Advancing Societies, Connecting People

For over 40 years, PH has connected global communities through cultural exchanges. Today, we focus on programs in civic engagement, youth leadership, and sustainability, building on our history to foster resilient, inclusive communities.

Current Programs by Field Office

Our past work:

United States

Ten high schoolers and two adult mentors from Myanmar participated in an immersive practicum exploring the intersection of leadership, social change, and sustainable practices during a 6-week exchange to the Hudson Valley, Vermont, NYC, and Washington, DC this past spring. According to final interviews, the second iteration of the Burma Youth Leadership Program (BYLP) was both life changing and life affirming. From cities to towns to forests, BYLP offered these budding leaders a profound opportunity to build skills and perspective while engaging with Americans and their institutions. This program was funded by DOS-ECA.

In Vermont, the group zeroed in on the successes and struggles of sustainability initiatives. Highlights included sessions with Waterbury Local Energy Action Partnership and 350Vermont, where students absorbed methods of community organizing and advocacy. Visits to Chittenden Solid Waste District, Local Motion, and Champlain College instilled more material lessons in different areas of sustainability. The intrepid group also created lasting ecological impact through experiential learning opportunities with Friends of Winooski River, Green Mountain Club, and the Vermont Youth Climate Corps.

These informative experiences were heightened by the mutuality of the host families who welcomed the foreigners into their homes. The participants were eager to show how American hospitality mirrored traditions of kindness and generosity from their own country. Hailing from a conflict-afflicted region, the group surprised many Vermonters with upbeat attitudes, aspirations, and erudition. Many described growing up in political turmoil as a unifying force underpinning their striving for academic achievement and support for their community. All postulated on how they could affect positive change amidst rising challenges, exemplifying the ideals of many of the Vermonters they spent time with. Adult chaperones noted how the homestays led to a richness of experience that fostered further personal and professional development.

After further study of community impact and sustainability, the group returned home to initiate projects in their hometowns. These projects reached thousands of people across Myanmar — a testament not only to the talent of the group but also to their prodigious development on the exchange. This cause for celebration could not come about without the staunch support of the northern Vermont community, whose hospitality, mutuality, and sustainability continues to cultivate enduring relationships and better lives.

The Future Cybersecurity Leaders Exchange (CSP) was a U.S. Embassy London-funded program designed to equip twenty 16-17 year-old future cybersecurity leaders (10 from the U.S. and 10 from the UK) with hands-on, skill-based training. The program began with a 14-day cybersecurity summer camp in the UK, followed by a seven-day introduction to cybersecurity challenges and meetings with U.S. government agencies, universities, research institutions, and private sector companies in Washington, D.C., and Southern California. PH International served as the implementing partner for the U.S. portion of the program.

Participants traveled to the UK for intensive cybersecurity training seminars, group activities, and hands-on practical experiences alongside UK peers. Following the camp, they participated in cybersecurity site visits and cultural activities in Washington, D.C., and Southern California. The program connected young leaders across both countries, fostering global networks and enhancing their understanding of public and private sector approaches to cybersecurity issues. Additionally, it encouraged participants to explore cybersecurity career opportunities and deepened their understanding of American culture for UK participants.

The Azerbaijani Youth Environmental Program (AYEP) was an exchange program funded by the U.S. Embassy in Baku. It provided Azerbaijani youth with the opportunity to strengthen their leadership skills and engage in community service through an environmental lens during a 12-day exchange in the United States.

Participants in AYEP engaged in hands-on learning, interactive group and peer-to-peer activities, site visits, and community service projects, all aimed at highlighting the importance of community involvement while developing their leadership abilities.

The program helped participants understand how they could become active members of society and contribute to their communities through an environmental approach. The goals of AYEP were to develop participants’ understanding of community engagement as practiced in the U.S., build critical thinking, problem-solving, and leadership skills, improve their understanding of the social, environmental, and economic components of sustainability, and foster cross-cultural communication between U.S. and Azerbaijani citizens.

The Youth Leadership through Sport Program (YLS) was funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA)/Sports Diplomacy Division. This program provided engaging opportunities for male and female youth athletes, coaches, and sports administrators through a series of two-way international exchange programs that harnessed the power of sport for social change. YLS was designed to foster greater understanding between people of the United States and partnering Eastern European and Central Asian countries by offering youth athletes and their coaches opportunities to develop leadership, civic engagement, responsibility, teamwork, mentorship, healthy living, and self-discipline in a multicultural setting.

Program exchanges were completed between the United States, Kosovo, Moldova, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine. Additional exchanges took place with Georgia, Uzbekistan, India, a joint program with Croatia and Serbia, Bosnia, Armenia, North Macedonia, Azerbaijan, and another joint program with Ukraine and Belarus.

The Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Program (YIEP) was implemented by the Turkish Education Association and has provided support for the development of innovation and entrepreneurism among Turkish high school students since 2008. PH’s Internet and Exchange Component served three functions.

First, the component provided a means of delivering additional content and new approaches that enhance the teaching of entrepreneurism in the classroom. Second, the component established linkages between Turkish and American youth that allow them to explore how innovation, entrepreneurism, culture and their lives are similar and different in the two countries, enriching awareness and understanding. Finally, the component provided opportunities for leading young entrepreneurs and their teachers to have in-person experiences in one another’s countries, further expanding connections and understanding.

The Scottish Study Abroad Program was funded by the U.S. Embassy’s London Public Affairs Office in England and implemented by PH International. The program aimed to provide an opportunity for six education professionals from Scotland to increase their knowledge about study abroad opportunities for university students and educational institutions in Scotland.

During this two-week, U.S.-based exchange, participants learned how to offer informed advice and counseling to students interested in studying abroad. They also gained skills in measuring, documenting, and communicating the outcomes of studying abroad in the United States.

The UK Youth Entrepreneurship Program served to inspire the entrepreneurial spirit in the UK’s diverse young people, providing them with tools to help realize their dreams and connecting them with their American counterparts and young American entrepreneurs. The program was funded by the U.S. Embassy Public Affairs Service in London.

The Scotland Study Abroad Professionals Exchange equipped teachers and guidance counselors in Scotland to promote and facilitate applications to university-level study abroad programs in the U.S.

The UK Young Leaders Program enabled a group of ten emerging leaders from disadvantaged communities across the U.K. to expand their understanding of leadership, explore new models and approaches to promoting leadership among youth, and gain personal experience in the U.S.

Funded by the US Embassy in Türkiye The YouthLAB project forged cross-cultural connections and fostered innovative leadership among Turkish, Armenian and American youth, nurturing a cadre of youth to become actively engaged in addressing issues of mutual concern in their schools and communities, and equipping them with the knowledge, skills and confidence to become social activists. The program was funded by a grant from the Public Affairs Section of the United States Embassy in Ankara, Turkey, and was implemented by PH International and its Turkish partner, ARI Movement.

The 16-month initiative brought together 75 young leaders (25 from each country) with creative ideas and open minds. Prior to a three-week leadership camp in the U.S., students from the three countries communicated online via a secure website and began talking with one another about leadership and change in their communities. In July 2011 all 75 students came together in Vermont for a two-week leadership camp at Sugarbush Resort, followed by a one-week homestay experience with American hosts. As part of the camp the students formed international teams to discuss, design and plan civic activities to work on in their communities after they returned home. They then spent the next four months working on these projects in their schools and communities, continuing to communicate with their peers and program coordinators as they put learning into action. In late December 2011, the students reunited in Turkey and Armenia visiting projects, communities, and expanding their cultural and leadership training.

This program produced Armenian alumni many of whom were core participants of the Velvet Revolution and currently serve in the government or affiliated agencies.

The Russian Youth Environmental Program (RYEP) was a four-week exchange program to the United States designed to equip Russian youth and young adults with skills in environmental stewardship, American culture, English language, leadership, and community service. Approximately 40 finalists traveled to the U.S., spending three weeks at host universities engaged in classroom sessions, field trips, and site visits, while staying with host families to gain insights into American daily life. In the final week, students traveled to Washington, DC, for workshops and tours of historic sites. Upon returning to Russia, participants implemented community service projects addressing local environmental issues.

