In 2006, AEF celebrated the completion of 150 school renovations in Armenia, Artsakh, & Javahkk, and continues to support these schools in a-variety of ways. In addition, that year, AEF completed a major program with delivery of new desks and chalkboards for the majority of these renovated schools. However, these schools, as most schools in Armenia, continued to have a chronic shortage of basic supplies, such as pencils, pens and paper.

Based on a very successful pilot program, AEF established a School Supply Committee, whose mission is to solicit, collect, and deliver school supplies to the neediest schools in Armenia, so that the children there have the basic supplies needed to facilitate their education.

This project was initially started by the Savadian family, who upon visiting village schools in Orgov, Armenia were shocked by the lack of essential school supplies students needed during their schooling. The Savadians took it upon themselves to collect various school supply donations from friends and relatives to ship to the students in Orgov.

Since 2007, the AEF has fully sponsored and executed the SSP, which entails gathering and delivering backpacks filled with school supplies to students in the most rural and hard-to-reach schools in Armenia, Artsakh, and Javakhk. Since then, SSP has delivered backpacks and school supplies to 20,155 students.

During the last few years, the backpacks were packed with the aid of students at Vahan and Anush Chamlian Armenian School in Glendale, CA.

The collaboration with the Chamlian School students, gives the students the opportunity to engage in community service. As project Chair Ruby Baghdassarian notes, “young volunteers learn the importance and challenges of raising funds to support a humanitarian project. Not only do they help organize, pack, and prepare the backpacks but also learn about the regions and the circumstances facing these communities. Our volunteers prepare for TV interviews and learn the importance of communicating their mission to an audience. All these skills are essential for these middle school students who aspire to be our community’s future leaders and advocates.”