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STEP.ai Artificial Intelligence Educational Program

The STEP.ai Artificial Intelligence Educational Program was initiated by AGBU Silicon Valley and sponsored by Synopsys Foundation to support STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education in Armenian schools. It was developed by the Union of Employers of Information and Communication Technologies (UEICT) and the Synopsys Armenia Educational Department and later virtualized and hosted on the AGBU AVC e-learning platform. 

The aim of the program is to equip high school students in Armenia with the essential knowledge and skills to understand the fundamental concepts of AI and its real-world applications. It provides students with an opportunity to pursue further studies in the field of AI, preparing them for future job opportunities.

On September 4, 2025, the STEP.ai (Science & Technology Educational Program) on Artificial Intelligence (AI) was accredited by the RA Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports (MoESCS) as a three-year elective program offered in a group-study format. 

The implementation of the STEP.ai program in high schools stems from the Memorandum of Understanding signed in October 2024 between MoESCS, Synopsys Armenia, AGBU AVC and UEICT.

The three-year program is designed to cover “Artificial Intelligence and Python” in the 10th grade, “Machine Learning” in the 11th grade, and “Natural Language Processing and Robotics” in the 12th grade. 

The multimedia interactive lessons use a hybrid format, blending virtual and in-person teaching with the support of AVC’s AI experts and on-site school teachers. The classes are conducted on the AVC online platform.

Final projects are one of the core components of the program, where students work in groups to brainstorm, implement their newly-acquired knowledge into hands-on projects and present the final outcome, all the while developing their communication and collaboration skills. After that, the course concludes with final exams. 

The program launched in 2022 in several high schools across Armenia and Artsakh.  In the 2023-2024 academic year, more than 80 students from 5 educational institutions successfully completed the first course of the program. Starting from the 2025–2026 academic year, 15 high schools in Armenia joined the program, and students learn the fundamentals of artificial intelligence and machine learning.

By integrating AI education into the broader STEM curriculum, AVC strives to empower a new generation of thinkers who can address the complex challenges of our time.