RYEP emphasized environmental stewardship, cultural exchange, and community service. Participants engaged in sustainable practices, such as trail maintenance and habitat restoration, while learning about American culture through homestays and community networking. They also planned and executed community service projects in their home regions, fostering a lasting impact on both their communities and their understanding of civic engagement.

Funded by the US Embassy in the UK, ten up-and-coming young leaders from disadvantaged communities across the U.K. traveled to Vermont, Massachusetts, and Washington, D.C., to expand their understanding of leadership. The program enabled them to develop greater awareness of various models and approaches for promoting leadership among their peers while providing personal experiences in the U.S. that helped offset negative images and impressions.

The Global New Media Lab (GNML) was a joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) and PH International. GNML consisted of two program components: GNML Online and the Youth TechCamp.

The purpose of the Global New Media Lab was to provide students participating in high school academic exchanges with the skills to actively engage in and teach others about the use of social media and other forms of information technology for greater civic engagement. GNML equipped young people, ages 15-17, with the skills to harness innovative online and mobile tools for impactful change in communities worldwide.

The program trained 240 international students to create social media campaigns for social change, addressing issues in their home countries using powerful online platforms. Seventy-eight of these students participated in a one-week Youth TechCamp in Vermont, where they gained leadership and training skills that enabled them to transfer knowledge and skills in social and digital media to people and groups in their communities.

Funded by USAID, EGA/ED, the Community Connections (CC) program provided an important opportunity for Americans and people from across Eurasia to work together to address common professional challenges while expanding their social and cultural understanding.

PH was the only partner in the Community Connections global program that hosted groups and recruited for professional development opportunities in target countries. Over the years, PH hosted groups from more than a dozen countries on programs ranging from agricultural production to the arts. Participants typically spent three weeks in Vermont, staying with host families and engaging in a series of meetings with relevant professionals, organizations, and institutions aligned with the themes and objectives of the exchange.

Funded by ECA, DOS, DOTCOM brought together American, Armenian and Azerbaijani youth for media literacy in action project. It used online coursework focusing on media literacy and the use of Web 2.0 tools along with two face-to-face exchanges to bring 90 American, Armenian and Azerbaijani youth together over twenty months as each participant found their own voice, created their own media products around different social causes.

Among the 90 students in the program, 30 were selected for a more intensive exchange experience in which they continued their learning and work face-to-face. Ten students from Armenia and ten from Azerbaijan participated in a summer program in Vermont in 2009, followed by ten Vermont students traveling reciprocally to Armenia and Azerbaijan in 2010 to work with their DOTCOM peers to bring media action to the next level.

Project Harmony organized the International Youth Camp for 12- to 16-year-old students from Russia, Europe, and the United States. The camp was situated in the Green Mountains of Vermont. Campers participated in structured morning sessions of intensive language courses and spent their afternoons engaged in leadership-building activities, sports, field trips, and arts and crafts. More than 45 Russians and 25 Americans participated in Project Harmony camps.

Armenia

PH International identified youth education and empowerment as an important precondition for Armenia’s development to a sustainable democracy, therefore, throughout its 20 years of operations in the country it has designed and delivered effective, high-quality educational programming for youth development.

The goal of the Armenia LEAD Project was to equip Armenian regional youth with essential soft and hard skills helping them to mature into successful professionals and engaged citizens of Armenia and of the world. Additionally, the project worked with their schools and educators to create an enabling environment for youth development and civic activism. The US Embassy in Yerevan funds this program.

The project aimed to accomplish the following objectives: (a) organize 250 hours of English instruction (targeting intermediate level) and 70 hours of personal enhancement/development activities for 180 youth aged 13-16, from socially disadvantaged backgrounds, living in 9 regional communities of Armenia (b) provide 50 youth aged 13-16 from socially disadvantaged backgrounds living in 9 regional communities of Armenia with opportunities to learn methods of community needs assessment and project design for implementing community action activities. (c) Train 18 in-service English teachers from selected regions in observation skills for better identification of their own strengths, areas for improvement and for more informed decision-making about their students.

Towards the end of the 2-year cycle of the Access program, using the skills that they have learned, the 180 alumni of the program form teams with peers from their communities to design and apply for 9 Access Small Grants aimed at identifying and solving community issues by engaging other youth, their teachers, parents, and key community members.

Over the course of four years, PH implemented a set of interconnected activities empowering Armenian students and Armenian teachers of English to foster excellence in learning and teaching of English as well motivate them to become professionally and personally stronger individuals and citizens. This program was funded by the US Embassy in Yerevan.

With a focus on providing English language instruction to disadvantaged young Armenians, 5 English Access Microscholarship program sites were launched during through which a total of 200 students studied intensely over the course of 20 months. This course included 360 hours of after-school English instruction accompanied with personal enhancement/development activities.

Secondly, with a focus on building the capacity and skills of Armenian teachers of English language, a cadre of 10 teachers of English participated in a blended online and offline intensive professional development trainings to equip them with proper knowledge, skills and attitudes and empowered with opportunities to create essential resources, provide quality trainings, and support a wider network of their counterpart English teachers countrywide.

An additional team of 40 teachers were engaged in the project, who along with the 10 mentor teachers above, participated in a variety of trainings introducing them to new theories and practices on teaching English as a Foreign Language.

Description Funded by INL, DOS, the purpose of this program is through enriching INL-provided legal modules create for the RA Justice Academy 2 Armenian-language distance learning courses (“Corruption & Financial Crimes” and “Protection of the Rights of Minors, Victims of Sexual Violence, and Other Vulnerable Individuals”) for the professional development training of acting Armenian judges, investigators and prosecutors.

By introducing these new distance learning legal courses reflecting best international legal-judicial practices, contribute to reforms in key Armenian criminal justice sector educational institutions, help develop a climate where the rule of law is consistently and fairly applied and strengthen the ability of the Government of Armenia to investigate, prosecute, and adjudicate transnational organized and related crimes and respect human rights during criminal proceedings.

Funded by INL, DOS, The Program supported the Armenian State Probation Service (SPS) to develop quality technical, managerial, human-rights, and ethics training materials and programming for new hires and continuing education to foster staff professional development.

The following deliverables were produced throughout the Program:

Component 1: Training Development for SPS

This included the following activities:

(1.1) Development of 4 manuals for Probation Service with input from international trainers and national consultants,
(1.2) Based on the created draft manuals, organization of a Training of Trainers by a group of 3 international trainers and 2 national consultants.

Component 2: Sustainability of Training

This included the following activities:

(2.1) Facilitation of training for over 70 Probation staff led by the core group of trained trainers and PH staff to introduce them to the developed draft manuals and to deliver instructions for the testing of the risk assessment tools developed through Component 3;
(2.2) Organization of a 2-day regional workshop for a small group of probation staff (10 staff members led by the Head of the Probation Service) for a critical review and finalization of the developed templates in order to submit them to the MoJ for approval;
(2.3) Enrichment of manuals with new content based on feedback received from PS and with incorporation of risk assessment tools developed and validated through Component 3; Translation into English, obtaining approval from MOJ and INL, and publication;
(2.4) Organization of a 2-day final training on the newly developed manuals led by the Head of the Probation Service for the 11 Heads of the Probation Departments, the staff of the Methodological Unit, the expert psychologists, and select Probation Officers (a group of 30 people).

Component 3: Incorporation of Beneficiary Risk Assessment Tools into Probation Work

This included the following activities:

(3.1) Collection and analyses of data of 500 inmates from Armenian penitentiaries to develop a national risk pre-screening tool for SPS based on international samples;
3.2) Optimization of the currently existing in-depth needs and risk assessment tool;
(3.3) Setting-up internet connection in regional sites of PS;
(3.4) Testing and validation of both tools, and arranging with MoJ for legal approval of the final templates.

Component 4: Organization of the project’s independent evaluation.

Component 5: Organization of the project’s closing event.

Funded by INL, DOS, the purpose of AM CALLS was to support legal socialization reform in Armenia by developing creative and proactive community-based models that supported Armenian communities in preventing juvenile delinquency through social justice activities for Armenian youth in coordination with the Armenian police, schools, and communities and contributed to a fundamental shift within the police, institutions administering justice, and community toward the use of alternative justice approaches for juveniles.

