In the News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Linda Yepoyan
Phone: 610-642-6633
info@birthrightarmenia.org
April 11, 2005

Application Deadlines for Travel Fellowships to Armenia Approaching

Wynnewood, PA – Following its inaugural success in 2004, Birthright Armenia is currently ramping up for another summer filled with educational activities in Armenia for diasporan youth worldwide. Birthright Armenia is planning a very rich and exciting summer calendar of support services for the eligible volunteers it will be sponsoring. This sponsorship is available to any young diasporan, 18-32 years old, who is traveling to Armenia with one of 24 different youth-oriented programs, and is willing to meet a minimum threshold of an eight week stay.

Birthright’s sponsorship includes weekly forums and excursions, Armenian language instruction and united “havak” sessions at no cost to participants, plus reimbursement of each volunteer’s roundtrip airfare to Armenia, all in exchange for an eight week commitment of community service in the Homeland.

From day one, Birthright Armenia’s goal was not only to support existing organizations offering youth programs in Armenia, but also to encourage the creation of new programs, in order to increase the numbers of youth experiencing the Homeland for work and study opportunities. Already from the original seven programs that were part of the inaugural year of Birthright Armenia, the number of programs has grown to 24.

“We generated a lot of publicity this past winter for all the youth-oriented programs currently available in Armenia, and raised young people’s consciousness in terms of better understanding the importance and timeliness of their active involvement in the Homeland,” says Linda Yepoyan, executive director of Birthright Armenia. “We’ve already received applications from diasporan youth in Australia, Canada, England, France and the U.S., who want to be a part of the movement to Armenia this summer,” she added.

A list of all organizations offering youth oriented programs in Armenia is available at http://www.birthrightarmenia.org/opps.html. Each organization has its own eligibility criteria, application procedures and deadlines, and associated costs, all of which are listed in summary form on the Birthright Armenia site. Once accepted into one of the programs on the list, volunteers can then apply to Birthright Armenia to become eligible for a travel fellowship, which constitutes a reimbursement of their roundtrip airfare once they have successfully completed their program.

For anyone interested in applying for a travel fellowship from Birthright Armenia, applications must be received by the May 15, 2005 deadline. Applications are currently being accepted by email, fax or by mail.

All students who are applying to the California State University Fresno (CSUF) study abroad program at Yerevan State University are also eligible for travel fellowships from Birthright Armenia. For this maiden program, scheduled to launch in September, there is a deadline for applications of June 1, 2005. For those interested in learning more about Birthright Armenia, please visit www.birthrightarmenia.org or email: info@birthrightarmenia.org.

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