Her journey with COAF began at the age of 10 when she attended COAF’s summer camp at the SMART Center in Lori for the first time. Today, at 18 years old, Mariam Kharatyan is participating in her eighth SMART afterschool program while working as an intern at the COAF SMART Center and hosting her own podcast, aptly titled SMARTcast.
There aren’t enough drawers in his bedroom closet to fit all the wires, circuits and machine elements he’s collected. The only table in the room serves as a repair station where he gives a second life to what at first looks like useless junk.
Fourteen-year-old Sirak Gabrielyan from Dzoragyuh village (Lori region) has been fascinated with electronics since childhood.
You probably already guessed that his favorite after-school program at the SMART Center is mechanics, but that didn’t stop him from successfully completing nine other courses with great interest.
She has brightly colored hair, and equally bright and tasteful clothes. Her character is completed by unusual earrings and a bright smile. Meet the SMART Center’s drawing instructor Christina Avagyan, the walking color palette.
Christina arrived at Lori’s SMART on a “direct flight” from Armavir. Prior to that, she taught art for COAF’s educational program in the villages of Armavir.
The sister is obsessed with Asian languages and likes to take photos of clouds, and the brother likes to cook and play virtual football (as a musician he can’t play real football because he needs to take care of his hands). Two things unite them: SMART and music.
Fifteen-year-old Lilia is a pianist, and twelve-year-old Zhora is a cellist.
She adores animals. She has managed to participate in seven programs at the SMART Center and at the age of 13 she has already decided that she will become an actress.
“Besides being an actor, I really want to give performing arts lessons to children where there is a need for it,” says Araksya Apresyan from Odzun, who manages her own small business alongside the theater group.
The sun has been particularly generous this year. Its warmth is still palpable in the village, through the aroma of seasonal fruits, smoke from the fireplace, burning leaves, ash-roasted potatoes, and the flavors of sweet cherry compote.
It’s autumn in Yeghegnut, the best time to distill the last fruit vodka or eat khash (Armenian dish) with relatives in the morning.
Sixteen-year-old Garik Ghazaryan from Debet Village is one of the SMART Center’s veterans. So far he’s managed to participate in seven programs. Prior to attending SMART, Garik was engaged in all sorts of activities, like karate, wrestling, dhol (Armenian drum), and Armenian folk dancing. Participating in the AgriTech program at SMART inspired him to delve into agriculture, specifically beekeeping.
The faces of COAF SMART Center in Lori 13 November 2022 By Nane Vardanyan Photos by: Knar Babayan 4 min read If you have managed to tour the COAF SMART Center in the Lori region, you will probably have noticed the rooms and corners for various education programs, full of students’ works. If while tours,…
Situated in Lori Province, Lernapat Village (meaning enclosed by mountains in Armenian) is known for its community dance group and its fleet of drones. Here the adults dance the Lernapar (mountain dance), and the children fly drones high above the mountains.
The future foley artists of the Sound Design program 30 September 2022 By Nane Vardanyan Photos by: Knar Babayan 2 min read COAF SMART Center is a non-formal education hub tackling the holistic development of a child. Upon entering the Center students ages 6-18 are offered 18 programs in engineering, arts, music, entrepreneurship, foreign languages,…
Hayk’s life lessons from his village, education, and army years 24 September 2022 By Nane Vardanyan 3 min read Eighty-five percent of COAF scholarship holders are female students from rural Armenia. Though empowering young women as active members of societies is a principal approach to our education initiatives, engaging young men and providing them opportunities…
Following the scent of the newly sprouted grass, the herd ascends the mountain. The locals say the herd’s first stop is the closest mountain and then the farthest one.
Most inhabitants of Marts village (Lori region) go to the mountains to work every year, and some even go with their families. A pair of extra hands in the mountains is always helpful.
While the men tend to the livestock, the women collect winter supplies – seasonal herbs and berries.
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