Tucked into Armenia’s Armavir Province, the village of Lernagog is modest in size but rich in quiet milestones. Once known mainly for its sunflower fields and agricultural rhythms, Lernagog was one of the first villages where COAF expanded in 2006—beginning with a school renovation inaugurated in the presence of the Armenian president. In 2012, it became the first Armenian village to host a Creativity Lab, a digital innovation space pioneering new modes of learning.
A month into the school year, the village is still shaking off summer. Tractors rumble at the edge of harvested fields, and walnut trees litter the ground with fading leaves. On his way to school, 15-year-old Davit walks past the church, past the small park, past the quiet that usually fills his days. It’s the same path he takes everyday, but today is different—he’s running for Minister of Culture in his school’s student council elections, and he’s bringing his campaign speech in one hand and a newfound sense of agency in the other.
A New Generation of Citizens
More Than an Extracurricular
What’s happening in Lernagog is part of something much bigger. COAF’s Civic Education program has been active in over 30 villages for nearly 15 years. In 2025, the Student Council Program runs in 8 villages across Armenia’s Armavir region: Hatsik, Myasnikyan, Dalarik, Lernagog, Aghavnatun, Lenughi, Nalbandyan, and Shenik.
The program is about transforming attitudes—awakening the citizen in the student, replacing indifference with initiative, and passivity with participation.
From “Let Them Do It” to “We Choose”
“Before, it was often, ‘Let this kid do it, they’re good,’” explains Shushan, Head of COAF’s Civic Education Program, describing what candidate naming used to look like at most schools.
“We teach them what it means to actually choose—to think critically, to run a campaign, and to believe their voice matters. Now they propose candidates and vote based on merit.”
A Real Election, With Real Lessons
Each school year kicks off with a full-scale democratic election. Students nominate candidates, run campaigns, and cast votes anonymously. COAF ensures the process is fair—but more importantly, formative.
Students assume roles like president, treasurer, secretary, and ministers of education, culture, and health. More than anything, they learn that they have the power to shape their school—and community.
From Voting to Vision: How the Program Works
Weekly Learning in Action
Once elections are complete, the real work begins. Students from grades 7 to 12 form councils and, with COAF’s support, embark on a year-long journey in leadership and project-building.
Each week, councils participate in interactive sessions on:
- Leadership and civic responsibility
- Project planning and teamwork
- Community needs assessment
- Decision-making and communication
From Ideas to Implementation
They brainstorm. They debate. They research. They ask classmates what needs to change—then design a plan to make it happen. Some ideas start small: repainting a classroom or organizing a hygiene awareness day. Others turn into full-scale, multimedia projects that ripple beyond the school walls.
Leadership Through Experience
What makes COAF’s model different is that students aren’t just invited to participate—they’re trained to lead. They learn to speak publicly, manage a budget, navigate group dynamics, and measure the impact of their work.
And along the way, they discover something many rural youth haven’t often been told: your voice matters here.
What Students Are Creating
In 2024, student councils from four COAF-supported schools completed projects that showed just how far a good idea—and a little support—can go.
Sardarapat: Mapping Their Homeland
The Sardarapat Student Council created an interactive website to promote tourism in Armavir. The platform helps visitors navigate local sights, museums, restaurants, hiking trails, and wineries—with everything presented on a user-friendly map.
“We realized even people from nearby villages didn’t know how much Armavir has to offer,” one student shared. “We wanted to change that.”
Norapat: Portraits of a Community
In Norapat, students turned their camera lenses on their neighbors. The “Notable People of Norapat” video series features bakers, artists, musicians, and everyday heroes whose stories define the spirit of the community.
“These are the people we see every day, but never really notice,” a student said. “Now everyone sees how important they are.”
Yervandashat: Learning Through Play
The Yervandashat Council developed Imastik, an interactive quiz game designed to teach soft skills, democracy, and media literacy. The game challenges users to assess fake news, test financial literacy, and pass a final “democracy exam.”
“We even tested it on our younger siblings,” one team member laughed. “They got hooked.”
Bagaran: Demystifying the Council
In Bagaran, the student council decided to help other students understand how councils work and why they matter. Their video series breaks down everything from how to run an election to how to work with teachers and parents to make real change.
More Than a Program—A Shift in Mindset
The Student Council initiative is one of four components in COAF’s Civic Education Model, alongside:
- Debate Clubs
- Professional Orientation
- Social-Financial Education
Together, these components aim to cultivate not just knowledge, but agency and a slew of soft skills. For rural youth, who often feel distant from decision-making processes, that shift in mindset is transformative.
They begin the year as students. By the end, they see themselves as leaders, problem-solvers, and contributors to their communities.
“They’re not just managing school events,” said Shushan. “They’re rethinking what it means to belong, and what it means to lead change.”
Why It Matters
In many rural regions, students grow up feeling like the important decisions are always made elsewhere. COAF’s Student Council program is proof that leadership can—and should—start right here, in the classrooms, the place where tomorrow’s leaders spend most of their time.
Follow along and support COAF’s Civic Education initiatives as we continue to help build a generation that understands democracy, practices civic responsibility, and believes in their ability to shape the world around them.
