cross of Armenian Unity” NGO in Ejmiatsin has launched the project “Promoting Citizen Initiative in Ejmiatsin”.
Since 2003 Project Harmony in cooperation with RA Juvenile Police and MoES has launched the implementation of legal socialization program through raising the legal awareness among youth, supporting prevention of juvenile delinquency through social justice activities, providing capacity building training for juvenile police officers, as well as strengthening effective collaboration between the school, community and the School Resource Officer.
In addition to implementing the Access program in 3 sites (Nor Hachn, Chambarak and Goris) of Armenia, PH launched the program in 2 new regional sites as well, towns of Yeghvard and Armavir .
The recruitment of students was arranged in November 2016, and 40 bright, innovative, open-minded teenagers aged 13-15 were selected for enrollment into the program to take place throughout mid-November, 2015-December 2016.
Following the selection, Access program presentation meetings were organized with the students and their parents of each site to ensure that the parents are aware of the program specifics and are willing to support their children and the program activities.
