A Showcase of the AUA Turpanjian Rural Development Program and Acopian Center for the Environment
This full day trip will showcase the work of the Turpanjian Rural Development Program and the Acopian Center for the Environment. The trip will include stops at the Turpanjian Rural Development Program Gyumri Office, Kartashyan Sporting Goods Store in Artik, Potoyan Pastry Ship, Harutyunyan Sanitary Paper Production Workshop in Harji, Ghazanchi Visitors’ Center, and Mets Sepasar School Eco Club. The trip will also include lunch and birdwatching at Ardenis.
The mission of the Turpanjian Rural Development Program is to promote sustained economic growth in rural Armenia through direct investments in both capacity building and education.
Established in 2006 with a generous $5 million grant from Gerald Turpanjian, the Turpanjian Rural Development Program (TRDP) seeks to improve the lives of rural families in Armenia through the development of economic opportunities and education. The focus of the program is on job creation and business development through the integration of adult education and entrepreneurship.
The TRDP has established centers in Gyumri, Stepanakert, and Ijevan, as well as a recently established office in Georgia to serve the Armenian population of Javakhk.
Rural residents develop business ideas and meet with TRDP experts who work with residents to shape feasible business proposals, develop business plans, provide skills training, and assist with financing.
The mission of the Acopian Center for the Environment is to promote concern for the natural environment in Armenia through research, education and public outreach.
The Environmental Conservation and Research Center was founded in 1992 by Sarkis Acopian as a research center at the American University of Armenia. From its inception, the Center aimed aimed to protect Armenia’s biodiversity and natural resources through research, education and public involvement. In autumn 2008, the Center was renamed the Acopian Center for the Environment (ACE) in honor of the center’s late benefactor. The ACE’s projects cover a wide range of issues from bird and butterfly research to wild plant species conservation and conservation education. The ACE promotes the protection of habitats necessary to support Armenia’s flora and fauna, focusing on bird and plant species that are biological indicators for the health of ecosystems. The ACE educates students at AUA and throughout Armenia on the biodiversity of Armenia and the importance of developing sustainable solutions for conserving the environment.
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