The program focused on developing a community’s sense of responsibility for its youth, leveraging resources to sustain local planning, preparing and engaging police officers as key assets in that process, and supporting the Ministry of Justice in its efforts to develop alternatives to imprisonment – especially important in reducing recidivism among youth.

Armenia CALLS provided grants to local NGOs and emphasized local initiatives, underscoring the responsibility and assets of local communities to better meet the needs of their youth through supported partnerships, collaboration and social initiatives.

CALLS initiated a U.S. based exchange for a group of multi-disciplinary specialists (including the Head of the RA Juvenile Police, the Head of the Public Education of the RA Education Ministry, high-profile specialists of RA Investigative Committee and others) to explore the best models and practices of managing juvenile delinquency. Afterwards, they developed the first version of the Armenian “Youth Assessment and Screening Tool” which was tested by the “Center for Restorative Justice Programs and Legal Education” operating under the Ministry of Justice.

The program developed curricula and trained a group of Armenian investigators managing minors’ cases, as well as trained school-based psychologists to prepare them for participation in investigations of minors’ cases, as support to the investigators. It also trained the staff of the Social-Cultural-Legal Unit of the the country’s only prison for women and juveniles in their work with their befeneficiaries.

Through different trainings, workshops and community action the program prepared law enforcement, court actors, local organizations and the general public for effective cooperation between the Armenian Police, youth, families, schools and community stakeholders on initiatives that helped young people develop cognitive, social and emotional competence for preventing violence.

Funded by the US Embassy in Yerevan, The “Wonder-ful Life “ project entailed a series of activities dedicated to the concepts of equal rights and opportunities and social inclusion based around the reading of Wonder, R. J. Palacio’s prize winning novel “Wonder” about a young boy with a severe facial disfigurement and the challenges he faces when he enters public middle school.

PH International worked jointly with the RA Ministry of Education of Armenia and the National Institute of Education to develop 2 curricula (for working with different age groups of students) and train 50 High School teachers from around the country who then facilitated group readings and discussions of the book with their 1000 students during the Social Inclusion Month in February, 2015. In addition, copies of the novel were distributed to libraries, schools, and NGOs in Armenia.

On post cards featuring the Wonder-ful book cover, on one side the Armenian students shared their insights about how they could make their community more inclusive and advice to the to the U.S. Ambassador, the Minister of Education, and the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs. The 60 best advisers participated in a National Youth Summit on Social Inclusion which hosted famous local as well as international guests including Victor Santiago Pineda, a social development scholar and a major disability rights advocate, an international speaker and consultant on accessibility related issues.

The project’s concluding highlight was a major Art Contest followed by a public exhibition which hosted the participant students’ art products celebrating the courageous inner world of the book’s hero.

From 2011-13, UNICEF, within its 3-year EU-funded juvenile justice program called “Reaching Critical Mass: Consolidation of Juvenile Justice Systems Reforms against Torture and other Forms of Ill-Treatment of Children in Former Soviet Countries”, partnered with PH International to provide interim funding support for Community Justice Centers (CJCs) in Armenia. Eleven CJCs, created and maintained by local Armenian groups with support from PH International, were created as part of the ZANG legal socialization program:

Yerevan (capital area)
Vanadzor (Lori region)
Alaverdi (Lori region)
Gyumri (Shirak region)
Ijevan (Tavush region)
Chambarak (Gegharkunik region)
Talin (Aragatsotn region)
Kapan (Syunik region)
Echmiadzin (Armavir region)
Metsamor (Armavir region)
Artashat (Ararat region)

These centers pursued programming deeply rooted in restorative justice theory. While most approaches to juvenile justice focus on punishing or treating delinquent youth, this theory emphasizes restorative justice and seeks to involve the entire community in rehabilitating offenders and holding them accountable for their behavior.

By bringing together victims, offenders, families, and other key stakeholders in a variety of settings, restorative justice helps offenders understand the implications of their actions and provides an opportunity for them to establish a positive reconnection to the community. The CJC specialists (usually a psychologist, a person with formal education training background, and a social worker), law enforcement officers and community members operating the CJCs constitute a Restorative Board which develops rehabilitation plans for delinquency cases referred to the centers by the community and law enforcement officers on local level partnering with the ZANG Legal Socialization Program.

The CJCs have proven to be a successful and constructive strategy for combating and correcting juvenile delinquency already identified and reported on a community or police level. They have been at the center of many local and international reports and have always received positive acclaim.

This program produced Armenian alumni many of whom were core participants of the Velvet Revolution and currently serve in the government or affiliated agencies.

The successive grants of ZANG Armenian Legal Socialization Program, funded by the U.S. Department of State Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), introduced legal education to Armenian schools and established collaboration between educators and law enforcement professionals who work with youth. In and out of school, the program encouraged cooperative partnerships between law enforcement, educators and community organizations for positive change in areas of public safety, crime prevention, and civic society development.

Among its outstanding achievements, ZANG introduced legal education curriculum in schools, introduced new concepts for prevention and restorative justice approaches such as introduction of School Resource Officers, community policing, raised awareness of the broader community about juvenile justice issues, and together with the Armenian Police, created 11 Community Justice Centers in Armenia, successfully serving over 700 Armenian youth in conflict with law. By bringing together victims, offenders, families, and other key stakeholders in a variety of settings, restorative justice strategies emplyed by the CJCs helped the offending teenagers understand the implications of their actions and provides an opportunity for them to establish a positive reconnection to the community.

From 2011-13, UNICEF, within its 3-year EU-funded juvenile justice program called “Reaching Critical Mass: Consolidation of Juvenile Justice Systems Reforms against Torture and other Forms of Ill-Treatment of Children in Former Soviet Countries”, partnered with PH International to provide funding support and internaiotnal guidance for the operations of the Community Justice Centers (CJCs) in Armenia.

Jointly by PH trained law enforcement officers and schools teachers, two manuals “Me and My Surroundings” and “The Legal Mosaic” were delivered in over 200 schools.

Funded by INL, DOS, the LEAP program, supported community-oriented social justice models geared toward improving and establishing positive interactions between the community and law enforcement officials. Emphasis was placed on ensuring that the child’s best interests are of paramount importance, bringing about a fundamental shift within law enforcement, regional Departments for Protection of Families, Women and Children under the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, schools, and community toward restorative justice elements, and providing capacity support to structures within the Government of Armenia to respond to the specialized needs of juveniles with delinquent behavior and self-sustain legal socialization programs and efforts.

LEAP used an integrated approach that educates juveniles on the law and the justice sector resources available to them and builds positive relationships between juveniles and law enforcement authorities; assesses problems in the case management system for juveniles and provides recommendations for addressing these problems; provides training to school multi-disciplinary teams on how to best support juveniles in difficult life situations; provides training to Abovyan prison staff on re-entry strategies for youth offenders; and increases the sustainability of legal socialization programs and efforts in Armenia by incorporating these programs into existing structures and ministries.

Funded by the US Embassy in Yerevan, the 2-year English Access Microscholarship Program offered free-of-charge after-school instruction of English to adolescents from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. In addition to working on their language skills, the participants also participated in enhancement activities during which they explore concepts and practices on leadership, the importance of rule of law and civic activism, power of mobilizing community resources, meaningful uses of social media tools, project design and management – all these aim to boost their personal growth and development, and empower them to take advantage of the opportunities that had previously been unavailable to them.

Through this program PH has reached out to and significantly impacted the lives of 270 students aged 13-15 in 6 communities of 5 regions of Armenia.

Funded by ECA, DOS, the Internet Community Development Program for the Caucasus was designed as a one-year program to promote the use of the Internet as a democracy-building and community organizing tool for professionals in Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan.

The program fostered the development of two distinct online communities – one focusing on business support, the other on refugee issues and assistance to IDPs (internally displaced persons). The training, education and outreach activities increased the local capacity of professionals in these fields to develop online resources, to administer information services such as online newsletters and discussion lists and to organize and facilitate interactive online events such as web chats and teleconferences. These tools facilitated increased information sharing and professional networking throughout the Caucasus on these topics, and in doing so, broadened individual perspectives on both a personal and professional level.

