Armenia’s first school camp dedicated to Artificial Intelligence (AI) and technology-driven professions has officially launched in Hankavan, marking the start of a groundbreaking educational collaboration between the Armenian Missionary Association of America (AMAA) Armenia Branch and the Foundation for Armenian Science and Technology (FAST).
The camp is part of FAST’s “Generation AI” school program and will run through August 31, bringing together nearly 300 high school students from across Armenia. Participants will explore AI and its applications in healthcare, law, agriculture, and other industries, while also identifying personal strengths, developing competitive skills, and charting individual pathways for career and personal growth.
AMAA Armenia Director Aren Deyirmenjian expressed excitement at welcoming another 300 young participants to the “Shoghik” Camp, which has hosted more than 55,000 children over the years:
“We are confident the students will gain not only valuable knowledge in AI but also enjoy an unforgettable camp experience.”
FAST Executive Director Suzanna Shamakhyan highlighted the human dimension of innovation:
“This is a wonderful opportunity for like-minded students from different regions to connect, learn from AI experts and one another, and envision bold futures. We want to inspire them to dream big, break stereotypes, and have the courage to imagine and create.”
FAST provides the camp’s educational content, while AMAA ensures a vibrant daily program filled with games, competitions, and recreational activities.
The initiative will become an annual event, broadening access to AI education and introducing students to future-oriented professions.
Through a Memorandum of Understanding, the two organizations are also joining forces to expand free and competitive AI education. Starting in the 2025–2026 academic year, the “Generation AI” program—already implemented in high schools across all regions of Armenia—will also be offered at AMAA’s Avedisian School, enabling students to explore one of the world’s fastest-growing and most promising fields over a three-year study cycle.
AMAA and FAST are co-founding members of the “405 Educational Alliance,” which unites Armenia’s leading educational institutions.
AMAA, founded in 1918 in Massachusetts, USA, has been active in Armenia for more than three decades, running educational, social, healthcare, economic, and spiritual-cultural programs across nearly every region. Its flagship institution, the Khoren and Shooshanig Avedisian School, will launch a new experimental model this September, incorporating a school-based health center and day center, with plans to expand to other regions.
Among AMAA’s key non-formal education projects is the Hankavan Camp, featuring hotel-style accommodations, conference halls, sports grounds, an amphitheater, and recreational areas. The complex is designed to host year-round camps, as well as educational, cultural, and entertainment events.
FAST, founded in 2017, is building an ecosystem that fosters technological innovation and scientific advancement in Armenia. To date, it has implemented 30 programs reaching more than 24,000 beneficiaries..
FAST’s pioneering “Generation AI” program provides a full educational pathway for future innovators—from high school to doctoral studies.
