What does it mean for young people and their counselors in Armenia? Interesting trainings, setting up their own clubs and discovering the world through science experiments. Welcome to the YDC community!
The Young Discoverer Club includes activities for children and teenagers enabling them experimenting under supervision of adult Counselors. A few hundreds of these clubs run in Poland and in other European countries. Young people find out answers for the mind-boggling questions through their own commitment and experience. The key is the scientific method that develops a lot of skills and competences, allows students to cross l borders between school subjects and shows them that making mistakes is valuable, because it teaches problem solving. There are plenty of subjects to choose for Your experiments: (it depends on the age of young explorers): how to use magnets, how to explore the Universe or what is the water purity level of the river nearby.
Since 2018 the programme has been working in Georgia, with support of Ilia State University. Currently, 180 clubs are functioning there. We have started collaboration with Science Centre Ternopil and Lviv Open Lab in Ukraine. Ukrainian Clubs are doing a really great job and the network is constantly growing.
In Armenia, these have become partners for YDC:
Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory – one of the most known observatories in the former Soviet Union territory, as well as on the euroasiatic continent. It was established in 1946 by an outstanding scientist: Viktor Ambartsumian. The Observatory is actively cooperating internationally with hundreds of observatories from several dozen countries. Here, in Armenia, a number of scientific meetings have been held, including the International Astronomical Union. Nobel Prize laureates and other outstanding scientists are common guests of the Byurakan Observatory. Currently, the Observatory has 95 workers, including 45 astronoms.
Jinishian Memorial Foundation (JMF) – established in 1993, sponsored mainly by the Jinishian Memorial Programme (JMP) of Presbyterian Church in the US. The Jinishian Memorial Program ensures basic and direct help for millions of Ormians living in poverty, ones that have experienced life in conflict and uncertainty – in Liban, Syria, Turkey, Iran, Irak, South America, Jordan and Armenia. After Armenia gained independence in 1991, JMF spread its actions and inaugurated development programmes also in Armenia itself. Since that time, it’s been ensuring economical, social and spiritual help for millions of Ormians in need. It also supports over 200 local non governmental organisations.
Subject Matter Partner: Centrum Nauki Kopernik, Coordinator of Young Discoverer Clubs in Poland
Strategic Partner: The Polish-American Freedom Foundation
Project financed from the Polish-American Freedom Foundation, as a part of the Equal Opportunities program administered by the Civis Polonus Foundation.
The translation of the article from Polish by Łucja Matuszak