On 23 July 2022, a mid-term evaluation meeting with the group of the 8 YMCA Scholarship holders from the American University of Armenia (AUA), the representative of the university and the YMCA Europe team took place. The Scholarship holders prepared thank-you-letters that were shared with YMCA Europe before the meeting. These letters were certainly a good tool that helped to know the participants better, to learn their personal stories and to know a bit more about their challenges and motivations in life.
The main aim of the meeting was to sum up the overall progress of the internship component of the Scholarship program and to assess the involvement of each of the participants through their monthly timesheets and by hearing the feedback of both the Program coordinators and the participants themselves. Certain practical and technical issues related to communication and coordination, as well as further steps, were discussed at the meeting too.
The meeting passed in a very friendly and warm atmosphere since throughout the 3 months the group have already been working together, they have built up a good team spirit with a clear distinction of roles and responsibilities among themselves. Small working groups have been formed on different topics.
The leadership of YMCA Russia, visiting Armenia these days, joint the meeting in the end. It was a good opportunity for them to learn about YMCA Scholarship program, and for the students about the YMCA at large.
On the same day, the next Rootsmade charity-fair was organised in Misak Manushyan Park in Yerevan and after the meeting the Scholarship holders helped the Syrian Armenian masters exposing their handmade arts and crafts items on display for sale.
The Scholarship Program is one of the components of the YMCA Europe Generation Next regional initiative designed to enhance knowledge and skills amongst socially vulnerable young people and empowering them to lead a meaningful and independent life able to contribute to building up a strong civil society.
