Nor Luyce works with young girls, from two local orphanages and/or from poverty stricken families from Gyurmi, Armenia. Under the direction of their Executive Director, Shoghik Mikayelyan, the program provides their mentees with positive role models and emotional support. In addition, Nor Luyce’s program emphasizes the development of educational and career plans. They are now at the stage of either beginning or continuing to help implement each older child’s plan for higher education. Each child has also either completed or is in the process of completing a career plan, which includes the most appropriate type and place of higher education.

Nor Luyce is trying to provide Lusine D., a young girl from Gyumri, with a scholarship that would reduce her out of pocket costs towards her education. Lusine D., her sister, and their elderly parents live in an apartment. They lost their house during the 1988 Spitak Earthquake, and one of their relatives rented them an apartment to live in until they can afford to purchase their own apartment. Lusine D. will graduate high school and will start attending the Gyumri branch of the Polytechnic State University Economics Department in the fall of 2015. Lusine D. is described as a very active, kind-hearted, even-tempered, well-behaved and responsible individual. Her dreams are to become a very good specialist in her field and to be able to buy a house for her family. She also dreams about travelling around the world. Lusine D. is in need of financial assistance in order to start her education at the Polytechnic State University and reach her goals. The requested scholarship funds will help Lusine D. cover the costs of her tuition, books, stationary, clothes and her transportation fee for one year. If Lusine D. is able to do well in her studies, she will be eligible for a scholarship for her continuing studies.

Nor Luyce works mentees, ages 14-17, from two local orphanages and/or poverty stricken families from Gyumri, Armenia. Under the direction of their Executive Director, Shoghik Mikayelyan, the program provides their mentees with positive roles models and emotional support. The reduction of isolation is provided by mentors and by field trips, which expose the children to various work and educational settings. In addition, Nor Luyce’s program emphasizes the development of educational and career plans. They are now at the stage of beginning to implement each older child’s plan for higher education. Each child has also either completed or is in the process of completing a career plan, which includes the most appropriate type and place of higher education.

Nor Luyce is trying to provide Anna, a young girl who stays and studies at the Terchoonyan orphanage in Gyumri, with a scholarship that would reduce her out of pocket costs towards her education. Due to unfortunate family circumstances Anna and her sister stay in the orphanage during the year and visit their mother on weekends and on Christmas. Their widowed mother has health issues and is unable to work and financially support her family. Currently, Anna is completing the 12th grade and plans to continue her education in International Affairs at the Pedagogical State University. In addition, she plays the qanon (an Armenian folk instrument) and takes Armenian dance classes. She likes to draw and write poems and her dream is to become a diplomat and a good citizen for her country. The requested scholarship funds will cover the costs of her tuition, books, stationaries, winter clothing and her transportation fee for one year.

Nor Luyce works with young girls, from two local orphanages and/or from poverty stricken families from Gyurmi, Armenia. Under the direction of their Executive Director, Shoghik Mikayelyan, the program provides their mentees with positive role models and emotional support. In addition, Nor Luyce’s program emphasizes the development of educational and career plans. They are now at the stage of either beginning or continuing to help implement each older child’s plan for higher education. Each child has also either completed or is in the process of completing a career plan, which includes the most appropriate type and place of higher education.

Nor Luyce is trying to provide Seda M., a young girl from Gyumri, with a scholarship that would reduce her out of pocket costs towards her education. Seda M., her brother, and their parents, live in a rental apartment in the city. Seda’s aunt, who has health issues, also lives with them and is cared for by her family. Currently, Seda M. is in her second year at the medical college. She is part of the Department of Pharmacology and aspires to become a pharmacist. This past summer she spent her time volunteering at local pharmacies. She is described an active, wise, goal-oriented, intelligent and responsible individual. Seda M. has a great sense of humor and is a natural born leader who is able to help support others. Seda M. is in need of financial assistance in order to continue her education at the medical college and reach her goals. The requested scholarship funds will help Seda M. cover the costs of her tuition, books, stationary, and her transportation fee for one year.

Nor Luyce works with young girls, from two local orphanages and/or from poverty stricken families from Gyurmi, Armenia. Under the direction of their Executive Director, Shoghik Mikayelyan, the program provides their mentees with positive role models and emotional support. In addition, Nor Luyce’s program emphasizes the development of educational and career plans. They are now at the stage of either beginning or continuing to help implement each older child’s plan for higher education. Each child has also either completed or is in the process of completing a career plan, which includes the most appropriate type and place of higher education. Nor Luyce is trying to provide Mariam, a young girl from Gyumri, with a scholarship that would reduce her out of pocket costs towards continuing her education. Mariam, her two sisters, and her brother, live at home with their unemployed mother. Her father currently resides in Russia, where he is trying to work and make money for food, rent and to support his family. Mariam is currently attending the Gyumri branch of the European Academy and studying Accounting and Auditing in her second year. Mariam is described as an intelligent and responsible individual. Her dreams are to become a very good specialist in her field and to be able to buy a house for her family. She also dreams about travelling around the world. Although Mariam has received a 50% discount in the university for studying well, she is still in need of financial assistance in order to complete her studies and reach her goals. The requested scholarship funds will help Mariam cover the remaining costs of her tuition, books, stationary, and her transportation fee for one year.

