The International Youth Ethnographic-Archaeological Camp as an Effective Environment for the Educational Programme

Author: Margaret Sargsyan

The model of the International Youth Ethnographic-Archaeological Camp with its components was first experimented in the ''Mkhitar Sebastatsi'' Educational Complex in November 2017. More than 170 learners of different age groups from the schools of the Educomplex as well as from the schools of Georgia, Bulgaria, Gyumri, Yerevan and other provinces of Armenia took part in the camp. The camp became a self-expression platform for uniting and involving creative and active learners and young teachers. The teenagers were given a chance to act independently, display their abilities and come up with suggestions, and the young teachers expressed their ideas, presented and carried out their educational projects.

The youth camp had its blog on which the materials of the camp were published. Everything began with creating and spreading the multilingual text of the camp announcement. Then the components of the preparatory activities were determined.            

The following components were highlighted:

·         Establishing contacts with different ethnographic groups

·         Discussions of the details of educational exchange programme

·         Working out and coming to the agreement about the project of the preliminary programme

·         Working out the final version of the project

·         Informing the local authorities and sending invitations

·         Preparing the educational exchange lodgings of the Educomplex

·         Preparing the certificates for the participants

·         Publishing the programmes of the general porning trainings

·         Publishing the programme of the town dance floor

·          Publishing the programme of the round-table conference

·         Receing the participants and giving them accommodation in the educational exchange lodgings of the Educomplex

·         Publishing the daily programmes of the camp activities

Organizational work during the camp was a real challenge for us.  All the participants were to be involved in different activities. All the participants were supposed to know what they were to do every day, and at the same time, they were to be united and helpful to one another. I'd like to segregate some projects which were especially interesting with their contents and organization.

·         Town dance-floor project in Mashtots Park

·         Yerevan-Zvartnots-Metsamor-Sardarapat

·         International round-table conference

·         Ritual cuisine project

·         Theater on the roof of the Art School

The learners evaluate the first the International Youth Ethnographic – Archaeological Camp and give suggestions for its development

The learners have stated the following positive aspects of the camp:

·         New contacts, new friends

·         New environment, transformation of skills

·         Use of foreign foreign languages

·         Getting to know each other’s everyday life

·         Country study through walking and hiking, new discoveries

·         Developing presentation skills

Suggestions made by learners:

·         Each time the camp can have a new direction: fashion, arts, everyday life skills

·         Some components of the camp should be constant: singing, dancing, making tours

·         The camp preparations should be done in advance

·         The camp should have a leader and his assistants