Citizens were empowered through the use of Internet technology to engage in public debate and discussion on topics of local and regional importance. Most importantly, the ability to access, share and publish information online increased civic participation and strengthened the democratic institutions at the points where geographic and online communities coalesce.

This was a public diplomacy, economic growth and civil society development program which provided internships combining seminars, workshops, site visits, meeting American professionals in the U.S. The Community Connections Hosting programs welcomed 10-member delegations from across Eurasia to the United States for three-to-five week professional training programs. During the U.S. based exchange the participants lived in American host families.

Around 250 Armenian government and NGO experts (investigative journalists, business entrepreneurs, public health officials, special education specialists, advocates) and many other professionals from across all the country were enrolled in the program.

Funded by Center for Educational Projects (CEP), The Armenia office executed a consultancy contract within the framework of the Republic of Armenia’s World Bank-funded Education Quality and Relevance Program, implemented by the RA Ministry of Education and Science and the Center for Educational Projects (CEP).

Basic computer and Internet literacy trainings were provided to over 700 secondary school teachers from over 87 rural and urban schools in the 5 sub-regions of Gegharkunik region: Gavar, Sevan, Martuni, Vardenis, Chambarak. The project aimed to enhance the introduction and promotion of Information Communication Technologies in Armenian schools and provide the trained teachers with diverse opportunities in applying modern teching methodolgies throughout their teaching processes.

Funded by ECA, DOS, the mission of the Armenia School Connectivity Program (ASCP) was to establish an Armenian online school network (the only one in Armenie) consisting of 330 schools by establishing Internet Computer Centers at public schools across all 11 regions of Armenia, and through a newly created Internet Mobile Lab service an additional 50 schools operating in the most remote 50 villages of 2 regions.

Overall, the program provided access and promoted meaningful use of ICT to strengthen civic education and school-community collaboration through innovative use of ICT. It developed and supported sustainable online partnerships between US and Armenian schools and communities, as well as developed local capacity to support and maintain the resources and operations of the Internet Computer Centers (ICCs). Project Harmony Armenia recruited over 650 staff in 330 school sites and trained them technically, programmatically, and administratively.

The program conducted diverse trainings and provided Internet access to about 22,000 educators, 81,000 students and over 50,000 community users. It facilitated 6 reciprocal US-Armenia exchanges of school administrators, teachers, and students. Throughout intensive 3-year negotiations, Project Harmony achieved an unprecedented strategy for this program’s long-term sustainabity. During the final 2 years the Armenian Ministry of Education and Science provided about 1mln. USD as co-sponsoring for the program and it finally adopted the program implementation in all its aspects: fiscal, programmatic and technical.

To this date the infrastructure and capacities developed within the program successfully serves Armenia – this was a major national program introducing key reforms in the educational system of the country.

Georgia

The purpose of the English Access Microscholarship Program (Access program) is to make the study of English more accessible to adolescents from an economically disadvantaged background. In addition to working on their language skills, the participants of the program become familiar with the aspects of US culture and develop deeper understanding of current issues in North American society. Greater sensitivity to cultural differences, coupled with the acquired language skills, enable the participants to take advantage of the opportunities that had previously been unavailable to them.

The program works with more than 400 economically-underprivileged students aged 13-17 in 18 locations of Georgia, providing after-school English classes, summer schools and enrichment activities at no cost to the students and enhancing English language skills thereby developing increased self-confidence, stronger critical thinking skills, and increased opportunities for study or employment.

Program is funded by US Embassy in Georgia and implemented in partnership with local NGO partners in the the regions of Georgia.

The Community Policing Initiative in Minority Regions of Georgia (CPI) aimed to increase legal awareness among local secondary school students and build community-police partnerships in the Samtskhe-Javakheti Region. The core of the program was focused on establishing and institutionalizing positive dialogue, consultation, and joint problem-solving between local police and local communities, with a particular emphasis on ethnic minority communities. It sought to overcome existing communication challenges both within and between communities and the police. Representatives of the community included school students, school administration, parents and teachers, local self-government representatives, sport groups, and religious and community leaders.

CPI utilized school and community interventions to foster greater police engagement with members of selected communities in the Samtskhe-Javakheti region. The initiative’s key program areas were legal education in schools and building police-community partnerships. The program provided police with training and support to enhance their personal and professional capacity in crime prevention through community policing approaches. Activities included classroom-based components to build trust and relationships between students and police and extended to community-based activities, aiming to reduce juvenile delinquency and establish constructive dialogue between the population of Samtskhe-Javakheti and police structures.

CPI was funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs and was implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia and the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sport of Georgia. The program built on the experience of the Adjara Community Policing Initiative (ACPI), which PH International had implemented from 2015 to 2020 with financial support from INL.

The Schools, Community & Police Engagement (SCOPE) – Georgia program supported juvenile justice initiatives that aimed to foster positive, strong relationships between law enforcement, secondary school students, and the local community. The program emphasized supporting community policing approaches and raising awareness about issues such as trafficking, domestic violence, bullying, and cybercrime as they specifically relate to juveniles.

SCOPE-Georgia utilized an integrated approach that involved educating juveniles about the law and careers in law enforcement/legal-judicial fields, building positive relationships between juveniles and law enforcement authorities, increasing police capacity in primary and secondary crime prevention through community policing approaches, and developing community outreach programs focused on key juvenile justice issues.

As a result:

Juvenile delinquency decreased as youth gained a greater understanding and respect for the rule of law, legal issues, law enforcement, and criminal investigation.
The capacity of police to implement effective community policing initiatives was increased.
Greater community awareness of legal issues was achieved, addressing trafficking, domestic violence, bullying, cyber security, and cybercrime.

SCOPE was funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs.

The multi-year Civic and Tech through English Language (CTEL) Program aimed to improve the English language skills of ICT and civics teachers in the regions of Adjara, Kakheti, Samtskhe-Javakheti, and Shida Kartli. The program sought to enable these teachers to collaborate with English language teachers to learn and apply integrative, team-teaching methods in their schools. CTEL provided English language training to ICT and civics teachers, as well as training in integrated learning and teaching techniques to support new teaching teams of English, ICT, and civics teachers, along with small extra-curricular projects and activities in selected pilot schools.

The goal of CTEL’s Integrated Teaching Methodology workshops was for Civic Education, Technology, and English teachers to learn and apply integrated teaching and learning techniques and approaches, allowing them to offer students experiential learning opportunities in democratic practices, as well as English and technology use. In teams, participating teachers developed instructional approaches and lessons supporting learning objectives from all three areas, including one plan by the conclusion of each workshop to share with peers. Following each workshop, teams delivered the lessons they developed and received feedback on their delivery. Reflection and ongoing improvement were key components of the workshop cycle to help participants continue building their skills in integrated teaching and learning.

As a result of the program:

96 teachers of Civics and ICT in 48 public schools in Adjara, Kakheti, Samtskhe-Javakheti, and Shida Kartli improved their English language skills to the pre-intermediate/B1 level of language competency.
120 teachers of Civic Education, ICT, and English Language in 48 public schools in these regions learned to plan and conduct lessons using integrated teaching and learning techniques, enabling them to merge English Language, Civics, and ICT content in one class.

The CTEL program was funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and was implemented in partnership with Georgetown University’s School for Continuing Studies English Language Center.

The goal of Georgia CALLS was to prevent and reduce the recurrence of juvenile delinquency and to strengthen a fundamental shift within the police, courts, and communities toward restorative justice elements in the Republic of Georgia. Although Georgia had made remarkable progress in adopting policies that brought it closer to international practices in juvenile justice, there were also practices in the country founded in authoritative approaches that had the potential to undermine restorative justice efforts and generally alienate youth, leaving them more vulnerable to negative influences.