For many of Armenia’s most isolated and poverty stricken regions, sporting equipment is difficult to come by and expensive to buy. By supporting this project you will help thousands of children attending schools in the poverty stricken villages throughout Armenia. Although schools in these villages may have a few sporting goods, often times, the kids are playing with items that are old, unsafe and unusable. Our goal is to purchase and distribute a variety of sporting goods and equipment to village schools and give these students the opportunity to participate in extracurricular activities, play individual and team sports and exercise. In addition, the completion of this project will help to promote health and fitness. The variety of sporting goods will include volleyballs, volleyball nets, basketballs, basketball hoops, soccer balls, soccer nets, wrestling mats, jump ropes, hula hoops, assortment of weights, tennis rackets, tennis balls and some gymnastics equipment based on the needs of individual schools.

For many of Armenia’s most isolated and poverty stricken regions, sporting equipment is difficult to come by and expensive to buy. By supporting this project you will help thousands of children attending schools in the poverty stricken villages throughout Armenia. Although schools in these villages may have a few sporting goods, often times, the kids are playing with items that are old, unsafe and unusable.

Our goal is to purchase and distribute a variety of sporting goods and equipment to village schools (maximum of $1,000 per school) and give these students the opportunity to participate in extracurricular activities, play individual and team sports and exercise. In addition, the completion of this project will help to promote health and fitness.

The variety of sporting goods will include volleyballs, volleyball nets, basketballs, basketball hoops, soccer balls, soccer nets, wrestling mats, jump ropes, hula hoops, assortment of weights, tennis rackets, tennis balls and some gymnastics equipment based on the needs of individual schools.

Armenia is creating and marketing world class intellectual property and building IT products and services to meet the needs of the global economy. Recent Armenian start ups include: PicsArt, Viki, Joomag and Service Titan. We need to create opportunities to connect Armenia’s high tech community with Silicon Valley’s entrepreneurs and investors. Armenia start up companies must continue to enhance their business development expertise, sources of financing and professional networks to effectively compete on the world stage. This will help strengthen the overall ecosystem and help grow and sustain a successful IT sector of the Armenian economy.

HyeTech Showcase 2016, co-hosted by Nerses Ohanyan and Roger Strauch, will bring together hundreds of startups, entrepreneurs and investors from the US, Armenia and across the globe. The Showcase will be accompanied by the Entrepreneurship Immersion Program (“Program”) – an ambitious, one-of-a-kind 10-day event for Armenia’s and California’s entrepreneur communities. The Program will host 15-20 select entrepreneurs from Armenia.

The Immersion Program will commence in Southern California with participation in Innovate Armenia organized by the Institute of Armenian Studies at USC, and continue in the Bay Area with visits to Silicon Valley’s top companies, incubators and venture firms. The program will include daily In-depth workshops on competitive analysis, business strategy, fundraising and successful pitching, company tours, mentoring sessions with local entrepreneurs and introductions to investors.

The Immersion program will culminate at the HyeTech Showcase at the Bechtel Engineering Center, UC Berkeley. The Showcase will feature HyeTech’s most exciting startups and success stories. Members will demonstrate their products and network with a dynamic group of entrepreneurs, technologists, investors and thought leaders in high technology. There will be featured speakers from founders of companies including: Viki, Service Titan, Kanjoya, Joomag and CodeFights. A pitching competition will be held for the Immersion Program participants.

Funding is needed for workshop materials, meals during event, accommodations and domestic transportation, for 15-20 participants from Armenia. The selection committee consisting of HyeTech members will review applications and select the 15-20 participants.

Link: http://showcase.hyetech.org/#overview

The village of Getashen is a town in the Armavir Province of Armenia, a few hundred meters away from the Turkish border. This village of 2,300 people currently houses one village school with about 280 kids in attendance. Last summer, along with our SERVICE Armenia 2015 group, we created a fully operating kindergarten for the younger children in the village.

25 children now attend the newly created kindergarten. Although they have a safe and warm environment to begin their education, they do not have a suitable outdoors play area. Sponsorship of this project will help install the necessary equipment to create a small playground for the children. The principle of the school has made a small courtyard located within the school grounds available for a playground for the children. The creation of a playground for will help complete this newly built kindergarten and give these children a safe and fun environment in which to supplement the start of their educational careers.

The need for computers is imperative to the development of student’s future. Access to a computer and the Internet helps students obtain innovative skills allowing them to use modern means to complete their homework assignments and open the doors of communication for opportunities all across the world. Many schools, children’s centers, and orphanages are unable to provide access to computers and internet to their student’s due to the high costs of obtaining the items and monthly charges associated with Internet usage.

We hope to be able to purchase and distribute computers to schools, children’s centers and orphanages and give more and more students the opportunity to broaden their skills and abilities. Donations of new and used computers in excellent condition are also welcomed. Sponsorship of this project will include computers and Internet connection for a year for each computer purchased (or donated) for the chosen location.

The need for computers is imperative to the development of student’s future. Access to a computer and the Internet helps students obtain innovative skills allowing them to use modern means to complete their homework assignments and open the doors of communication for opportunities all across the world. Many schools, children’s centers, and orphanages are unable to provide access to computers and internet to their student’s due to the high costs of obtaining the items and monthly charges associated with Internet usage.

We hope to be able to purchase and distribute computers to schools, children’s centers and orphanages and give more and more students the opportunity to broaden their skills and abilities. Donations of new and used computers in excellent condition are also welcomed. Sponsorship of this project will include two computers and Internet connection for a year for each computer purchased (or donated) for the chosen location.