October 20, 2006

AGBU Breathes New Life Into Gyumri School for Children With Special Needs

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    Children at Gyumri Boarding School #3 enjoy the brand new fa
    Children at Gyumri Boarding School #3 enjoy the brand new facilities that were formally inaugurated on September 1, 2006 in Gyumri, Armenia.
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    AGBU France summer volunteers lend a hand modernizing Gyumri
    AGBU France summer volunteers lend a hand modernizing Gyumri Boarding School #3, an institution that serves students with special needs.
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    Staff and students at Gyumri Boarding School #3 show their e
    Staff and students at Gyumri Boarding School #3 show their enthusiasm during the September opening ceremony. This is the first time this school, which has been operating for 15 years and enrolls 132 children, has been renovated.
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    A view of the Gyumri Boarding School #3's lavatory facilitie
    A view of the Gyumri Boarding School #3's lavatory facilities before (left) and after (right) the 2006 renovation. With the help of funding from AGBU London and volunteers from AGBU France, Gyumri #3 was able to completely refurbish the institution's

On September 1, 2006, Gyumri Boarding School #3 for students with special needs, in the northern Armenian province of Shirak, welcomed this year’s student body to its newly renovated and refurbished building. Funded by AGBU London and with the contribution of volunteers from AGBU France, this is the first time this school, which has been operating for 15 years and enrolls 132 children, has been renovated.

AGBU London provided funds in excess of $10,000 for this comprehensive renovation project, paying for construction materials and hiring contractors to complete some of the more specialized tasks. The Chapter specifically sponsored the construction of new lavatory facilities, replaced dormitory mattresses and beddings, and installed new flooring throughout the institution. AGBU France Summer Camp volunteers, who visited Armenia this past August, participated in the renovation effort by painting school walls and bringing a much-needed touch of color and vitality to the facility.

This project is a continuation of AGBU’s commitment to the reconstruction and expansion of Gyumri, Armenia’s second-largest city, which was nearly obliterated in the devastating 1988 earthquake. As part of the organization’s dedication to resuscitating the rich cultural, educational, and artistic life of the city, AGBU has also constructed the Gyumri Art Academy, which houses the local campuses of the Armenian Movie and Theater State Institute, the Music Conservatory, and the Academy of Fine Arts. In the past, AGBU’s support also made possible the reconstruction of Gyumri Secondary School #7 destroyed by the earthquake, and the playground of Lord Byron School. Now, the organization’s generosity has revived Gyumri Boarding School #3, and promises an exciting start to the new academic year that began this month..

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