2013 2014 report of Nor Luyce

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“Nor Luyce” Mentoring Center for Youth 2013-2014 Gyumri

Nor Luyce believes that teenage girls from orphanages and low income families can be self-sufficient and successful young women.

Nor Luyce provides teenage girls from orphanages and low income families with a one on one mentoring relationship presenting an opportunity to have a role model and to learn more from their mentors. Along with the mentoring relationship the girls have a chance to participate in different skill building trainings to make their career plans, be compatible with their peers and be able to live self-sufficiently.

“Many things can wait, the child cannot. Now is the time his bones are being formed, his mind is being developed. To him, we cannot say tomorrow; his name is today.�

Gabriella Mistral

“Nor Luyce”, is a young mentoring center for youth, founded in 2009, by father and son Richard and Ara Chackerian. .

The aim of Nor Luyce is to help children from orphanages and low income backgrounds by providing them with social interaction with responsible adults in the Gyumri, Armenia community. This interaction will help the girls become self-sufficient adults.

The adults who volunteer to spend time with children are called “mentors” and the children with whom mentors spend time are called “mentees.” The word “mentor” comes from the epic poem “The Odyssey”. Mentor was the name of a family friend of Odysseus, to whom he entrusted the care of his young son when he left to fight the Trojan War. Nowadays young people have to cope with many personal and social pressures. Getting emotional support from mentors will help the children overcome the problems and challenges they face. Sometimes just listening will help them. We don't forget that we may be one of the few adults in the youth's life who listens.

Our program is divided into three phases Starting in 2012 we established a defined 3 phase program:  Mentoring relationship  Skill Building  Higher education

Individual Meetings During the meetings mentors and mentees worked together on various issues including:  academic achievement  problem solving ability  short-term and long-term goals  career preparation through job shadows and other engagements  self-esteem  cultural values such as music and art  negative behaviors such as gang involvement, early sexual behaviors and drug use 2013-2014 program started on September 15. After the administrative work six mentor-mentee pairs started their individual meetings on October 10.

During the 8 months 125 individual meetings have been organized. We had 15 individual meetings on average bases.

Training of the new mentors In April – June, 2014 a new mentoring training was organized for 11 volunteers. In June 9 new mentees joined our program, and three more mentees will join us in September. For the newly established group the new mentors organized 7 group meetings on their chosen topics. These meetings provided both the mentors and mentees to know and reveal each other better and decide with whom they feel comfortable to work.

Group meetings organized by metor-mentee pairs:       

Friendship Armenian folklore Bad habits Human slavery – trafficking Fashion Consumers‘ rights Who I am

Group Meetings The group meetings differe form each other with their themes and methodologies. Necessary professionals are invited to take part in our group meetings and share their knowledge and skills.

During 2013-2014 year totally 55 group meetings have been organized.

The group meetings are not only educational and cultural, but they are also fun time. During the meetings a lot of interesting and intelectual games are oragnized. Different discussions and debates are held.

Below you can find the themes of the group meetings and their evualiation.

Overall Group Meetings               

Mysteries of colours Halloween The secrets of success Christmas and New Year National holidays Debate Inspire for a change / Women’s International Day My happy planet Dreams Intellectual game Sterotypes, discrimination and tolerance Visit to Gyumry Employment Center Visit to a job-fare Honesty Walking tour in Gyumri

Group meeting of the Mentoring Phase         

My strong and weak traits From dream to reality Communication skills The boarders of human imagination The world of emotions Conflicts How to overcome uncertainty Self-acceptance Reveal your past, present and future

Group meetings organized by mentor-mentee pairs 5   

 

Human seven sins – Ani – Liana – Mariam My rights – Soa – Arusyak Who am I – Angela – Anahit Healthy living – Donara – Seda Facts about universe – Lilit – Hasmik

The Group Meetings of the Skill Building Phase           

From charachter to prosfession Reveal your past, present and future How to overcome uncertainty How to work with websites How to write a paper work Rhetorical speech Communication skills Work ethics Team work Motivation Situational analisys

“A Resource Center to Train the Future, Gyumri” a grant project In January – April, 2014 Nor Luyce NGO with Peace Corps realized “A resource center to train the future, Gyumri” project.

