Armenian schools and communities in Switzerland, Bulgaria, Russia, Syria, Lebanon, Australia, New Zealand and Canada joined the nationwide celebration of the 150th anniversaries of Hovhannes Tumanyan and Komitas thanks to the AGBU Armenian Virtual College.
In February and March 2019, AVC hosted seventeen online social events dedicated to the lives and work of the two Armenian greats. AVC hybrid program coordinator Arpine Tavakalyan, education coordinator Marina Khachaturyan and online instructor Zepur Kheblikian guided the participants on virtual tours of the Tumanyan and Komitas museums, told stories about their lives and creative path and hosted games and quizzes.
Each online presentation was tailored to the age and interests of the audience. Not only school-age children but also their parents and other community members expressed interest in AVC’s events and participated with great enthusiasm.
Many online events were accompanied by beautiful performances by school students. Together with their teachers, they spent several weeks learning stories and poems by Tumanyan and songs by Komitas. The children from AGBU Alex Manoogian School in Montreal even made their own "passports" for the virtual trip to Armenia, a touching detail that brought tears to everyone's eyes.
“On behalf of the members of the Armenian Society of New Zealand, I want to thank you for your insightful Skype presentation...it was very interesting and informative, everyone is talking about today's evening and asking to arrange Skype meetings more frequently,” wrote Noobar Yacoubian, the head of the Armenian Society of New Zealand.
“Everyone was excited and happy; it was food for the soul. Thank you, it was a wonderful open lesson,” said Armine Hovsepyan, the Armenian Sunday school teacher from Rostov-on-Don, Russia.
“The online event dedicated to Tumanyan and Komitas was very interesting. Our students were very impressed and definitely decided to visit those museums in the future. Thank you all,” wrote Sossy Iskenian, a teacher at the Hayortyats Or Saturday School in Montreal.
The Mekhitarist School from Beirut, Lebanon, shared video feedback:
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=880539585617039