As the name indicated, the Georgia Community Action and Linkages for Legal Socialization program focused on building joint efforts between the government, communities, local NGOs, the private sector, and the international community for strong prevention programs and support for the expansion of alternative justice approaches. Georgia CALLS encouraged schools and community groups to plan for and adopt new programs to reduce delinquency, providing access to training and materials that supported those activities. Programs cultivated police as positive influences in the lives of youth and reinforced community policing. Other components strengthened the expansion of the Government’s pilot Diversion and Mediation program for juveniles throughout the country.

Georgia CALLS was funded by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs.

The Georgian Police as Leaders in Athletics for Youth (GE-PLAY) Basketball program was funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs under the SportsUnited International Sports Programming Initiative, and implemented by PH International. The program took place from September 2014 to December 2015.

The goal of the GE-PLAY Basketball program was to inspire and help officials and community groups in Georgia adopt policies and approaches that promoted the development of community-based youth sports programs. Building on PH’s work in the GE CALLS program, youth sports initiatives drew upon local police and others as resources to provide positive opportunities for youth aged 7-17 to practice leadership, responsibility, teamwork, healthy living, and self-discipline.

PH conducted a two-way sports and cultural exchange with participants (adults and youth) from Georgia and the United States. In early 2015, ten officials and youth practitioners from Georgia visited the U.S. and were introduced to approaches and options for community-based youth sports programming, with special emphasis on program models that brought youth and police together. Exchange participants returned home to develop and execute action plans resulting in 10-15 community-based sports initiatives that served as pilot and demonstration programs for a broader effort in the future. In early summer 2015, sixteen Americans, including one boys’ and one girls’ basketball team, coaches, and police officers involved in sports programming, visited Georgia to provide added technical assistance, conduct workshops and clinics, and build momentum for the programs being developed.

USAID-funded Applied Civic Education and Teacher Training Program (ACETT) was implemented by PH International in partnership with the Centre for Training and Consultancy (CTC) and 11 regional partner NGOs from 2010 – 2014. The program was also supported by the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia.

ACETT worked to improve the quality and scope of school-based civic education as a means to positively influence the knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of youth (and, through their example, those of the broader community) as active participants in Georgia’s democratic society. ACETT involved a number of program areas, including curriculum development, teacher training, encouraging and promoting student civic involvement, and strengthening recognition of the importance of civics education. The program reached out to 740 schools, 30% of all schools in Georgia. Successes achieved by the program include the following:

– development of 50-hour accredited training course for civics teachers titled “Teaching Democratic Citizenship”;

– passing 813 civics teachers from partner schools through this accredited course and conducting workshops for 736 school principals about the importance of school-based civic education;

– creating and supporting a National Forum of Civics Teachers, which now brings together more than 500 teachers from all regions of Georgia. Organization aims to advance civics teachers’ professional development, promote experience-sharing among teachers through different activities, which include: trainings and master-classes by American and Georgian experts, civics teacher roundtables to discuss critical professional issues, regional conferences and meetings of civics teachers to share experiences, open lessons in civics and organization of the National Annual Fair-Conference of Civics Teachers.

– presenting a Best Civics Teachers of the Year Award annually starting from 2012;

– development of the four sets of supplemental civics textbooks, which were introduced to 740 schools in Georgia. Translation of these materials into Azeri and Armenian for use in schools teaching in these languages;

– organizing summer civics camps for 1,115 students and teachers; conducting civics integration camps for 200 Georgian and ethnic minority youth to facilitate implementation of joint initiatives;

– developing a manual for school civics clubs and helping to establish over 500 school-based civics clubs in which students work with partners to resolve the critical issues of their schools and communities;

– awarding the most successful school-based civics clubs with audio-visual equipment that can be used to enhance their activities;

– funding and supporting 555 mini-grant projects that promote civic participation by students and teachers; involving local state and private organizations as contributors in these projects;

– training 711 young leaders and 53 teachers in the use of social media for civic engagement;

– training 170 students (and teachers) in debates and public speaking, who then have trained the peers in their respective schools and regions;

– organizing youth forums with participation of more than 3000 students nationwide to promote involvement of youth in local decision-making processes;

– and creating a civics and citizenship web portal www.civics.ge which brings together resources and news for about civic education and civic engagement for youth, their teachers and parents;

Final external evaluation of the program, through which 1,300 respondents were surveyed nationwide, showed that ACETT program achieved its goals successfully. This survey confirmed students have gained important knowledge and practices, through their participation in ACETT program, which are essential for democratic citizenship.

PH International (PH) was awarded the 2014-2016 English Language through Civic Education (ELCE II) program by ECA, DOS. The goal of the 2014-2016 ELCE II program was to improve English language teaching and learning in Georgian schools in order to support Euro-Atlantic integration, promote Western democratic values, improve students’ capacity for higher and continuing education, and increase marketable job skills among Georgian youth. The direct beneficiaries of this program in Cycle 1 of Program Implementation were Georgian teachers of English for grades 1 through 12 and the students they taught. This project continued the U.S. Embassy/PAS’s use of English language instruction and acquisition programs to promote Western and U.S. values among a new generation of Georgian pupils.

In the first phase of the English Language through Civic Education program, PH, in partnership with Georgetown University and the English Teachers Association in Georgia (ETAG), worked with the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy in Tbilisi and the Ministry of Education and Science (MES) to develop a core training program for practicing English teachers.

Over two years, the program increased the capacity of 378 Georgian English teachers in seven regions. ELCE brought in American English Language Teacher Trainers (ELTTs) who worked with a core set of Georgian English teachers in each region on an intensive program to develop content-based, student-focused teaching skills that used civic and cultural themes to mobilize student engagement and participation in English language learning. These trained teachers served as models for their colleagues, and 30 of the best received additional training in the U.S. as peer teacher trainers under the follow-on Intensive Course for Teachers of English (ICTE) program, which also gave 20 English teachers who had not worked with ELTTs a “jump start” to using the ELCE curriculum through an intensive teacher training summer camp.

The objectives of the program were:

To enable Georgian English language teachers in four additional regions (Tbilisi, Samtskhe-Javakheti, Mtskheta-Mtianeti, and Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti) to demonstrate enhanced skills and improved classroom instruction for English language acquisition and civic education through English.
In coordination with PAS and MES, to increase access of English teachers and classes to expanded materials and resources that complemented the national curriculum, supported language acquisition skills, and introduced Western and U.S. information, culture, and concepts at each grade level.

The PH Team developed a program that achieved these objectives through a focus on five key results:

A total of 120 Georgian English teachers (80 practicing teachers working with children in grades 1-12 and 40 pre-service teachers) graduated from the ELCE training program in Tbilisi and Samtskhe-Javakheti with advanced skills in content and delivery.
20 practicing teachers from Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti and Mtskheta-Mtianeti increased their capacity to deliver student-centered and content-focused English language instruction through civic education.
At least 20 new supplemental handouts, lesson plans, multimedia presentations, or other materials developed by Georgian teachers were nominated by their peers for semi-annual prize competitions.
80 schools expanded their equipment base to enrich the English language learning experience in listening, reading, writing, and speaking.
Two universities expanded materials and approaches to better prepare new English teachers for learner-centered and content-focused language acquisition.

The ELCE II program consisted of four components:

Teacher Training, Coaching, and Advising
Ongoing expansion of supplemental materials and teaching resources
Distribution of equipment to enrich learning
Promotion of new approaches and lessons learned to the broader educational community.

The Intensive Course for Teachers of English (ICTE II) Program, funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) and the U.S. Embassy in Georgia, aimed to build local capacity and sustainability on the foundation begun in ICTE I. The focus was on further enhancing the quality of teaching and learning in Georgian schools by ensuring the professional knowledge of English language teachers, establishing high performance standards, raising the professional status of teachers, expanding the existing Georgian TOT capacity, and supporting expert Georgian teachers to take the lead as expert trainers and mentors for other Georgian teachers of English.

PH International (PH) partnered with World Learning’s School for International Training Graduate Institute (SIT) to provide specialized training for Georgian school teachers of English, enhancing their theoretical and practical knowledge and fostering a deep understanding of issues related to teaching English as a foreign language, as well as the relationship between the language and Western culture and values. The PH-SIT Team drew upon teacher training materials and approaches used in ICTE I and the ELCE program.

