EN — English
HY — Հայերեն
FR — FrançaisOur Story
At COAF, we empower every child to reach their full potential. Our comprehensive approach unlocks opportunities for children to pursue their dreams, helps families overcome barriers together, and uplifts rural communities to create a brighter future for Armenia.
Meet The Founder
Our journey began in 2003 with a simple request for a glass of water. Garo Armen, the Founder and Chairman of COAF, was visiting Karakert, a village in his ancestral homeland of Armenia. When he asked an elderly local for a drink of water, he was astounded to learn that clean water was not a reality for the village residents.
Recognizing the urgency of the situation, Garo committed to revitalizing the rural regions of Armenia.
“Village people are extraordinary, and they deserve extraordinary things.”
Our Approach
A Holistic Answer
to Rural Needs
When families see a bright future in rural Armenia, rural Armenia thrives. COAF transforms that future into reality.
Broaden Horizons
COAF helps every child reach their full potential, on the world stage or at home.
Foster Well-Being
COAF helps young families overcome barriers to their physical, mental, and social well-being.
Seed Opportunity
COAF invests in the rural economies that will grow a vibrant, secure, and sustainable Armenia.
2015 - SMART Breaks Ground
After 12 years of holistic development in Armenia’s rural villages, COAF decides to centralize into a SMART Center model—connecting whole regions to hubs of support.
2018 - SMART Center, Lori
COAF opens its first SMART Center in Lori, a unique environment designed to match the dreams of the children it accommodates.
2018 - Head, Heart, & Hand
COAF adopts a diverse curriculum to expand the horizons of rural youth. From art to engineering, children gain access to free afterschool.
2018 - SMART Connects Launches
SMART Connects launches—interactive talks that connect students to inspiring individuals and big ideas from around the world.
2019 - Concept Hotel
Armenia’s largest social enterprise opens—a design-forward hotel built to stimulate tourism, create jobs, and fund SMART programs through its profits.
2021 - Raspberry Fields
Raspberry fields are added as SMART’s first Living Lab, a cultivated plot of berries designated for agricultural learning.
2023 - Conference Center
The Concept Hotel is expanded with a new conference space—an event space to host large events, and bring the world to Lori.
2023 - Syunik Expansion Announced
The Armenian government and EU agree to support two new SMART Center in Kapan and Goris, in the Southern Region of Syunik.
2024 - Armavir Breaks Ground
At the opening of the Youredjian Child and Family Center, COAF breaks ground on its Armavir SMART Center, slated for a 2028 grand opening.
2025 - Transportation Hub
Thanks to the generosity of Jack Youredjian, COAF acquires 19 new buses and an operational depot—connecting 30 communities across Lori.
2025 - Lavender Fields
Lavender fields are added alongside the Raspberry fields to expand agricultural learning, and add a new revenue stream to the SMART Center.
Coming soon
The Armavir SMART Campus is slated to open in 2028. SMART Goris and SMART Kapan are both in development.
