Gyumri Youth Initiative Centre

The Gyumri Youth Initiative Centre (YIC) is an Armenian non-governmental organisation founded in 2008 by five young people from Gyumri and officially registered on 22 September 2009. It describes itself as a leading youth organisation whose mission is to help young people become competitive, proactive and responsible individuals and citizens. Its office is in Gyumri, Shirak Province, and it works throughout Armenia as well as internationally. YIC's work is built around non-formal and informal education, volunteering, civic participation and community development. It runs language clubs, workshops, seminars, courses, camps, study visits, internships, conferences, festivals, research and advocacy campaigns. The organisation says that more than 2,000 teenagers and young people take part in its activities each year, learning how to engage in local decision-making, taking up volunteering opportunities and joining programmes that build employability. A central part of YIC's activity is the network of "Youth Home" open youth centres, which it has been establishing and operating in Armenian communities since 2018 using open youth work methodology. The first, the Gyumri Youth Home, opened in May 2018 with support from the European Union and the Gyumri municipality and serves around 600 teenagers a year. Further centres followed: Spitak Youth Home (May 2020, with UNICEF Armenia, the Government of Japan and the Spitak municipality), Ejmiatsin Youth Home and Armavir Youth Home (both June 2022, with UNICEF Armenia, the Government of Japan and the respective municipalities), and Gavar Youth Home (September 2022, with UNICEF Armenia, the Government of Japan and the Gavar municipality). These centres provide safe spaces for 13–18 year-olds to learn, develop skills, express themselves and socialise. YIC cooperates closely with Armenian ministries and agencies, local self-government bodies and dozens of foreign and international organisations. It has sent and hosted volunteers from many countries and takes part in the European Solidarity Corps programme through European Voluntary Work. It has also been involved in Erasmus+ projects such as "EmpowerYouth" and in UNICEF-supported UPSHIFT programmes in Gavar and Ijevan. The organisation remains active, publishing news and announcements on its website, including calls for tenders and job-practice opportunities at its youth centres.

The Gyumri Youth Initiative Centre (YIC) was founded in 2008 by five young people from Gyumri who had experience in the youth field. After operating informally for about nine months, the organisation received state registration on 22 September 2009. Its founding idea was to increase young people's civic activity and develop the community by encouraging youth initiatives and active participation. From its foundation, YIC has promoted youth development through centre-based and outreach work, using non-formal and informal educational, social and cultural activities. It states that every year more than 2,000 teenagers and young people learn how to take part in local decision-making processes that directly affect them, receive volunteering opportunities that contribute to social cohesion and solidarity, and are involved in programmes that build effective employability skills. The organisation's main areas of activity include improving the socio-economic situation of young people, developing a culture of healthy living, increasing youth participation in cultural life, raising young people's competitiveness in the labour market, involving them in continuous non-formal education, promoting youth initiative, increasing their role in solving social problems, supporting the implementation of innovative ideas, and developing a culture of volunteering. A major development came in 2018, when YIC began establishing and operating "Youth Home" open youth centres in various Armenian communities using open youth work methodology and principles. The first was the Gyumri Youth Home, founded in May 2018 in Shirak Province with support from the European Union and the Gyumri municipality; it serves around 600 teenagers a year. The Spitak Youth Home followed in May 2020 in Lori Province, supported by UNICEF Armenia, the Government of Japan and the Spitak municipality, serving 300–400 teenagers annually. In June 2022 two more centres opened in Armavir Province: the Ejmiatsin Youth Home and the Armavir Youth Home, both supported by UNICEF Armenia, the Government of Japan and the respective municipalities, each serving around 400 teenagers a year. In September 2022 the Gavar Youth Home opened in Gegharkunik Province with support from UNICEF Armenia, the Government of Japan and the Gavar municipality, serving 400–500 teenagers annually. YIC cooperates closely with Armenian ministries and agencies, local self-government bodies and dozens of foreign and international organisations. Since almost the time of its founding it has sent volunteers to and hosted volunteers from dozens of countries. It participates in the European Union's European Solidarity Corps programme through European Voluntary Work, which enables 18–30 year-olds to volunteer. It has also been involved in Erasmus+ international projects such as "EmpowerYouth", which included monitoring in the climate and environment fields in Gyumri, Artik and Gavar, and in UNICEF-supported UPSHIFT programmes in Gavar and Ijevan. The organisation continues to publish news, announcements and calls for tenders on its website.

• 2022

  Ejmiatsin and Armavir Youth Homes opened in June; Gavar Youth Home opened in September

• 2020

  Spitak Youth Home open youth centre founded in May with UNICEF Armenia, Government of Japan and Spitak municipality support

• 2018

  Gyumri Youth Home open youth centre founded in May with EU and Gyumri municipality support

• 2009

  Received state registration on 22 September

• 2008

  Founded by five young people from Gyumri

A leading Armenian youth NGO promoting youth empowerment, active citizenship and community development through open youth work and non-formal education.

• Gyumri Youth Home

  Open youth centre founded in May 2018 in Shirak Province with EU and Gyumri municipality support; serves around 600 teenagers a year.

• Spitak Youth Home

  Open youth centre founded in May 2020 in Lori Province with UNICEF Armenia, Government of Japan and Spitak municipality support; serves 300–400 teenagers a year.

• Ejmiatsin Youth Home

  Open youth centre founded in June 2022 in Armavir Province with UNICEF Armenia, Government of Japan and Vagharshapat municipality support; serves around 400 teenagers a year.

• Armavir Youth Home

  Open youth centre founded in June 2022 in Armavir Province with UNICEF Armenia, Government of Japan and Armavir municipality support; serves around 400 teenagers a year.

• Gavar Youth Home

  Open youth centre founded in September 2022 in Gegharkunik Province with UNICEF Armenia, Government of Japan and Gavar municipality support; serves 400–500 teenagers a year.

1. 1Երիտասարդական նախաձեռնությունների կենտրոնyic.am
2. 2ՄԵԴԻԱՆ ՄԵՐ ՄԱՍԻՆyic.am
3. 3Gyumri Youth Initiative Centrewikidata.org
4. 4Գյումրու երիտասարդական նախաձեռնությունների կենտրոնhy.wikipedia.org