PROBLEM

Young people are the driving force of the community and the whole country, but they also have their own needs and problems that they face in their daily lives.

The main problems are:

• It's common for young people to be left out of the community decision-making processes because their voice isn't important.
• The connection between the community and the youth is the next problem, based on the first point. Young people are not included in the programs and activities that are being implemented.
• Young people do not have much access to information about social activism, so they use social media platforms, where they often encounter misinformation.
• They are not well-informed about their rights and responsibilities, which also makes them vulnerable in public life. 

Brain drain is a result of all the problems mentioned above, and it will have a negative impact on the community's development process.

SOLUTION

The aim of Step up project is to promote the activities of young people in the Stepanavan community by creating a youth room. It will operate in the Stepanavan Culture & Entertainment Center. 

It is necessary to get help with renovations, furnishing, and property updates to set up the room.

With your support "Step up" will effectively contribute to:

• Implementation of joint activities by youth from different districts and settlements of the community.
• Revealing the potential of young people and providing opportunities for self-expression.
• Protection of the rights of young people.
• Professional orientation support.
• Creation and strengthening of cooperative relationships.
• Implementation of cultural, educational, and scientific events.
• Activation of volunteerism among youth.

IMPACT/BENEFICIARIES

It will significantly affect a young person's development as a competitive, proactive, responsible citizen.

The room will provide an opportunity to create a platform for the exchange of ideas and self-expression on issues of public concern.

As a result of the implementation of the project, we will have the involvement of approximately 50 active young people from the community, it will be possible to express thoughts and share ideas.

During 1 year will be implemented about 4 community development programs, 10 trainings, 20 movie viewings, 12 debates, 5 exchanges of experience with youth centres operating in different regions of the Republic of Armenia and the city of Yerevan.

TEAM

From the moment the youth room opens, its control and operation will be carried out by the project coordinator Hasmik Sahakyan. She is experienced in long-term work in the fields of pedagogy, journalism, and program coordination. She worked at the school, in the regional newspaper “Paros” in Stepanavan, and on regional radio for many years. At the moment, she works at Stepanavan Culture and Entertainment Center. Throughout the years, she actively participated in and coordinated all the events and activities organized in the center, as well as several city and regional events.

TRAINERS

• Sargis Hovhannisyan - director of "Nikolay Nikoghosyan" Cultural Foundation, art critic

• Lilit Grigoryan - cultural programs coordinator at the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA).

• Ruben Khachatryan - founder of "In Stepanavan" development fund, programmer

• Karina Aroyan - cultural programs coordinator at the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA), artist

• Mayis Margaryan - co-founder of “ՄԵՄ”, co-founder of “MACRO LAB”, founder, director, and CEO specialist of “Excelist Training Center”

• Arsen Simonyan - founder of “Prodeform-Professional Development Platform”, regional program manager at "Save the Children Armenia Country Office", trainer at “Council of Europe Youth”, trainer at “Youth at Work Partnership”, DRR program coordinator at “OxYGen Foundation”

BUDGET

Please see the budget here.

https://rb.gy/18hha

Implementation stages

1. Fundraising - support for room furnishing and renovation
2. Recruitment of youth and volunteers - a creation of membership applications and registration
3. Furnishing/renovation - implementation of room renovation works and acquisition of appropriate property
4. Active implementation period