A Teacher Training Summer Camp (TTSC) in Georgia condensed ELCE professional development into a 50-hour intensive course, giving 20 less experienced Georgian English teachers a week of specialized training in modern learner-centered teaching techniques for language learning. The course provided supplementary lessons and materials that reinforced English language acquisition through content on American and Western culture and civic values, and offered applied learning opportunities with students in an English language summer camp.

A Training of Trainers Summer Institute (TOTSI) in the United States developed 22 experienced ELCE I, ELCE II, Access, and ICTE I TTSC teachers as peer trainers capable of training other teachers in modern learner-centered teaching techniques combined with English language and cultural instruction. Finally, mentoring and support during the follow-on period used social media, networking, and a series of incentive opportunities to encourage and challenge participants to fulfill their commitments to apply their learning and expand the impact of ICTE II.

The Georgian Legal Socialization Program (GLSP), implemented by PH International and funded by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), began in 2008, in partnership with The Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia and The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia. The program sought to increase public safety, juvenile crime prevention and civil society development through raising the youth awareness in juvenile justice matters, building/ promoting trust among the students, teachers and law enforcement officers, and the introduction and promotion of principles of restorative justice.

The program included a range of components. Legal Culture Classes brought together police officers and civic education teachers in the classroom in approximately 100 public schools in 6 regions throughout Georgia, to jointly conduct specialized 7th and 9th grade GLSP curriculum. The Social Media in Schools (SMS) component taught youth basic social media skills using PH’s SMS curriculum, allowing the students to transform the knowledge acquired during the classes into practical actions for juvenile crime prevention though use of social media. A third school-based component, Peer Clubs of Legal Education, encouraged a peer education approach and project-based activities. Curriculum were translated to Azeri and Armenian languages for use in schools in minority regions.

In addition to these school components, GLSP played a significant role in introducing the concepts of restorative justice to Georgia, leading to a Juvenile Diversion and Mediation Program introduced by the Ministry of Justice of Georgia in 2010. GLSP organized trainings for representatives of governmental institutions and mediators involved in the Diversion and Mediation Program and facilitated the sharing of international experience by professional exchanges to the US and Armenia as well as by bringing foreign experts to Georgia.

The Community Connections program in Georgia was administered by PH International and funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Community Connections promoted public diplomacy, economic growth and the development of civil society in Georgia and Eurasia through an exchange of experiences, culture and values among program participants, American families, host businesses and local communities. A practical internship program that combined seminars, workshops, site visits, and meetings with American professionals with hands-on practical internships, Community Connections provided participants with an experience lasting three to five weeks in the United States and with an American host family experience.

The Community Connections program:

Provided participants with professional training and exposure to the day-to-day functioning of a free market system
Encouraged public-private partnerships in Georgia by including private sector and government participants on US visits
Created links between US and Georgian regions and communities

The program built local capacity and sustainability among Caucasus teachers by: 1) creating a cadre of highly qualified, confident professionals who were committed to actively contributing to the development of English language teaching and learning communities in their countries and regions; and 2) further institutionalizing and sustaining high-quality English language teacher training in the Caucasus region. This was achieved by using experienced local professionals trained as teacher trainers, who served as expert trainers and mentors for English language teachers in their schools and communities.

The Momavlis Taoba (Future Generation) Program was implemented by PH International with financial support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The program was carried out in partnership with the Centre for Training and Consultancy and 11 regional partner NGOs, involving 480 schools nationwide across all regions of Georgia. The purpose of MT was to 1) promote greater civic engagement among young people and 2) enhance civil society’s role in promoting transparent and accountable governance at both the national and local levels by expanding and institutionalizing secondary school civics education curricula and practical applications.

The Adjara Community Policing Initiative (ACPI) fosters closer cooperation in 10 rural communities of the Adjara region, with particular focus on cooperation among religious groups and between the community and local police departments. The core of the program supports building and institutionalizing positive dialogue, consultation, and joint problem solving between local police and rural communities, including religious communities and minorities. The program seeks to overcome existing communication challenges within communities and between communities and the police. Representatives of the community include school students, administration, parents and teachers, representatives of local self-government, sport groups, and religious and community leaders.

ACPI utilizes school and community interventions to lead greater engagement of police with the members of selected communities of Adjara, hence, the two components, legal socialization in schools and building police-community relations, are key program areas of the initiative. Providing police with training and support to incorporate and improve their own personal and professional capacity to accomplish these community policing objectives are key. Activities build from classroom based components (building trust and relationship between students and police) and extend out to community based activities.

ACPI is funded by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs.

PH International led a multi-country, multi-faceted effort to reduce the risks of radicalization among vulnerable residents of Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Macedonia. PH International, along with its key partners in each country—the Georgian Center for Strategy and Development (GCSD) in Georgia, the Center for Economic and Social Development (CESD) in Azerbaijan, and Moonshot CVE in Macedonia—implemented this initiative through a comprehensive online and offline campaign.

The campaign aimed to counter the messaging of international terrorist and violent extremist organizations in Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Macedonia while also working to prevent the risks of extremist messaging by addressing the drivers that contribute to these risks, particularly among young people. Building local capacity to sustain this effort was key to the overall success of the project. As part of the initiative, a special training curriculum was developed and used in Georgia and Azerbaijan to train community members, including influencers, on what P/CVE (Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism) is and why it is crucial to counter the messaging received from violent extremist organizations.

“Tech4Good” was a Microsoft initiative aimed at empowering organizations worldwide to better serve their communities. In 2017, PH International was selected in Georgia to implement the project “Georgian NGOs to Better Serve Their Communities.” The goal of the project was to introduce world-class solutions and technology programs to Georgian NGOs, supporting their efforts to better serve their communities.

Leveraging its extensive NGO network nationwide, PH International mobilized and engaged various local NGOs and media representatives in the project activities. The organization provided information and guidance on how to register to obtain Microsoft product donations and discounts, with a special emphasis on Microsoft’s cloud technologies, such as Office 365 and Azure.

YES – Georgia represented a targeted public-private partnership that built institutional frameworks and models to facilitate greater economic participation of youth through increased opportunities for self-employment via youth start-ups and for employment in established companies.

The program’s goals were:

To enhance entrepreneurship development and capacity-building for youth-led small enterprises through innovative forms of access to finance, knowledge, and expertise.
To increase the employability of young people by offering relevant training, improving financial capabilities, providing new practical on-the-job training opportunities, and encouraging youth-friendly corporate practices.
To create a discourse contributing to youth economic empowerment through a nationwide media campaign, as well as supporting youth-led enterprise networks and connecting them to similar networks internationally.

The project resulted in:

The development of an open-source Youth Enterprises Training Manual, a non-formal educational module with session guides, instructions, and handouts. Six hundred young people from 20 regions of Georgia participated in the Youth Enterprise two-stage Training Program, offered by MFO Crystal Branch Offices in 20 locations of Georgia. As a result, 30 youth-led start-up enterprises were financed and supported.
The creation of an Employers Guide to Internship and Youth-Friendly Practices tailored for 20 selected companies. This guide provided methods and tools for constructing effective on-the-job training programs, leading to sustainable youth employment. Four hundred young people undertook internships in selected companies.
The launch of the website Crystal Crowd Video Academy, which provided access to online entrepreneurial resources, employment advice, access to finances, and engagement opportunities with local and international networks.

This USAID-funded joint initiative by Crystal Fund, PH International, and JSC MFO Crystal worked with an estimated 1,000 youth, ages 17-25, in 20 municipalities across Georgia.

PH was the only partner in the Community Connections global program funded by ECA, DOS that hosted groups as well as recruited for professional development opportunities in target countries. From 2000 to 2005 we hosted groups from more than a dozen countries on programs ranging from agricultural production to the arts. Participants typically spent 3 weeks in Vermont, staying with host families and having a series of meetings with relevant professionals, organizations and institutions appropriate to the theme and objectives for the exchange.

