Internet Access and Training Program (IATP)

IATP News from the Caucasus

December 18, 2004 - January 6, 2005

ARMENIA

website
The “Hand by Hand” newsletter

Sissian Students Create Newsletter to Voice Their Interests
On December 16, Sissian secondary school students and members of the Sissian Alumni Council celebrated the posting of the first online issue of “Hand By Hand,” a newsletter created at the initiative of Lusine Mkrtchyan (FLEX 04) and sponsored by the Teacher’s Union of Sissian and the IATP access site in Sissian. The newsletter staff decided to publish it in paper and online form so that it would be more reachable to the public. One hundred copies of the monthly newsletter were also printed and distributed through a network of local nongovernmental organizations. The monthly newsletter provides a place where students from all around the region can write news articles, stories, poems and letters to share with each other. As the newsletter is in English, it will present an opportunity to students to use their language skills as well as their creative abilities. The first issue of the newsletter includes articles about experiences in the Future Leaders Exchange Program, holiday word puzzles, and articles about two commonly celebrated holidays in the United States. The next issue will include articles about trafficking, community service, student councils, and other themes. Newsletter staff also plans to send the next issue to the regional government and to also start publishing the newsletter in Armenian in the near future.

IATP user
A Kapan student learns about legal
resources online

IATP Kapan Promotes Internet Resources for Law Students
On December 21, IATP Kapan held a seminar entitled “Online Guide on Law for Youth” that was facilitated by site intern Mari Minasyan and was attended by four tenth graders from Kapan Secondary School No. 9 and three students from Moscow Humanitarian Academy’s law department. The purpose of the seminar was to introduce participants to online resources containing information on children’s rights, the legal system in Armenia, and how to protect themselves by implementing their rights in different situations. During the seminar, participants visited such websites as the Armenian Young Lawyers Association, where they explored the association’s online library on civil and criminal rights. Students also visited international websites about human, youth, and criminal rights. The seminar not only provided information in the fields of law and human rights, but also encouraged students to use the Internet as a research source in the future and strengthened the participants’ English language skills.

GEORGIA

IATP Trainer
The trainer assists a member
of the agriculture club in
creating a brochure

IATP in Zugdidi Hosts Members of Agriculture Club
On December 24, the IATP access site in Zugdidi, Georgia, hosted members of the Youth Agriculture Club, a project implemented by the nongovernmental organization Atinati, for a seminar on the use of publishing software. The aim of the Youth Agriculture Club is to increase information resources for youth in agricultural and environmental issues. By learning how to use publishing software, members can more effectively attain this goal through easier creation of newletters and brochures. During the seminar, the participants were introduced to the main features of the publishing program, were shown how to use existing templates, and learned how to import text and graphics into their documents. During the second part of the seminar the participants created a brochure for the club in order to put their skills to an immediate, practical use. Now the participants are able to issue a monthly newsletter for the club in order to complete their goal of bringing more information to youth.

IATP users
Students navigate the iEARN
resource

IATP Prepares Students for Participation in new Georgian iEARN Program
On December 16, the IATP access site in Rustavi conducted a seminar aimed at the introduction of the Georgian program of the International Education and Research Network (iEARN) for twenty students of Rustavi Scientific Facility No. 1. Through iEARN, Georgian students from across the country can share their opinions on different topics, such as education reforms, teacher-student relations, and friendship. At the seminar, the students were introduced to the iEARN network, guided through the registration process, and taught how to utilize available resources. The participants read messages posted on the Internet forum, and became actively involved by expressing their opinion in answers to the messages. Now the students are better prepared in order to participate in this new educational resource for them.

AZERBAIJAN

Rena Modinova researches
information online about
economics

Citizens of Ganja Use the Internet as a Tool for Professional Development
From December 13 to 16, IATP staff in Ganja arranged a four-day training on Internet basics for economists and teachers at the Ganja Education Information Center (GEIC). The main goal of the training was to encourage the participants to use the Internet as a tool for professional development. During the training, the participants were introduced to how to use the Internet, how to save information from Web pages, how to manipulate photographs, and how to search for information on economic issues. The teachers also learned how to use e-mail, and the trainer helped them to create their own e-mail addresses. Although the teachers had never used the Internet before the training, they have since become active IATP users and are now using the Internet to search for new information for their lectures. At the end of the training teachers expressed their appreciation to the organizers for such a useful training. Rena Modinova, an economist and teacher at the Azerbaijan Agricultural Academy, noted, “I gained a lot of useful information and skills on using Internet. I am sure that it will be helpful for me to write my dissertation. Thank you again for the great job!”

IATP user
An Imishli resident learns to
use Excel for accounting purposes

IATP Helps Imishli Residents Improve Accounting Skills
On December 24, the IATP access site in Imishli hosted a seminar on the use of spreadsheet software for eight students and accountants. The participants acquainted themselves with how to use different functions in their electronic spreadsheets so as to calculate financial operations automatically on a monthly basis after inputting new data. In addition, the participants learned how to sort data in different ways and dynamically process data. At the end of seminar, the participants practiced their skills by developing salary tables. The participants are currently using the skills and knowledge that they gained through the training at their workplaces, and they expressed their deep appreciation to IATP for help in making their work more efficient and accurate.