AUA Open Education Stepanakert Kicks Off a Summer School

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STEPANAKERT, Artsakh — On July 4, the American University of Armenia (AUA) Open Education (Open EDU) Stepanakert office kicked off an English language summer school for children. Within a period of ten days, 21 children from Stepanakert, ages 10-13, had a chance to participate in a comprehensive program aimed at promoting English language learning outside the classroom, focusing on conversational skills, active perception of the language, its structures and pronunciation through fun, games, and outdoor activities.

The morning and afternoon classes included different content-based activities, such as English through songs and drama geared to extending students’ vocabulary and grammar. The summer school program also included art lessons, a visit to the art gallery with an English speaking guide, a quest day, a cooking class, team building games, an etiquette lesson, and more.

During the etiquette lesson, expert Lusine Hambardzumyan played the role of a guest and taught the students table manners. The children also loved the cooking class, making pizza together and learning related cooking vocabulary. Another activity that they enjoyed tremendously was the quest organized in three different locations in Stepanakert. The children had a great time completing the tasks and finding the hidden prize. “We also had a very interesting art lesson with an invited artist who practices right-hemisphere drawing. The same day we visited the Stepanakert art gallery and practiced essential art vocabulary,” remarked Nonna Poghosyan, Open EDU Stepanakert program coordinator.

As the organizers of the summer school state, among the different activities, the children liked the music and drama classes the most. They learned and sang English songs and also hosted a professional musician who accompanied the singing with the guitar. Throughout the summer school, the students worked on their end-of-school class performance, “The Nutcracker” in English. They staged a 30-minute play at Stepanakert school N3 concert hall, which was a huge success. Parents, relatives, and friends greatly enjoyed the children’s performance.

On the last day of the summer school, the children spent an enjoyable day at Nikol Duman’s house-museum and the Ethnographic quarter in the village of Tsaghkashat. They toured the quarters, got familiar with authentic household items from the early 19th century, played outdoor games, and had a picnic. 

“Those were awesome ten days both for the participants and instructors. I was delighted to discover so many hidden talents in my team. The instructors were highly enthusiastic about their roles and the kids rewarded us with their excitement to come back every day,” noted Open EDU Stepanakert program coordinator Poghosyan, adding that both the participants of the summer school and their parents were very pleased with the program, duly reflected in the positive feedback they have shared with the organizers.

Director of AUA Open EDU Anoush Yedigaryan remarked, “This was an incredibly positive learning experience for all involved — for the kids in the first place, of course, but also for the teachers, staff, and parents. This was also a great team work opportunity for the parties engaged who did their job with enthusiasm and devotion. I hope we can build more on this momentum. Great program indeed!”

The AUA Open EDU Summer School program continues. On July 18, a summer school started in Gyumri, and on August 1, a summer school is scheduled to kick-start in Kapan. 

Founded in 1991, the American University of Armenia (AUA) is a private, independent university located in Yerevan, Armenia, affiliated with the University of California, and accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission in the United States. AUA provides local and international students with Western-style education through top-quality undergraduate, graduate, and certificate programs, promotes research and innovation, encourages civic engagement and community service, and fosters democratic values.