Elen Kharatyan from the village of Dsegh in Lori first stepped into the SMART Center at just eight years old—and she hasn’t been away for long since.
She says every program at SMART has something special to offer, but the ones closest to her heart are Dance, Drawing, and Russian. Right now, she’s especially excited about joining the AgriTech program.
“I love plants, but I don’t really know how to take care of them properly,” she admits with a smile.
Throughout her SMART journey so far, Elen has participated in numerous workshops and educational field trips. One standout experience was Ruben Malayan’s calligraphy workshop, which introduced her to an entirely new artistic world.
“Every now and then, I still take out the special pen Ruben gifted me to practice my calligraphy skills,” she shares.
Elen’s visits to the Yerevan Opera and Ballet Theater and the Parajanov Museum have left a deep impression on her. The experiences were so inspiring that they even encouraged her to organize similar trips with her classmates.
“Programs like these—along with SMARTConnects talks and workshops led by visiting professionals—help kids like me from rural areas discover who we truly are,” Elen says.
Now, with SMART as her foundation, Elen is dreaming of her next big adventure: traveling the world.
During Sophie Manuella Keoshgerian’s contemporary dance workshop, Elen especially enjoyed the group creativity exercises and the calming meditation sessions that accompanied learning new techniques.
Ruben Malayan’s calligraphy workshop opened up an entirely new world for Elen and her peers.
She says one of the most important skills in calligraphy is keeping a steady hand.
As part of the summer art program at the SMART Center, Elen’s group presented their project to the guests—a moment she was especially excited about.
When there’s a bird perched on your totebag, how can you not feel tempted to fly?
The summer program isn’t just about creative projects—it’s also packed with fun team games and competitions.
As part of SMART Trips, students from the SMART Drawing program toured the Parajanov Museum, where they explored the iconic artist’s works. Inspired by the experience, the students then created their own Parajanov-style collages on the spot.
New interests and a full schedule have left little time for the piano and carpet weaving lately.
But Elen always makes time to draw—it may even run in the family.
