The Armenian Communities Department of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and Haigazian University in Beirut are happy to announce the launch of the Professional Development Program for Teachers at Armenian Schools in Lebanon. The objective of the Program is to provide professional development opportunities, in line with current pedagogic approaches, to teachers and administrators presently serving in Armenian schools in all sectors of the community.

The twenty-three Armenian schools in Lebanon which took part in the self-evaluation exercise undertaken by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation in 2015 are eligible to take part. Four to six teachers and/or administrators from each school will be selected to participate during a period of one year, for a maximum number of 150 individuals.

The Program will consist of seminars and workshops delivered during eight full day sessions. Pedagogic leadership, curriculum development and critical thinking will be covered, as well as specific issues such as the use of IT in the classroom, the role of extra-curricular activities in learning, best practices for teaching languages and mathematics. The courses will be taught by University professors and invited experts from abroad. Participants will have the opportunity to develop practical materials which will be evaluated by the workshop leaders. The Program is open to teachers of all subjects, as well as to school administrators, who wish to acquire new skills and increase their practical and theoretical knowledge through the exploration of contemporary approaches in education.

The Teacher Training Program is offered as a free service to the Armenian schools in Lebanon; its expenses are covered by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. The Program is coordinated and implemented by Haigazian University’s Department of Education and Center for Continuing Education.

This initiative is part of the new strategy developed by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation to support Armenian schools and education. It follows the creation of the Armenian Education Task Force in Lebanon and its recommendation to enhance the professional development of teachers in Armenian schools. The current Program is specifically developed for the schools in Lebanon, and is in addition to the Foundation’s other school grants and language support initiatives.