Funded by ECA, DOS, the Technology Ambassadors Program (TAP) was an innovative technology and leadership program for Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) students studying in the United States. Using a variety of technologies, including weblogs and digital storytelling, students worked both online and in a Vermont workshop to create their own community development projects. TAP explored the benefits and uses of technology and the role of leadership in emerging democracies. The curriculum incorporated concepts of a civil society and demonstrated how technology can be used to enhance current and future initiatives throughout Eurasia. TAP graduated 90 students in three years, benefiting 12 countries, and created a network of motivated, inspiring and talented young adults who shared a desire to improve their own communities.

Funded by ECA, DOS, the program empowered women from across a given region or country to initiate change and improvements in their communities. Special focus areas were determined by the communities being served and included topics such as NGO development, mass media, women’s healthcare, prevention of domestic violence, and electoral politics.

Through educational workshops and training seminars focused on practical skills-building and mentoring, the programs developed the leadership qualities and capacity of women.

Program components included: a local needs assessment to identify key issues of importance to be directly addressed through workshops and training activities conducted; custom-designed Women’s Leadership Series workshops; Women’s Leadership Institutes focused on intensive leadership training for women; Women’s Mentoring Institutes that provided additional training for the top participants in the Women’s Leadership Institutes so that they could serve as mentors to other women and train them to conduct the Women’s Leadership Institute for additional women; strengthening the institutional capacities of existing women-centered groups and organizations; creation of a Women’s Resource and Training Center where appropriate; and, Inter-regional and/or International Conferences

A one-year pilot program, Internet Community Development in the Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia), a program of the US State Department, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, was designed to promote the use of the Internet as a democracy-building and community organizing tool for professionals in the Southern Caucasus.

The program fostered the development of business support, discussion on refugee issues, and assistance to internally displaced persons. The training and outreach activities of the program built the local capacity of professionals in these fields to use and create multi-language online resources such as online newsletters, discussion lists, interactive websites, web chats, and teleconferences. Experience from the pilot program was integrated into the core of the School Connectivity Programs.

The dynamics of domestic violence in eastern Europe were essentially the same as in the United States. What differed dramatically between these two cases, however, was the social awareness of the problem and the tools available to prevent and defend against acts of domestic violence. At the turn of the millennium, this problem in the former Soviet Union was aggravated by inherited cultural traditions, social structures, and norms of behavior that historically tolerated domestic violence.

In 1998, Project Harmony received a grant from the United States State Department to administer “The Domestic Violence Community Partnership Program.” This innovative two-year program brought together coalitions of domestic violence prevention and response experts from the United States, Russia, and Ukraine—later expanding to Georgia—to share strategies and develop community-based tools for increasing awareness of this problem and protecting women in culturally relevant and law enforcement-supported ways. Participants learned about collaborative models in the U.S. that established domestic violence community partnerships and were producing measurable and positive results. Working linkages between police, victim advocate groups, prosecutors, judges, health care professionals, family counselors, and schools were producing an effective coalition of community-based services to attack the systemic issues of domestic violence.

The program initially focused on Petrozavodsk and Volgograd in Russia, and in Odesa and Lviv in Ukraine. Based on the success of the first two-year initiative, Project Harmony received another grant in 1999 to continue the program for an additional two years and to extend the locations to include the cities of Irkutsk in the Far East of Russia, Uzhgorod in Ukraine, and Tbilisi in Georgia.

The Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) program is one of the Department of State’s (ECA) longest lasting programs providing an opportunity for international high school students to spend a year in the United States, living with host families and attending American high schools.

The Semester Study Program brought teenagers from Russia, Georgia, Ukraine and Belarus to the United States for a semester of study in American high schools. Between 50 and 100 15-18 year old high school students each year participated in the program, hosted by families across breadth of the U.S. Participants without exception were bery thankful to PH, the USIA’s Freedom Support Act program, and most of all their host families for their experience. Follow-up surveys offered statements such as:

“When I got home, I had lots of ideas of things I wanted to do – like starting a student government, clubs for sports, and helping elderly people”

“We are going to try to start something here in Tomsk – going to orphanages and helping kids.”

This privately funded program provided youth exchanges for American teenage groups to Tbilisi and for Georgian teens associated with the Tbilisi Pioneer Palace to the U.S.

Ukraine

Youth Leadership through Sport (YLS) – Basketball Exchange Program (2022)
- Funded by ECA, DOS
Fostering Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Ukraine by Training Ukrainian Start-up Owners on Sustainable Financing (2020-2021)
- Funded by US Embassy, Kyiv
Access Supplies Assistance Project (ASAP) (2020-2021)
- Funded by US Embassy, Kyiv
English ACCESS Microscholarship Program (2015-2020)
- Funded by ECA, DOS & administered by FHI360
US Embassy Kyiv Grants
- Access Youth Summits (2017-2019)
- Access Alumni Civic Engagement Program (2019-2020)
- Access Alumni Leadership Program (2018-2019)
- Access Alumni Technology Training Program (2017-2018)
- Access Teacher Training Event (2016-2019)
- Getting Down to Business I & II, English-language and skill-building programs (2016-2018)
  - Funded by FHI360, ECA, DOS
Police as Leaders of Athletics for Youth in Ukraine (2016)

Community Connections Program (2005-2010)
Participant Training Program (2013-2015)
Microsoft Digital Literacy and Skills Programs
- Youth Spark (2013)
Parliamentary Exchange
Law Enforcement Exchange
School Linkage Programs
Semester Study Program

Other Locations

AYEP provided 10 Azerbaijani youth with the opportunity to examine environmental sustainability, leadership development, and community engagement through a 12-day exchange in the United States from July 2-13, 2022. AYEP provided participants with hands-on learning, interactive group and peer-to-peer activities, site visits, and community service experience highlighting community involvement to develop their leadership abilities. Through the AYEP program, participants were tasked to considered how individual, community, corporate, and global practices can better contribute to the health and sustainability of our world.

Community Connections was a United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded program. The Community Connections program offered three-week practical training opportunities in the U.S. for entrepreneurs, local government officials, health workers, legal professionals, non-governmental organization leaders and other professionals throughout Azerbaijan. The program was designed to promote public diplomacy through the exchange of cultural ideas and values between participants, U.S. families and local community host organizations.

The Developing Online Tools for Community Outreach and Mobilization (DOTCOM) program engaged media-savvy and civically-engaged youth from Armenia, Azerbaijan and the U.S. and provided training and opportunities for young people to create socially conscious media impacting communities across the U.S. and the Caucasus. The program was sponsored by the Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State, and supported by a global network of organizations that include OneWorldTV, ListenUp!, Young People’s Media Network and the International Youth Media Summit.

PH provided support for the Junior Achievement Program in Azerbaijan for the Azerbaijan School Economics Education project over a five year period. Junior Achievement used hands-on experiences to inspire and prepare young leaders for success in a global economy. In partnership with businesses and educators, Junior Achievement provided opportunities for youth to engage in market-based economic ventures and entrepreneurship, while fostering respect for diversity of talents, creativity, perspectives and identities.

The program provided resources, internet access and training for schools across Azerbaijan and provided extensive training for educator so that these resources were used to enhance civic education and cross-border dialogue through online collaboration. Participants in the program carried out joint educational projects using an innovative cross-cultural curriculum focused on civic engagement and mutual understanding. Working closely with partner schools in the United States, ACE provided education al leadership and technical support to ensure that the use of the internet is integrated into the academic program of participating schools. As part of the program, students spent months discussing and planning the creation of digital stories using PH’s web forums.

Women’s Leadership Programs (WLPs) empowered women from across a given region or country to initiate change and improvements in their communities. Special focus areas were determined by the communities served and included such topics as NGO development, mass media, women’s healthcare, prevention of domestic violence, and electoral politics.

Through educational workshops and training seminars that focused on practical skills-building and mentoring, the programs developed the leadership qualities and capacity of women.

Program components included a local needs assessment to identify key issues to be addressed through workshops and training activities; custom-designed Women’s Leadership Series workshops; Women’s Leadership Institutes that provided intensive leadership training for women; Women’s Mentoring Institutes, which offered additional training for top participants of the Women’s Leadership Institutes so they could mentor other women and train them to conduct the Women’s Leadership Institute for additional participants; strengthening the institutional capacities of existing women-centered groups and organizations; creating a Women’s Resource and Training Center where appropriate; and hosting inter-regional and/or international conferences.

