TUMO Center for Creative Technologies announces a significant milestone: the TUMO network has now covered the entire Tavush marz. TUMO’s tech and design education is now available to all young people throughout the region — including the most remote, border communities, and a number of communities in neighboring regions.
The journey to making 21st century education available to the youth of Tavush began 10 years ago with the opening of TUMO Dilijan, established through a partnership with the Central Bank of Armenia. The launch of TUMO Koghb was a long-awaited milestone in this journey. Even though it was revealed just recently, the center already has 300 students. The realization of TUMO Koghb was initiated in collaboration with the Koghb Foundation and was made possible by donors to the TUMO Armenia project, in addition to generous donations from the JHM Foundation, the Mission Enfance humanitarian association, as well as Judith Saryan and Victor Zarougian.
The expansion of the TUMO educational program in the region of Tavush is special for a few reasons. First, the road to implementing the TUMO model in every corner of Armenia began in this region; TUMO Dilijan was the first center to open outside of Yerevan.
Further, it was in Tavush as well that the method of connecting TUMO boxes to centers was first attempted and proven successful. The students of the first TUMO Boxes, which opened in Gavar and Berd in 2020, were the first to engage with their self learning activities in their communities and head to their nearest center, TUMO Dilijan, for their workshops and learning labs.
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And finally, Tavush is the first region where graduates of TUMO Academy, another program aimed at securing quality education in the regions, have started teaching. The first group of students that successfully completed the tuition-free program at TUMO Academy have now joined the teams at the TUMO centers in Dilijan and Koghb.
“Establishing all the centers and boxes in the Tavush region holds immense significance for us. TUMO Dilijan led the way as our inaugural regional hub in 2013, while the TUMO box in Berd was the first of its kind in 2020. As this network extends across Armenia, it remains a driving force for empowering youth and sparking significant change within communities,” said TUMO CEO Marie Lou Papazian
Thanks to the interregional network comprised of the Dilijan and Koghb centers along with the boxes connecting to them in Ijevan, Berd, Azatamut, Artsvaberd, Sevan, Gavar, Shnogh, Jambarak, Odzun and soon, Tsovagyugh, there are now not only more educational and job opportunities, but also more social and collaborative connections between youth from different regions.
“TUMO was the beginning of everything for me. The moment I stepped into the Berd TUMO Box and took part in workshops at TUMO Dilijan, my whole outlook on life changed. It made me more independant, responsible, and I’m already seeing the impact of what TUMO has taught me. It’s been two years since I was introduced to graphic design at TUMO, and today, I’m actively working as a graphic designer, handling my own projects and securing orders,” says Nelly, one of the first students of Berd TUMO Box.
Tavush is the second region to be fully covered by the TUMO network; the first was Shirak. Continuing its mission to secure equally available innovative education all throughout Armenia, TUMO plans to complete the eventual network of 16 centers and 110 boxes in 2026. The next region to be covered will be Syunik.
This achievement wouldn’t have been possible without the donors to the TUMO Armenia campaign and the collaboration with the colleagues, instructors, and supporters who share TUMO’s vision.
