AGBU Central Board Member Lena Sarkissian (New York, USA) initiated a meeting for the principals of AGBU schools from around the world. As a result, an online forum was held during Sydney’s early hours of Saturday, 22 May 2022.
AGBU Alexander Primary School Principal Mr Manoug Demirjian was joined by educators from Detroit (Mr Hosep Torossian – A&M Manoogian School, USA), Los Angeles (Ms Anahid Nalbandian – AGBU Manoogian-Demirdjian School, USA), Montevideo (Mr Javier Polatian – Colegio Nubarian, Uruguay), Montreal (Mr Chahé Tanachian – École Alex Manoogian, Canada), Beirut (Mr Ara Vassilian – General Director of the AGBU Schools in Lebanon), Buenos Aires (Ms Miriam Bogossian – AGBU Marie Manoogian School, Argentina), including Central Board Members Mr Sinan Sinanian and Dr Yervant Zorian (AGBU Armenian Virtual College – Silicon Valley, USA).
The objectives of the meeting were threefold:
- to provide opportunities for collaboration among administrators, faculty and students
- to offer opportunities for professional development
- to develop a connected community of educational leaders
As we know, the field of education is undergoing a major transformation with an emphasis on experiential learning and systems thinking. We are all bombarded incessantly with new information to digest. Therefore, how do we prioritize what is important for our schools and how do we integrate these new approaches within the curriculum? Most critically, how do we create optimal Armenian learning environments? Moreover, how do we ensure quality educational experiences that allow the students to self-identify as creators, producers, problem solvers – doers that excel in all their realities, including the Armenian reality? These were the questions that the forum aimed to address.
With the Central Board hearing about the outstanding work that is being performed in the respective schools, with so many of the projects being innovative, timely, and very exciting, they wanted schools to share their experiences, to inform and inspire their peers. It was also an opportunity to provide updates on the AGBU-AVC (Armenian Virtual College) and what today’s e-learning technologies are offering in education.
Following the success of the initial meeting, these forums are expected to continue on a regular basis, inviting more of the AGBU school leaders to join the discussion.