Due to this grant Nor Luyce got 5 desktop computers, desks and three-in-one color printer.

During the program the mentees of the Skill Building Phase took computer classes, learnt to write paper work, European CV, cover letter, etc. Then the mentees prepared a paper work and based on that work made a power-point presentation. When the mentees revealed their interests, hobbies, good and bad traits, they prepared their career plans pointing out the steps and activities they should take to reach their goals. The mentees presented both the power-point presentations and career plans to the other mentees of the organization.

Now then all the mentees have a chance to come to the office whenever they want to use the computers, internet and acquire the needed information.

During the grant we have organized the following group meetings:      

Communication skills Secretary skills How to make Power Point presentations How to write a paper work & present it Make Power-Point presentation How to write a resume and cover letter

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Time Management

Mentors receive their Certificates The mentor-mentee individual meetings are done. On July 13, 2014 the Executive Director of Nor Luyce NGO: Shoghik Mikayelyan, handed out “How to be a good mentor” certificates to the mentors. The certificates represented the fact that mentors actively took part in the theoretical and practical part of the mentoring phase and successfully finished the phase with their mentees.

We thank and congratulate our mentors for their great work.

Training of the staff In 2013-2014 the following trainings have been organized for the staff and volunteers of the organization: 1. “How to make a strategic plan” - Amie Park Wilson 2. “Gender equality” – Amie Park Wilson, Gohar Hovhannisyan 3. “Program monitoring and evaluation” - Jessica Clanton 4. “ How to use Wordpress, updating of the website” – Amie Park Wilson 5. “HTML classes” – Emilia Der Sarkissian

We cooperate with the following organizations and people 1. “Fridtjof Nansen” Boarding school 2. “Trchoonyan home” orphanage 3. Gyumri Social Childcare Center 4. School #30 5. School #29 6. Gyumri childcare #1 boarding school 7. Peace Corps 8. Birthright Armenia Foundation 9. A. D. Sakharov Armenian Human Rights Center NGO 10. Stepanavan Youth Center/ “GLOW” camp 11. “Association of women with higher education” NGO 12. Employment Center/ Director A. Adamyan 13. Professors of Gyumri Pedagogical State University 14. Professors of Medical College

Board Members Richard Chackerian – President Ara Chackerian Peter Abajian Nora Kayserian Amie Park Wilson

People who supported the program: « Birthright Armenia volunteers  Andrew Demirjian  Lena Sinanian  Talene Nargozian  Emilia Der-Sarkissian

Peace Corps Volunteers  Amie Park Wilson  Jessica Clanton  Rory Carson

Staff Shoghik Mikayelyan

Executive Director Tamara Mkrtchyan

Mentor-mentee Individual meeting coordinator Armenuhi Kojibroyan

Group Meeting Coordinator Gohar Hovhannisyan

Evaluation and Social Media Coordinator

Volunteers  Ani Avetisyan  Ani Khachatryan  Sona Zakaryan  Donara Ghazaryan  Angela Avetisyan  Lilit Virabyan  Sona Harutyunyan  Lilit Shahnazaryan  Almira Nikoghosyan  Shushan Yeranosyan  Hasmik Stepanyan  Larisa Jamakochyan  Lillit Avetisyan  Lena Ghazaryan  Ani Yeremyan  Sofya Hovhannisyan

 Unusyan Anna  Unusyan Liana  Kocharyan Arevik  Kocharyan Lusine  Hamazaspyan Naira  Hamazaspyan Lusine  Mkrtchyan Seda  Asatryan Hasmik  Israyelyan Mariam  Masnukyan Manik  Zakharyan Mariam  Mesropyan Hripsime  Kurghinyan Anna  Galoyan Gohar  Nahapetyan Hasmik  Nersisyan Ani  Yepremyan Lusine  Harutyunyan Syuzannna

Mentors  Ani Khachatryan  Donara Ghazaryan  Angela Avetisyan

 Lilit Virabyan  Sona Zakaryan

Mentees  Ասլանյան Aslanyan Srbuhi  Aslanyan Kristine  Hakobyan Ruzanna  Termenjan Arpine

Address Ghorghanyan #238 Gyumri, Armeni 3105 +374 55017219 www.norluyce.com info@norluyce.com