By Artur Khojabaghyan | CEO
In September, a new academic year began at Baghakats Educational Center. Our 9 students returned to class and, from the very first weeks, settled into the rhythm of project-based learning. At Baghakats, students don’t simply attend lessons: they pick a real problem, form a team, and work toward a solution under the mentorship of their teachers. Our small size is our strength. Every student receives individual attention, and every project is carried through to completion.
The biggest joy of this autumn was the victory of our third-year student Zhirayr Khojabaghyan. With his project AugmentAr Recycling, Zhirayr was named the Armenian winner of the Social Impact Award 2026. AugmentAr Recycling started as a classroom project at our center; today it is a program with real social impact. There is no better proof that our model works: a young person not only gains knowledge, but learns how to turn an idea into a working project.
In October, Zhirayr and our student Lusine Yuzbashyan took part in Impact Hub’s three-day BRIDGE training in Tbilisi, alongside young social entrepreneurs from Armenia, Georgia, Czechia and Slovakia. They learned to pitch their ideas clearly and convincingly, received feedback from international mentors, and presented their own projects on a regional stage.
We are equally proud of our graduates. Grigor Grigoryan and Harut Aghajanyan took part in a hackathon organized by GreenTech Academy, where they presented a concept for small wind generators designed for small and border communities: in the event of a power outage, they would cover the most essential needs. Their idea received €2,000 in funding to build and develop the project. This is exactly what project-based learning at Baghakats teaches: see a real problem, propose a solution, and convince others it is worth funding.
This year we have launched two new initiatives. First, our Facebook page is now run entirely by our students. They plan the content, write, shoot and analyze the results, learning social media marketing hands-on in the process. Second, we have started a separate German language course. For us, this is more than a language; it is a bridge. Our goal is to build new relationships with German educational institutions so that our students can access exchange and cooperation opportunities.
The first step has already been taken. In September, our center hosted Lars Hennig, Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Armenia; Yves-Oliver Tauschwitz, Teaching Expert at the Goethe-Institut; Meri Navasardyan, Executive Director of the Delegation of German Economy in Armenia (DWV); and representatives of other partner organizations. We presented our mission and current programs and discussed prospects for cooperation in language and professional skills development and in expanding youth programs in Syunik. Our guests’ attention to Syunik and their readiness to support educational initiatives here are a great encouragement to us.
None of this would be possible without you. Your donations ensure that young people in Syunik can not only learn, but take their projects beyond the classroom, all the way to awards, funding and international platforms.
December 1 is GivingTuesday. On that day, GlobalGiving proportionally matches every donation, which means each dollar you give will go further for our students. Mark the date; we’ll be back with a reminder.
Thank you for being with us.
The Baghakats Educational Center team
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