A one-year pilot program, Internet Community Development in the Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia), a program of US State Department, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, was designed to promote the use of the Internet as a democracy-building and community organizing tool for professionals in the Southern Caucasus.

The program fostered the development of business support, refugee issues, and assistance to internally displaced persons. The training and outreach activities of the program built the local capacity of professionals in these fields to use and create multi-language online resources such as online newsletters, discussions lists, interactive websites, web chats, and teleconferences. Experience from the pilot program was integrated into the core of the School Connectivity Programs.

The Bosnia & Herzegovina Legal Socialization and Juvenile Crime Prevention Program, launched by Project Harmony, Inc. (PH), aimed to prevent juvenile crime and foster positive relationships between youth and law enforcement in Bosnia and Herzegovina, specifically in Republika Srpska and Brčko District. The program educated youth on the rule of law and the importance of lawful behavior while facilitating constructive interactions with police to enhance public trust. The main purpose of the initiative was to assist the BiH stakeholders in strengthening the rule of law and reducing the level of juvenile crime in the country. The pilot initiative was implemented from January 2017 to November 2018.

The program also fostered collaborations among stakeholders on rule-of-law issues to ensure sustainability. Key achievements included implementing educational programs in schools across Republika Srpska and Brčko District, organizing a U.S. study visit for law enforcement to exchange best practices in juvenile crime prevention, and setting up partnerships with local government institutions to support continued impact. Through joint projects and mentoring, the program successfully built a foundation for youth to view police as mentors and allies in their communities.

PH International (PH) received a grant from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) to support legal socialization and juvenile crime prevention in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). The initiative aimed to strengthen the rule of law and reduce juvenile crime by enhancing youth understanding and respect for legal issues, increasing public confidence in law enforcement, and fostering partnerships among federal, canton, and municipal institutions.

By employing an integrated approach, PH sought to educate youth on legal matters, raise community awareness about juvenile justice, and develop collaborative relationships among youth, educators, law enforcement, and juvenile justice professionals. Key partners included government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and international projects, with target groups comprising primary and secondary school students across 26 pilot schools in the Zenica-Doboj and Herzegovina-Neretva Cantons. Activities included professional training for teachers and police, curriculum development for legal socialization and social media, and extracurricular programs supported by mini-grants.

The Project Harmony-ECA Youth Leadership Program for Bosnia-Herzegovina was designed to develop a constituent base of students and educators in B-H with leadership skills to implement democratic initiatives in their home communities. Through interactive workshops, hands-on training, site visits and collaborative activities with American participants, B-H students and teachers learned fundamental concepts and practices of American democracy and civil society. Participants developed leadership skills relevant to community development and civic activism and fostered personal relationships with Americans that continue since program completion.

Participants also engaged in a range of activities that promoted student leadership in community outreach, peer education and mentoring, volunteer initiatives and multicultural learning. Together with their American counterparts, the delegation took part in simulations, a community service project, leadership training exercises, briefings, group discussions, and classroom visits. Each participant worked through goal-setting exercises that culminated with collaboration on a strategic action plan for individual and group projects to be implemented upon return home to Bosnia-Herzegovina. Cultural activities and time with host families provided exposure to various aspects of American life.

The Montenegro Civic Education Project (MCEP) supported Montenegrin communities, particularly youth, in better understanding their rights and obligations under the law, increasing awareness about crimes affecting youth, and building greater trust between communities and law enforcement professionals. MCEP used an integrated approach that combined a legal culture curriculum for youth, community-based activities, and community policing to strengthen trust between community members and law enforcement.

The civic education/legal culture curriculum was student-centered, practical, and experiential, designed to increase youth’s knowledge of the rule of law and the roles and capacities of law enforcement. Grants to community-based organizations raised awareness of significant issues affecting youth, such as bullying, cyber security, cybercrime, domestic violence, sexual abuse/harassment, and trafficking, and provided essential resources to youth and their parents. Community policing and community dialogue workshops facilitated joint problem-solving and fostered collaborative partnerships between local police and communities through capstone projects and small-scale infrastructure projects.

MCEP combined police officers and teachers as teaching teams to deliver the legal culture curriculum in schools. This innovative approach to reaching and impacting youth had proven highly successful in PH’s legal education programs in Armenia, Georgia, North Macedonia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and Moldova. Youth benefited from close, one-on-one interaction with police officers in a non-confrontational, positive learning environment. Youth worked closely with police, teachers, parents, and other community members on extracurricular projects as well as larger infrastructure projects that benefited their communities. They came to see law enforcement officers as mentors rather than simply enforcers, while police, in turn, saw themselves as mentors and community resources.

PH’s main work in Moldova has centered around the Moldova Legal Socialization Program (MLSP).

Learn more here
Funder: U.S. Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement, American Embassy, Moldova

The purpose of the Macedonia Legal Socialization Program (MAK LSP) was to build cooperative partnerships between youth, educators, and criminal justice sector officials in the Republic of Macedonia, complementing other ongoing projects funded by INL, USAID, and the U.S. Embassy Skopje Public Affairs Section, with a focus on promoting a rule of law culture among Macedonian youth.

MAK LSP aimed to develop youth as responsible citizens and agents of change by fostering an understanding of their rights and responsibilities as citizens and the role of Macedonian criminal justice institutions through positive communication between youth, police officers, and teachers.

The Russian Youth Environmental Program (RYEP I & II) was funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs. The program was designed to foster greater understanding and respect between the people of the United States and Russia and supported Russian youth as assets to their communities and country.

PH, in partnership with Sustainable Learning, implemented eight separate, four-week exchanges in the United States in the summers of 2016-2019 for approximately 160 Russian participants (20 per exchange). The program focused on the primary themes of civic education, leadership development, respect for diversity, and community engagement, with a sub-theme of environmental sustainability.

During each exchange, all participants visited Boston, New Hampshire, Vermont, Washington, D.C. and New York City. In Vermont, all groups spent approximately ten days with American host families learning first-hand about American culture, values and lifestyle. During their trips to Boston, Washington, D.C. and New York City, RYEP participants acquired knowledge of American history, government and traditions when they visited the Smithsonian Museums, the U.S. State Capitol, National Monuments and met with U.S. Department of State officers.

The RYEP Alumni Program aimed to support local environmental awareness activities initiated by alumni and to encourage them to share their U.S. experiences. The program empowered alumni with communication skills to broaden their activism, funded environmental initiatives through mini- and travel-grant programs, and fostered networking for new environmental projects across regions. PH International launched these support programs, including partnerships with local colleges, where alumni completed an online course on Environmental Storytelling for Social Change. While originally scheduled to conclude in September 2020, COVID-19 restrictions postponed several planned events until later in the year.

The purpose of this award was to provide administrative, technical, and programmatic support for the American Center in Moscow.

With the continuation of the global pandemic, the American Center staff worked closely with Public Affairs Section to design and develop AMC Online programming content for daily events and special initiatives under the “Learn. Connect. Produce” concept as well as to reflect all the activities online through the AMC website and social media platforms. The American Center continued its educational and cultural programs in the online format on the core American Spaces programs and themes, including English Language and American Culture, STEM, Media, International Relations, Business and Entrepreneurship, Environment, Civil Society, and Alumni Engagement.

In close partnership with the U.S. Embassy, the AMC hosted regular online speaker programs at the AMC Online platform. The AMC staff coordinated the full cycle of each online event – from planning, adding events to the AMC calendar, creating announcements and social media posts to hosting the actual event with the participants on the Zoom or Skype platforms and further live-streaming to the AMC YouTube channel and/or the AMC Facebook and VK pages. All the online events are archived and available at: AMC YouTube Videos.

March 13, 2021, marked one year since the American Center in Moscow switched to the remote work format. Despite all the limitations and the ability to communicate online only, the AMC events became available to even more people all over Russia.

The eBook Library of the American Center was replenished with new releases. The AMC subscribers now can virtually access award-winning fiction for all ages, English-language learning resources, books on innovation and entrepreneurship, and more.