Armenia-+Carlin

Ar men ia Melanie Carlin June 19, 2012 sfsdfsdfksdfjksldfjlksdfjlksjflksflsdfs All About Armenia  sflklks;lkdfsdflsf;lksdfl;k;l;lk;lk;lk;s **Armenia**, officially the Republic of Armenia prides itself on being the first nation to formally adopt Christianity back in 301 AD. Armenia is a small, landlocked, mountainous country that is about 11,505 square miles and boarders Turkey and Azerbaijan. It has a population of almost 3 million, of which 97% are Armenians and of the 3 million, 1.5 million reside in the capital Yerevan. Armenian is the common spoken language followed by Yezidi and Russian. Armenian declared independence from the Soviet Union on September 21st, 1991. Since then, the country has faced difficulties, especially economically, and just recently moved to a market economy as of 2009. Armenia is come from a difficult past, scarred by war and genocide. The Armenian genocide occurred in 1915-1917 and it is an estimated that anywhere from 600,000 to millions of Armenians died as a result. The Turkish authorities, who committed the genocide, still deny the claims even though it is now widely accepted by Western culture including the United Nations. Armenia is also famous for Armenian culture is very rich and distinct which shows through their own language, art and music. Armenians have their own distinctive alphabet and language. The alphabet was invented in 405 AD by Saint Mesrob Mashots. Music is the most important part of Armenian culture. The Armenian Genocide caused widespread emigration that led to the settlement of Armenians in various countries around the world. Armenians kept to their traditions, calling the new style post-Genocide "kef" style Armenian dance music, using Armenian and Middle Eastern folk instruments and some western instruments, was popular. This style preserved the folk songs and dances of Western Armenia.

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Raffi Cavoukian better known by his stage name Raffi is an Armenian-Canadian singer-songwriter. Millions know Raffi for his work as a children’s entertainer with that include Baby Beluga, Down By the Bay and Six Little Ducks. Raffi’s original commitment to honoring his young fans changed the way we came to view music made for children. Founding his own record label, Troubadour he spent time and money to ensure that his recordings met the highest standards. Raffi convinced retailers that parents would pay regular price for quality music for children and he was right. Teachers, parentsand kids took an immediate liking to the kind of songwriting and recording Raffi offered, perhaps because the respect he had for children that was obvious in his music and playful delivery that always clicked with children. During his thirty-year career as a superstar of kid’s music Raffi strongly believed that children should not be exposed to too much television and refused all offers for commercial television shows and commercial endorsement. His debut album, Singable Songs for the Very Young, were irresistible. Within a few months, Raffi went from performing in front of small audiences to selling out theatre venues. Raffi sold over 15 million copies of albums and DVDs in Canada andin the US, including more than 3 million Songs to Read books. Once called the “most popular children’s singer in the English-speaking world” and “Canada’s all time children’s champion. An estimated 10 million kids grew up with Baby Beluga, myself included, I remember singing it with my mom and doingthe Baby Beluga dance.



aksdjkd ** Down By the Bay Live performed by ** **Raffi** askdkasdjkasdjksdjkjkskjksdjfksdfjk ** Baby Beluga Live performed by Raffi ** skdfjksdjfks

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ksdfjksjfksdfjskdfjskfksfjskfjsdj Armenian Allied Arts Association sdfkljsdkfjskdfskldfksjfdjkd

**//"Dedicated to encouraging and promoting new talent of armenian descent" //** The mission of the Armenian Allied Arts Association is to discover, encourage, and promote new talent of Armenian descent. In this way, they promote and preserve Armenian culture and traditions. In 1934, a small group of Armenian-Americans began a cultural club through interests they share. Among the founding members were Mr. and Mrs. Marshall Chashoudian, Greta M. Chashoudian, Zaruhi Elmassian, Mr and Mrs. Hovsep Ignatius, Siroon Manguiran, and Dr. Aram Tolegian. This club later became the Armenian Allied Arts Association (AAAA), a non-profit organization, whose primary purpose was and continues to be to encourage and support new talent of Armenian descent. In 1937, AAAA presented an exihibit of ats and crafts. Soon after, an annual contest was established where aspiring artists, musicians, dancers, writers and actors might compete for monetary awards and community recognition. Over the years, AAA has presented concerts with established artists, such as Lucine Amara and Varoujan Kodjian, as well programs showcasing up-and-coming performers in the fields of music, literature, art, dance and theatre. Violinist George, pianist Sarkis Baltaian, and sopranos Kallen Esperian and Isabel Bayrakdarian began their now-successful careers as winners of AAAA's annual competition, which event gives almost $10,000 each year to budding talent. The AAAA is very proud to have awarded more than $250,000 over the course of its seventy year history. sdkdjakdjaskdjaksdjaksdjkdjsdf Cafesjian Center for the Arts lkdsjflskjfslkdjasdssfskdffjsklfj

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Cafesjian Center for the Arts is dedicated to bringing the best of contemporary art to Armenia and presenting the best of Armenian culture to the world. Inspired by the vision of its founder, Mr. Gerard L. Cafesjian, the Center offers a wide variety of exhibitions, derived from Mr. Cafesjian's own extenive collection of contemporary art. Celebrated its grand opening in November 2009, CCA continues to exhibit unique works of modern art and offers a diverse program of visiting lecturers, films, concerts, and numerous educational initiatives for adults and children. In 2011 the Cafesjian Center for the Arts had over 1,200,000 visitors.

