Better Conditions for Future Artists

Project Leader: Elizabet Mamikonyan ’13 (Yerevan, Armenia)

Event Location: Dilijan, Armenia

FLEX GYSD Grant Funding: 500$

Cost Share: 675$

Summary: FLEX alumna Elizabet Mamikonyan ’13 organized a GYSD event to support the Dilijan Art School.  The event took place on April 12 with the help of famous Armenian artist Aram Mehrabyan, who taught approximately 30 art school students about modern art history. The project was organized by 15 volunteers, including 8 FLEX alumni.

As part of the project Elizabet bought supplies for the Dilijan Art School with GYSD grant money. Because of a lack of financial resources, the art school cannot provide necessary materials for the students. Volunteers also donated books collected during a book drive, which was organized earlier.

As part of the project, the Tsirani Cultural Hub bought web hosting and a domain for the art school to create its own website.  The Dilijan Art School website should be ready very soon, displaying all the great work done by its students. The website will serve as a sustainable source of income, allowing the school to sell artwork, to provide funding for new materials for the students.

The organizers are planning to continue their project in other regions of Armenia.

Another Step to Communication and Knowledge

Another Step to Communication and Knowledge

Aizhan Orozbakieva ’12 (Karakol, Kyrgyzstan)

Event Location: Karakol, Kyrgyzstan

FLEX GYSD Grant Funding: 160$

Cost Share: 90$

Karakol, Kyrgyzstan - Aizhan Orozbakieva '12 presenting

FLEX Alumna Aizhan Orozbakieva ’12 organized an event to raise computer and social media literacy among orphans from Karakol. Aizhan spoke about modern technologies, internet innovations, useful websites and search engines such as Google, Bing and Yandex. The alumna also presented the FLEX program and the Global Youth Service Day to an audience of eight students from a local orphanage. During the presentation, invited speakers Sergei Trifemecey and Anastasiya Stycenko showed the audience how to create an email account and sign up for Facebook. The speakers also covered Google products, such as Gmail, Google Drive and Google Maps. Students were then asked to employ their newly-acquired internet searching skills to collect and present information about the dangers of smoking, alcohol, drugs and general infomration about Global Youth Service Day. 

Karakol, Kyrgyzstan  - team working on their research

After the event, participants were given books about different topics for their orphanage library. The event took place on April 12, at the American Corner in Karakol.

We are thankful to youth volunteer organization Leadership and the American Corner in Karakol for making this event possible.

Random act of kindness!

Remember I have told you that projects without big outside funding can be great, exciting and have a big impact on someone's life? Also, they are not hard to prepare and do not require a lot of time! Here is a proof!

On March, 8, - International women's day - Moscow FLEX alumni and other students randomly decided to give out flowers to local women on the street. It is a very simple gesture, but it can make anyone happy for the rest of the day or even longer! Especially elderly people, who are not getting a lot of attention even on holidays and feel so lonely. I do not think that you need any more words to describe the project, just look at the pictures yourself and see the joy and happiness on people's faces!