The Armenian Communities Department of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation is happy to announce that Zarmanazan, the Western Armenian language immersion programme, will expand in 2024. It will take place both in France and in the United States!

Zarmanazan is a place where children, teenagers, young adults, teachers, and facilitators from the Diaspora are joined by the common willingness to learn and explore the Western Armenian language to its fullest.

Zarmanazan is composed of three distinct but interconnected parts:

• A programme for 10 to 17 year old children and teenagers (in France and in the US).
• A programme for 18 to 24 year old young adults (in France).
• A university certificate programme for teachers of Western Armenian (in France).

Children, teenagers and young adults participate in various immersive activities adapted to age groups. Multi-age activities are strongly encouraged as well. These include visual arts and audio-visual workshops, music, theatre and movement, creative writing, literary readings, outdoor games, crafts, and nature-based explorations. 

All activities are created and led by a talented and qualified team of facilitators. The young adult workshops involve expressive elements, therefore require an intermediate comfort level in Armenian.

The first ever US Zarmanazan camp will take place near Los Angeles from 7 to 27 June 2024. The applications are open until 31 January 2024 at 11 pm California time. 

The eighth France Zarmanazan camp will take place in the French Alps from 11 July to 6 August 2024. The applications will be open from 10 December 2023 to 15 February 2024, 23:00 GMT.

Applications will not be accepted after the deadlines. The number of spaces is limited for both camps.

For more information and to register, visit Zarmanazan 2024.

The certified intensive programme for Diaspora-based Western Armenian educators, in collaboration with the Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales (INALCO) in Paris, runs part of its programming during the Zarmanazan summer session. This includes theoretical instruction as well as a guided practicum. The number of participants is limited to 15. Information regarding the full course is forthcoming.

The Zarmanazan educational programme was launched by the Armenian Communities Department of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation in 2017 as part of its Western Armenian revitalization initiatives. It is organized in partnership with L’association Mille et un Mondes (Lyon, France) and the Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales (INALCO, Paris, France).

The 2024 US Zarmanazan summer programme in California is realized in partnership with the Board of Regents of Prelacy Armenian Schools, which leads its organization.

Zarmanazan France is registered with the French Ministry of Education and Youth.

Zarmanazan California is approved by the Kern County Environmental Health Division.

Read the above statement in French.