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AGBU YPLA Generation Next Mentorship Program Wins Award

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  • AGBU YPLA Generation Next Mentorship Program Wins Award

    AGBU Press Office
    55 East 59th Street
    New York, NY 10022-1112
    Phone: 212.319.6383, x118
    Fax: 212.319.6507
    Email: [email protected]
    Website: www.agbu.org

    PRESS RELEASE

    Wednesday, January 30, 2008

    AGBU YPLA Generation Next Mentorship Program Wins Award

    On November 15, 2007, USC Armenian Graduate Student Association (AGSA)
    held its First Annual Assembly of Armenian Professionals and paid
    tribute to the AGBU Generation Next Mentorship Program (GenNext). The
    event, attended by over 130 guests from various Armenian organizations
    in the Los Angeles area, was held at the upscale Spazio restaurant in
    Sherman Oaks, California.

    Armen Donigian, USC AGSA chair of Professional Development, presented
    Ara Arzumanian, director of the mentorship program, with AGSA's first
    annual "Award for Excellence in Community Leadership." Arzumanian
    gratefully accepted the award and invited his staff of mentors to join
    him on stage to share the honor. "AGBU Generation Next is receiving this
    award because of the dedicated mentors who have made our program
    successful. This award belongs to them," said Arzumanian.

    Arzumanian stressed the historical importance of mentorship, beginning
    with Greek mythology. During his impassioned speech, Arzumanian
    encouraged the audience of young professionals to be active in their
    community. "Before you know yourself, you must know your community. You
    must know where you belong in your community. Mentoring will help you,
    as well as a young boy or girl, understand where each of you fits in
    this world."

    He concluded with an appeal to guests to take up the challenge and
    become mentors to Armenian youth in the Los Angeles area. As a result,
    20 new applicants--a record number--signed up that evening. According to
    Arzumanian, "This was a landmark event." The follow-up recruitment
    session, which took place on November 20, "clinched the deal for us,"
    said Arzumanian. "We are now in the midst of interviewing all applicants
    and expect to accept about 18 new applicants and bring our total numbers
    to about 70 [mentorship] matches."

    GenNext was created in 1997 by a handful of volunteers under the
    auspices of AGBU and the administrative assistance of the Glendale
    Unified School District (GUSD) in response to the many pressures of
    gangs, crime, drugs, and family dysfunction faced by Armenian youth in
    the Los Angeles area.

    The focus of Generation Next Mentorship Program is prevention. The
    group's mission is to identify, with the cooperation of school
    counselors and parents, potentially troubled teens and help them find a
    meaningful role in the community. Through the pairing of youth with
    mentor volunteers, 21 years and over, teens identify with positive role
    models and receive guidance and necessary support from them. They meet
    with their mentors at least twice a month for one-on-one sessions and
    communicate often by phone.

    Monthly group activities and parenting seminars are also an important
    part of the program. A wide variety of activities such as museum trips,
    theater and dance performances, as well as lectures on Armenian culture
    and heritage, help young Armenians discover new interests and learn to
    become more self-sufficient.

    The 10-year-old mentorship program has grown into a professionally
    managed and highly recognized community service. On August 27, 2007, the
    group earned distinction from the Glendale Unified School District
    (GUSD) at their "Making a Difference Management Retreat." Before an
    audience of 150 district administrators, school administrators,
    counselors, and other classified managers, GenNext received an award for
    their efforts toward "Making a Difference in the lives of the children
    of the Glendale Unified School District."

    For more information about the program, please contact the AGBU
    Generation Next Mentorship Program (www.agbugennext.org) by e-mail
    [email protected], phone 626-794-7942.
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