June 2015 was a month of highlights and intensive learning for 60 (54 core students and 6 alternative students) Armenian students enrolled in the Access English Microscholarship Program implemented by PH International. Throughout June 28-30, 60 high students and their teachers from 3 regional towns of Armenia, Nor Hachn in Kotayk region, Goris in Syunik region, and Chambarak in Gegharkunik region, the three program sites, got together with Mariam Martirosyan, PHI’s Program Manager and the support facilitators (Kristina Abrahamyan, the English instructor of Nor Hachn group, Margarita Abgaryan, the English instructor from Goris, and Asya Torosyan, the English instructor of Chambarak group) in a central camp in Aghveran, a regional resort complex, to participate in intensive English language summer camps organized within the two-year English Access Microscholarship Program. The program offers the only free-of-charge option for English classes in most of the participants’ communities.
On June 10, 2015, the AM CALLS staff conducted a wrap-up meeting with the 14 trainers who received a ToT on “Non-violent Parenting and Conflict Resolution” back in April and successfully transferred their knowledge to almost 80 peers in their respective regions.
Specialists from the “Offenders' Rehabilitation Center” State Non-Commercial Organization of the RA Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and penitentiary institutions of Armenia came together on May 22 to discuss the successes and outcomes of the project “Establishment of Parents’ Club among Imprisoned Women in Abovyan Penitentiary” within the AM CALLS Community Grants component implemented by PH International through INL funding.
On May 15, 2015, the “Offenders' Rehabilitation Center” State Non-Commercial Organization of the RA Ministry of Justice (MoJ) organized the final event of the project “Establishment of Parents’ Club among Imprisoned Women in Abovyan Penitentiary” within the AM CALLS Community Grants component funded by PH International, during which the incarcerated parents participated in the parenting trainings received certificates. The library developed within the project was enriched with new books, tales and development games for children who will be visiting their imprisoned mothers.
Following the ToT on “Non-violent Parenting and Conflict Resolution” in April, the 14 trained professionals conducted two day regional trainings to 70-75 specialists: community-based educators, social workers, psychologists, and juvenile police officers. The trainings were successfully conducted in 7 regions, during which the 14 trained specialists transferred the new skills and knowledge on positive parenting and conflict resolution to their peers from their respective communities.
Throughout April 14-17, 2015 within the AM CALLS program, a 4-day training of trainers (ToT) on “Non-violent Parenting and Conflict Resolution” was organized for 14 regional trainers. The trainers who were mainly sociologists, social workers and educators, were selected from the 7 sites where currently the AM CALLS program is active: Yerevan, Ejmiatsin, Metsamor, Gyumri, Vanadzor, Tchambarak and Kapan. The training was conducted by Anush Aleksanyan,an experienced psychologist,training expert at the National Institute of Education under the Ministry of Education and Science of the RoA and the Founding Director of the psychological center “Yerkusov” (www. 2ov.am).
On March 9, within the AM CALLS project, the “Offenders' Rehabilitation Center” State Non-Commercial Organization of the RA Ministry of Justice (MoJ) organized an event called “Motherhood and Childhood” at the Abovyan penitentiary where female convicts carry out their sentence
Starting from February 2015, the PH Armenia staff have been visiting all seven project sites to monitor the small grants implementation. The grantees are actively collaborating with the PH International by providing their schedule of activities and major events. PH International, in its turn, besides making monitoring visits, provides them ongoing technical assistance to ensure smooth implementation of the projects.
Throughout December 3-6, 2014, a group of 10 Armenian police officers working with juveniles, accompanied by two PH staff, traveled to Tbilisi, Georgia, to participate in a Georgia based exchange for School Resource officers (SROs) organized by PH International within the INL-funded "Armenia Community Actions and Linkages for Legal Socialization" (AM CALLS) program. The Armenian group spent two productive days in Tbilisi, visiting different crime prevention institutions and observing legal socialization lessons, developed and conducted at schools by the Georgian police officers and teachers, within the Georgian CALLS program.
Throughout October 10-11 and then October 24-25, 2014 respectively, two trainings were organized for 20 School Resource Officers (SRO), assigned to Yerevan and Ararat high schools. The training was organized within Armenia CALLS program and aimed to improve communication and project development skills of SROs, as well as equip them with conflict prevention and conflict resolution skills in the school environment.
