Environmental Education and Advocacy

Click here to view ATP's Environmental Education Curriculum (in English)
Click here to view ATP's Environmental Education Curriculum (in Armenian)

ATP is developing environmental education as a core program area in order to prepare the nation’s youth for becoming the next generation of environmental stewards. By actively engaging youth in a process to better understand and appreciate the value of a healthy and sustainable environment, ATP seeks to protect the trees we plant today from future exploitation.

The public school system in Armenia does not have an environmental education component in its curriculum, so ATP designed a curriculum that will be introduced to the Ministry of Education for consideration as a mandatory teaching tool for primary through secondary school students. The curriculum was approved and recommended by the Republic of Armenia National Institute of Education as a manual for science teachers in public schools. All schools in Armenia have received the Curriculum. Today ATP in collaboration with National Institute of Education provides country wide trainings on environmental education in all regions (marzes) of Armenia.

In addition, all of our reforestation work in rural villages—which is directly tied to social and economic development—has a key educational component focusing on youth and local partners. The Michael and Virginia Ohanian Environmental Education Center at our nursery in Karin is a state-of-the-art facility in which students from primary and secondary schools, colleges, as well as professionals in the field, attend trainings and seminars on trees and the environment.

Advocating for the development of a sustainable forest policy in Armenia and environmental laws that provide for natural resource protection is most effectively accomplished with a coalition of like-minded individuals and groups. ATP will continue to work in collaboration with partners to promote an environmental ethic in Armenia at all levels of society. We are involved in producing a series of environmental education films on select topics of national interest that are aired on local television for broad public appeal.

Our targets include:

• Creating and publishing a sustainable forestry training manual in collaboration with Yale University School of Forestry, and introducing it to the Ministry of Agriculture and Armenia State Forestry Service for consideration as a guidebook for forestry officials. The manual will serve as a benchmark for ATP trainings for current and future foresters, as well as local residents who wish to become involved with community based forestry initiatives.
• Continuing to provide trainings and seminars for rural environmental youth groups, family farmers growing trees, and visitors to ATP’s Michael and Virginia Ohanian Environmental Education Center at Karin nursery.
• Continuing to provide trainings for educators throughout Armenia and creating a network for information and experience exchange for public schools environmental education teachers.
• Working with organizations and individuals participating in the environmental coalition activities to advocate for the preservation of public green spaces, sustainable forest use policies, and other environmental issues having broad based public interest.