** A look into the CCA ** media type="youtube" key="onvc_3vSb_Q" height="251" width="308" **<span style="color: #00a1ff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Children from an after school program at the CAA **

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<span style="background-color: #0000ff; color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 150%;">sdlkfjslkdfjskldfjsdlkfjslkdfjsdlkfjsdsfdf <span style="background-color: #0000ff; color: #ffffff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 150%;">Education <span style="background-color: #0000ff; color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 150%;">sldkfjsldkfjslkdjfskldjfskldjfklsdkdjflskdfj Gaining independence in 1991 shifted a lot of responsibility back to the country of Armenia. They now had to figure out how to run an education system and how to train people to be employed in that system. The system was changed drastically. Prior to this change, Armenians were getting a well financed, high level of education, even compared to international surveys. However gaining independence meant loosing funding and thus the necessary changed to thesystem. The language of instructed shifted from Russian to Armenian, and an emphasis was placed on Armenian culture and history. This refocus was centralized on five ideas: democratization of educational system, training of new educators or retraining current teachers, new textbooks with reformed content, increasing parental and community involvement and financing, encouraging development of preschools, and repair schools to meet international standards. However, being such a young independent country the education system is still very unstable. Drop out rates and absences are on the rise as children are needed for labor due to economic necessity. It is seen that since there is so few resources it would be most valuable to gain achievements in the scientific sector. This leaves little to no room for the arts in schools. The Armenian government is trying to adjust and allocate resources effectively, however funding could make or break the system. Despite the hardship they are still able to boast a 99.4% literacy rate! Outside of this basic information there is really no further information available. This school system has only been in place for twenty years, that is a pretty young program and reform is still in progress. Also, having little to no funding doesn't allow for studies or research to be done.

sdsdfssdf **dfsdfsdf**  **ssddfsdf** ** Goals of Preschool Education: ** Establish basics for the students physical, moral and mental development Development of communication skills in Armenian Development of basic counting skills Develop knowledge about the surrounding nature and environment Getting to know the elements of own history and culture Develop love and devotion towards Armenia Develop primary operation skills and capabilities Preparation for school studies


 * Goals for General Education: **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Development of the mental, psychological and physical capabilities of the students Enable the students perceive basic knowledge about nature, society, technology, industry and environment Create acceptable conditions to pursue self-education and self-development Develop an individual equipped the knowledge of national and international values An heir of the cultural, moral and psychological values, who can develop a functioning political position. ** Funding: ** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Money seems to be the focus of everyone world wide. The reality is that it takes money to run an education department, for supplies, facilities, and faculty. However, money and funding is in very short supply in Armenia and is causing difficulties in undergoing the reform wanted and necessary. When part of the Soviet Union funding was centralized and not an issue and education was on top of its game. Now, since declaring independence, funding is very hard to come by and there is very little coming from the government. The worsening economy is not helping the lack of funding either. The value of the Armenian Dram, the official currency of Armenia, continues to drop in value even today. Funding seems to be the main obstacle to reforming the education system, however with economy bad world wide, especially since the worsening economy in America, the amount of outside donations has significantly decreased. With no options left, funding for the education system is looking worse and worse, and could cause the collapse of the whole system. With little to no funding for education, school are relying on the basics and have no extra materials, resources or funding for the arts. ** The Armenian Museum of Children's Art: ** The Armenian Museum of Children's Art was opened in Yerevan in March 1970. The Museum's exhibition includes drawings by young children who have not yet entered school and by those who are about to graduate. The Museum makes a large contribution to the development of children's artistic abilities, using imagination, an array of colors and firm draughtsmanship. It has become a tradition for the Museum to organize annual exhibitions of children's drawings. It regularly holds exhibitions of works by those schoolchildren who want to enter art institutes. The Museum is well known in Armenia and as well as aboard, there are more than 100,000 exhibits. <span style="background-color: #ff7500; color: #ff7500; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 150%;">sdflkjsdfskdfjslskdlfjksdjfslkdjfksjkdfj <span style="background-color: #ff7500; color: #ffffff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 150%;">Conclusion <span style="background-color: #ff7500; color: #ff7500; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 150%;">sdkskdfjksdjfkdjfkdjfkjdkdkkfjslkdfjslkdfj <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">All throughout school I had a lot of education in the artsoffered to me. In Elementary school we had music and art class including in fourth grade "Discovery Class" where we learned about different cultures around the world. In middle school I was offered band, vocal music and foreign language classes such as Spanish, Chinese, German and French. In high school I had an array of art classes offered to me from art, art history, ceramics and jewelry, fashion marketing, band even graphic arts. I took an art education class each semester and enjoy them very much, gave me a chance to express my creativity and use my imagination. My schools always had enough funding to offer at least a minimum of classes. I have never had to experience such lack of financing and thus cannot even begin to think what it would be like. I cannot personally relate to this at all but am very disappointed Armenian children do not have the opportunity to fully experience education and the arts fully at school. I was shocked by the lack of arts organizations in Armenia. Once I reflected on h ow bad the funding situation was, I started to understand why there are limited organizations starting in Armenia and majority have begun outside in the United States. Even though Armenian culture is rich and important, the arts has no room in schools right now. The lack of funding is limiting all progress in the arts. Even though music is of the utmost importance funding and resources are not making it possible to teach these in schools. I can only hope that the culture is being pass along outside of schools in order to maintain the rich, important, and unique culture. <span style="background-color: #ff0000; color: #ff0000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 150%;">ssdklfjskldfjskldjfskldfjsldkfjslkdfjslkfdj <span style="background-color: #ff0000; color: #ffffff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 150%;">Sources <span style="background-color: #ff0000; color: #ff0000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 150%;">skdfskdfhskjdhfskjdhfjkdshfjdjkdkjkkkkkk <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[] <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[] [] [] [] [] [] <span style="color: #0000ff; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">[] <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[]