Armenian Youth Foundation Announces 2018 Grant Award Recipients
Watertown, MA – The Armenian Youth Foundation Board of Directors has announced its 2018 grant recipients. “2018 was a record year in terms of the number of grant requests received,” said Grants Committee Chair Michael Guzelian. “Recognizing that all of the submissions came from extremely worthwhile organizations, the hardest part of the review process is determining which submissions we can in fact support.”
ARMENIAN YOUTH FEDERATION JUNIOR SEMINAR – FIRST TIME ATTENDEES SPONSORSHIP
Each Memorial Day weekend, hundreds gather for one of the AYF’s largest events of the year – the National Junior Seminar. “Junior Seminar” features a weekend filled with presentations, lectures and events covering a wide range of Armenian cultural, educational and religious topics. This year’s theme is “Inspire Our Youth, Empower Our Leaders.”
The Foundation’s $7,350 grant will make it possible for first time attendees to Junior Seminar to do so at no cost, thereby helping to maximize participation and attendance at this signature event.
ST. STEPHEN’S ARMENIAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
St. Stephen’s Armenian Elementary School (SSAES) in Watertown, MA is a private elementary school dedicated to educational excellence in an environment rich in Armenian Culture. Since it was established in 1984, the school has distinguished itself with its Armenian character, academic strength, devoted staff and low student-to-teacher ratio. SSAES has grown steadily by combining a strong American educational curriculum with Armenian language, religion and history.
The Foundation’s $5,000 grant will be used to upgrade the nearly ten-year-old Wi-Fi infrastructure in order to support and improve the performance of a growing number of wireless educational resources including Chromebooks, iPads, and various multi-media teaching modules.
DETROIT HAMAZKAYIN ARAX DANCE ENSEMBLE
The Detroit Hamazkayin Arax Dance Ensemble has approximately 150 dancers, ranging from elementary school to college-aged students. They perform routinely through the Midwest and eastern regions of the U.S. The Foundation’s $5,000 grant will go towards upgrading the organization’s costumes. . . some of which are more than 12 years old.
WATERTOWN BOYS & GIRLS CLUB – GREAT FUTURES CAMPAIGN
The Watertown Boys and Girls Club’s mission is to inspire and enable all young people, especially those who need it most, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens. Their diverse membership includes families with over 30 different languages spoken at home including hundreds of Armenian children.
The Foundation’s $5,000 grant (the second of two) will go towards the Boys & Girls Club’s “Great Futures Campaign” – a $1.4 million physical plant update including: gym floor and dehumidification system replacement and building renovation.
HOLY MARTYRS ARMENIAN DAY SCHOOL
Holy Martyrs Armenian Day School of Bayside, New York is an elementary institution housing grades nursery through six and is fully accredited by the New York State Department of Education. They provide a bilingual curriculum in an educational and loving environment. The school takes pride in it reputation of maintaining high academic standards and in being the #1 private school in Queens, NY twice in its recent history.
The Foundation’s $3,250 grant will allow HMADS to enhance its science curriculum through the purchase of a mobile planetarium, an interactive science and storytelling program, an animal program, a hydrogen and forensics program and a horticultural program.
The Armenian Youth Foundation is a non-profit, tax-exempt corporation that provides financial support for cultural, educational, athletic, and camping programs benefiting Armenian-American youth. We encourage all qualified organizations to submit grant requests through this website. To compose a grant proposal, visit our Grants Request Guidelines page or download our guidelines (PDF). Proposals should be submitted to the Grants Committee prior to the July 31st annual application deadline.