Kyle’s Journey in Armenia

Activities Description:
I was a teacher at the International Outreach Camp, which was held this summer near Vanadzor, Armenia. The mission of the program is to instill belief and skills in young people that they can create the civil society they want to live in, both locally and globally. As part of my role, I was working with an Armenian co-teacher to develop curriculum to teach in-depth country studies courses as a part of a larger civic-leadership program. The camp invited 80 Armenian students and 30 international students and offered courses in civic leadership, country studies and cultural understanding. I worked with a large group of Armenians and Americans in coordinating this camp to ensure it is successful, through curriculum development and general discussion with the sponsoring NGO. I also helped write and sponsored a Peace Corps Partnership Project to promote the IOC camp and raise money for student scholarships and cultural excursions.

Outcomes (changes in knowledge, attitude, skills, or behaviors):
The camp program is coming along very well with the support of numerous PCVs and Armenian staff. Many Armenians involved with the projects have learned a myriad of new skills, including project design and development, curriculum development, and a general understanding of how the civic and economic systems around them work. In addition, our Partnership Project was recently fulfilled and will allow 10 additional Armenian students to attend the camp this summer, for a total of 80. The camp was very inspiring for me and, as such, I will be part of the Core Design Team for IOC Armenia 2008. I also met some great friends who I plan to always stay in touch with.