In the News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Linda Yepoyan
Phone: 610-642-6633
info@birthrightarmenia.org
May 20, 2005

Birthright Armenia More Than Doubles Its Capacity in 2005

Wynnewood, PA – Riding on the success of last year's pilot season, Birthright Armenia/Depi Hayk is ready for a large influx of young summer volunteers, who have already begun to arrive in Armenia , ready for their journey of self-discovery. Already in 2005, 10 volunteers have participated in the program and 80 more have already signed on for this summer's 8 week program. The summer volunteers are just weeks away from what will be the peak season for young diasporans doing rewarding community service and experiencing the Homeland firsthand. Birthright Armenia will be prepared for them, with an exciting line-up of educational support services, including weekly guided excursions, Armenian language classes, a two-track forum series and more.

This summer's group has a true international flavor, as Birthright Armenia 's 18-32 year-old participants will be coming from ten different countries including: Argentina , Australia , Austria , Canada , France , Great Britain , Lebanon , Spain , Vienna , and the United States . They will be doing a minimum of 8 weeks of valuable volunteer service in various sectors of Armenia under the auspices of a variety of youth programs being implemented by 17 different diasporan and local NGO organizations. Participating organizations include: AAA, ACYOA, Armenian Center for Contemporary Experimental Art, Armenian Medical Association (AMA), Armenian Tree Project (ATP), Armenian Volunteer Corp (AVC), AYF, Christian Youth Mission to Armenia (CYMA), Diaspora-Armenia Connexion (DAC), FAR, Glendale Community College Study Abroad Program, International Center for Human Development, Land and Culture Organization (LCO), Mental Health Foundation, Mission Armenia, NY-ASA, and Young Lawyers Union.

The natural gravitation to the Homeland is what will bring all these volunteers from different backgrounds together. What will unify them once in country will be the supplemental program services of Birthright Armenia , which will run throughout the summer. Weekly "havaks", a two-track educational forum series with invited subject matter experts, Armenian language instruction for those who do not know Armenian, and weekly excursions to every region of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabagh will allow for relationship building within organizations, as well as with many local counterparts.

To further the cultural immersion experience, over a third of the participants will be taking Eastern Armenian language instruction to acquire basic language proficiency during their eight week stay. Another third are opting to live with local host families, which will also help them strengthen their language skills and allow them to see close-up how a typical Armenian family lives in Yerevan .

For those interested in learning more about Birthright Armenia , please visit www.birthrightarmenia.org or email info@birthrightarmenia.org for more information. Please be sure to bookmark the Web site address and check back regularly this summer to read all about the adventures and life-changing experiences the Birthright Armenia/Depi Hayk volunteers will have this summer via the posted Travelogue and Photo Gallery sections.

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