The ARS Eastern USA Convention annually establishes the programs and activities that will be implemented by the ARS Eastern USA Board of Regional Directors. The Eastern Region also is responsible for implementing the programs established by the triennial international ARS convention as directed by the organization’s international body, ARS, Inc.

These home-grown and international activities impact Armenian communities here in the Eastern Region and abroad in Armenia, Karabagh and, now, Javakhk. Here’s a synopsis of the ARS Eastern USA’s current agenda.

ARMENIAN SCHOOLS

The ARS Eastern USA supports five Armenian day schools with annual allocations as determined by the ARS Eastern USA annual convention. Those schools are: Hovnanian Armenian School, New Milford, NJ; St. Illuminator’s Armenian Day School, Woodside, NY; Armenian Sisters’ Academy, Radnor, PA; Armenian Sisters’ Academy, Lexington, MA; and St. Stephen’s Armenian Day School, Watertown, MA. In addition to the Eastern Region’s support, these Armenian day schools receive continuous volunteer, financial and moral support from the ARS chapters in their locales.

ANEC

ANEC – the Armenian National Educational Council – is a joint venture between the ARS Eastern USA and the Armenian Prelacy of the Eastern USA.  ANEC was established and exists to provide educational guidance and leadership to Armenian one-day schools under its jurisdiction. This includes development of Armenian school curricula and educational materials to further the Armenian language education of ANEC one-day Armenian School students.  The ARS Eastern USA also makes an annual allocation to ANEC as determined by the Annual Convention. The 81st Annual Regional Convention in 2001 recommended that a task force be established to examine the modernization of ANEC Armenian one-day school curriculums and teaching methods.  The ARS Eastern USA and the Eastern Prelacy have formed this task force of experienced educators and its work is now beginning in earnest to think of ways to bring the best in Armenian education to ANEC-affiliated Armenian one-day schools.

ESSAY CONTEST

The ARS Eastern USA sponsors an annual essay contest for students attending Armenian everyday schools and ANEC-sponsored one-day schools in the Eastern Region. The essay contest features a new topic every year to encourage young Armenian students to think about themselves and their place in the Armenian community and hone their writing skills in Armenian and English.  Winners receive prizes and all participants receive a gift. 

SCHOLARSHIPS

The ARS Eastern USA provides graduate and undergraduate scholarships to students of Armenian descent. Graduate students who have graduated from an accredited four-year college or university and undergraduate students who plan to attend or are attending an accredited four-year college or university are eligible. Scholarships are awarded from restricted funds established solely for scholarship purposes as directed by donors. ARS scholarship evaluation committees evaluate applicants’ merit, financial need, and Armenian community involvement to determine whether to recommend a scholarship award. Separate committees are established to evaluate the graduate and undergraduate scholarship applicants.  The ARS Eastern USA office receives hundreds of applications every year and awards thousands of dollars to help students more easily bear the burden of obtaining a higher education.  Click our Scholarship link for more information about our undergraduate and graduate scholarships and an application form.

CAMP HAIASTAN

The ARS Eastern USA has had a long and fruitful relationship with AYF Camp Haiastan and that relationship continues. The ARS has a representative on the Camp Haiastan Board of Directors and annually donates funds to the Camp based on an allocation approved by the ARS Eastern USA Annual Convention.  The ARS Eastern USA also sponsors a camper to attend Camp Haiastan through its Lorraine June Missirlian Fund, established and financially supported by the Missirlian family in memory of their daughter, and through the generous donation of Mrs. Pearl Mooradian.  The ARS Eastern USA has also worked with Camp Haiastan to revamp the Camp’s summer Armenian school curriculum.  T

PROJECTS IN ARMENIA, KARABAGH, JAVAKHK

The ARS’s international body, the ARS, Inc., has established a number of on-going programs and projects in Armenia, Karabagh, and Javakhk. Those programs and projects require the continuous support of the ARS, Inc.’s regions around the world, including the ARS Eastern USA.

Nigol Aghpalian School:  The devastating December 1988 earthquake hit Armenia’s Akhourian region hard. In an effort to help bring normalcy to the area, the ARS Eastern USA built and supports the Nigol Aghpalian School, attended today by approximately 120 students from 12 to 17 years old.  The Eastern Region also built the ARS Mother and Child Clinic to provide general medical services to the women and children living in the Akhourian area.  The Eastern Region and its chapters continue to support the school and the clinic by making appropriations and securing donations of equipment and supplies valued in the thousands of dollars. In addition, Eastern Region ARS chapters provide on-going financial support and donate necessary supplies to various orphanages and schools in Armenia and Karabagh through their local initiatives.

ARS Sosseh Kindergarten-Haghorti:  In Karabagh, the ARS Eastern USA opened and sponsors a Sosseh kindergarten in Haghorti village as part of a program developed by the ARS, Inc. The ARS Eastern USA is responsible for paying the Haghorti kindergarten’s annual operating expenses.

The Philadelphia “Artemis” Chapter continues the sponsorship of the annual operating expenses of a Sosseh kindergarten in Avtur.

The Atlanta Akhourian Chapter had allocated $5,000 to fund the the furnishing expenses of Arachadzor kindergarten in Artsakh.

  Every Day Meal Program:The Board continued its support of the Every Day Meal Program school at Zvartnots School, Etchmiadzin.  The Etchmiadzin School has an enrollment of approximately 140 students.  During the fiscal year, the Detroit “Tsolig” Chapter once again donated $3,000 to fund an Every Day Meal Program at the Gumri orphanage.  The Watertown “Leola Sassouni” Chapter and the Chicago Zabelle Chapters made donations of $500 each to be used toward the Board’s meal program.

Javakhk:  For the Armenians of Javakhk, the ARS Eastern USA has been working hard to help educate the communities under its jurisdiction about the deplorable social and humanitarian conditions facing this Armenian community located in Georgia, just northwest of Armenia’s border. The Eastern Region and many of its chapters have also engaged in fundraising efforts to help the Armenians of Javakhk. These efforts will continue and grow.