Open Education’s Regional Centers Celebrate Earth Day

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YEREVAN, Armenia — The regional centers of the American University of Armenia (AUA) Open Education organized a series of initiatives to celebrate Earth Day and raise awareness about the planet’s ecological challenges. These included discussions on climate change, an essay competition for students to voice their opinions on environmental issues, tree planting activities to promote reforestation, and informative lectures by experts in the field. Through these types of activities, AUA Open Education seeks to foster a sense of responsibility for protecting the environment and inspire positive action.

Activities in Yeghegnadzor Center

The students of AUA Open Education Center in Vayots Dzor organized a series of activities in Yeghegnadzor to celebrate Earth Day. They engaged in topical group discussions and activities, and took on cleaning and beautifying the city Central Park by planting flowers, promoting love of plants, and discussing environmental awareness and responsibility.

To ensure the long-term sustainability of the project, Open Education partnered with the local municipality to care for the flowers by regularly watering the plants and maintaining the grounds. This community-educational institution partnership exemplifies the importance of collaboration in promoting environmental consciousness and responsibility.

Activities in Artsakh Center

Despite the encumbrances caused by the blockade of Artsakh, the local Open Education center did not stay on the sidelines and organized Earth Day celebrations on April 22. In the week leading up to the event, students were actively involved in preparing posters and engaged in vocabulary drilling exercises centered around the theme of Earth preservation.

They learned about the importance of keeping the planet clean and developed practical activities to care for it. Additionally, OE students gave brief presentations highlighting the unique qualities of the planet earth and how to protect it, including reducing waste, recycling, picking up trash, growing more trees and plants, and saving water and electricity.

To put knowledge into action, the students and the OE Artsakh team participated in a park clean-up initiative in Stepanakert. Collectively, they made a positive contribution to their community and demonstrated a strong commitment to preserving the planet.

Activities in Goris Center

In celebration of Earth Day, AUA Open Education’s Syunik Center in Goris organized an Essay Competition with the theme “Invest in Our Planet”. Approximately 50 teenagers from different schools and colleges submitted individual essays, sharing their ideas on how to help protect the planet. There were seven winners selected in different categories.

On the same occasion, Zaruhi Khachatryan, the Environmental and Social Impact Manager of ContourGlobal Hydro Cascade, gave an engaging lecture on the importance of the day and the significance of protecting the environment. The participants actively joined the discussion, contributing their thoughts and opinions on the topic. The event was inspiring and enlightening and motivated the attendees to take positive action in protecting the environment.

Activities in Gyumri

AUA Open Education Center in Shirak hosted an Earth Day event in Gyumri, fun-filled with educational activities that raise environmental awareness. Attendees participated in quizzes, watched videos, had discussions on environmental issues, and heard group presentations on eco-friendly practices. Participants then toured the Youth Palace CNCO recycling center. The event inspired enthusiasm for collective action to protect the environment.

Activities in Vanadzor, Kapan, and Dilijan Centers

Students from AUA Open Education centers in Vanadzor, Kapan, and Dilijan celebrated Earth Day by engaging in various activities, including watching topical videos, participating in group work and knowledge-testing quizzes, and discussing environmental problems and solutions. These events also featured debates on topics such as “There’s no Planet B,” “Cars Should be Banned from City Centers,” and “Littering Laws Should be More Extreme.” In all three locations, the events aimed to raise awareness of environmental challenges while improving the participants’ English language skills in this domain.

Open Education (OE) is the non-degree educational program of the American University of Armenia (AUA), especially geared for meeting the educational needs of individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, as well as governments and corporate organizations. OE offers a comprehensive range of courses and certificate programs, including language classes, test preparation courses, and a wide range of professional development training. Through its regional centers around Armenia, OE expands opportunities for locals to thrive and contribute to the development of their communities. Additionally, OE provides testing services on behalf of various standardized tests for college admission and exams for international professional certification.