Staff and kids at the Getashen school gym

COAF Renovates Dilapidated School Gym in Getashen Village

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YEREVAN — More than 300 students in the village of Getashen, located in the Armavir region of Armenia, celebrated the opening of their newly renovated school gymnasium on October 8. The large-scale renovation carried out by Children of Armenia Fund (COAF) was made possible through the support of John Akhoian and family, as well as the Hoops4Hayastan nonprofit organization.

Practicing martial arts

COAF first entered Getashen in 2014, launching several education programs over the years. Today, the primary COAF after-school offerings at the school include Drawing, Basketball, Debate, Aflatoun Social and Financial Education, and English language classes in partnership with the US Embassy’s Access program.

Back in 2015, COAF completed a major capital renovation of the school, developed a Brushodrome (a room where children can brush their teeth), refurbished the school cafeteria, opened a Creativity Lab — a multifunctional classroom equipped with innovative technologies and launched a unique AgroSchool project, aimed at educating children in agribusiness and constructing greenhouses, the harvest of which serve the school’s cafeteria.

Kids and COAF staff members at the Getashen gym

The newly-renovated gymnasium provides children the necessary space to live their natural drive for movement and will directly benefit their motoric and cognitive development, allowing for better coordination and higher concentration. Additionally, physical education plays an integral role in fostering the social skills of children by teaching them the importance of teamwork, mutual understanding and acceptance, as well as following instructions.

A young basketball player shows her dexterity.

The school administration will now be able to offer a wide variety of physical education classes thanks to the gym no longer being categorized as hazardous. COAF will also continue to offer extracurricular sports programs, with an emphasis on the promotion of basketball.

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