October 7, 2015, Aparan – A new project launched by PicsArt and World Vision Armenia will provide classes on PicsArt, the most popular drawing and photo-editing application, to children and youth at the art school in Aparan and art club in Kuchak community.
More than 50 teenagers will have a chance to express and develop their creativity by using modern tools of image editing and graphic design.
“While creativity and technical knowledge become an imperative for success in the modern world, many young people living in remote communities are deprived of a chance to learn about new technology tools. The project will broaden educational opportunities for socially disadvantaged youth by equipping them with knowledge of state-of-art technologies and opening up the space for their further professional growth,” says Zhirayr Edilyan, WV Armenia Program Director.
“Armenia’s future development depends mostly on the development of Information Technologies in our country. This does not require any natural resources, only knowledge and appropriate education in that field. I hope that through this project, we can start a new and very important phase for the educational process in Armenia, which will positively impact not only the future of separate individuals, but also the future of their communities and the entire country,” says Hovhannes Avoyan, CEO and Founder of PicsArt.
With the funding provided by PicsArt, 29 tablets were donated to the two schools. The classes are facilitated by the art school teachers, specially trained by PicsArt. Guest lecturers will regularly visit the schools, providing further guidance and support to the teachers and students. Through PicsArt social network, the project participants will get an opportunity for networking and experience exchange, by sharing their artwork on the PicsArt website and participating in on-line contests.
This project is part of World Vision Armenia’s efforts that aim to lay a strong foundation for youth professional development, enhanced employability and competitiveness. Another technology-related initiative, a Robotics club was established at Aparan secondary school in 2013 with the funding from “Monitis”, an IT company in Yerevan.
