The Armenia Project

23/07/2025

Dolma, identity, and a first trip to Armenia.

Charlotte grew up in Boston, far from any Armenian community and even farther from the language. But one thing always brought her closer: dolma.

This summer, she came to Armenia for the first time through the TAP journalism internship. Her first story explores how food became the bridge to a heritage she’s only just beginning to rediscover.

“Whether I’m eating dolma at home, in Armenia, or at my Italian grandmother’s house, it’s something I can always count on to take me back to my roots, and it feels like home no matter where I am. Dolma is more than just a delicious dish for me. It’s a family tradition, a bond with my father, and the main tie to my cherished Armenian heritage.”

Her article is now published on GastroVino by Mediamax.am, where she’s spending the summer as an intern.

🔗 Read her story of how a simple dish can hold generations.
https://shorturl.at/kmf87

22/07/2025

🇦🇲In her latest piece for Lonely Planet, travel writer Sandie Ketsell explores Armenia not through landmarks, but through moments: mountain views that defy directions, ancient winemaking revived, and human connection that reveals identity.

📖 Read the full piece on our bio.

Imagine a country where chess is a mandatory school subject, pulpulak water fountains are ubiquitous and the Christian heritage is the oldest in the world. Add…

21/07/2025

♟️Can a centuries-old board game be the answer to AI-era education?

In her recent New Eastern Europe op-ed, Arpine Lputyan, Ambassador and Program Manager of the Chess in Schools program, explains how Armenia became the first country in the world to make chess mandatory in public schools and why the rest of the world is starting to pay attention. 🌍

After more than a decade of teaching chess in schools, the impact in Armenia is clear. Students are performing better in subjects like math and reading, showing stronger focus and self-confidence, and developing the kind of reasoning that can’t be shortcut by a search bar or solved by an algorithm.

“There’s no autofill on a chessboard. Every move must be reasoned.”

📖 Read the full article here:
https://shorturl.at/9OCO1

20/07/2025

As our final student this summer, Martha Gathercole (.g04) brings something different, no journalism background, just a sharp mind and a dedication to storytelling. She’s come from the UK to begin that journey here in Armenia.

🎓She’s currently pursuing a degree in French and Beginners’ Russian at Oxford University (Class of 2026), and brings a strong background in language education and mentoring, with experience teaching both English and French to students of various ages and backgrounds.

This year, we’re excited to welcome to our list of partner organizations, one of Armenia’s leading destinations for investigative journalism. Martha will be contributing there while also gaining hands-on newsroom experience at .am.🗞️

📌 Over the next 8–10 weeks, she’ll be writing stories, building her portfolio, and exploring issues on the ground.

Stay tuned to see where it leads.

17/07/2025

📰 How can journalists tell the hardest stories, responsibly and ethically?

TAP, in collaboration with the American University of Armenia's Center for Excellence in Journalism and the MA in Multiplatform Journalism program, is excited to host three leading journalism professors from Ohio University for a special lecture series in Yerevan.

This is a rare and timely opportunity, especially for Armenian journalists and students, to gain hands-on insights into some of the most complex and critical areas of reporting today.

🗞️ Professor Nerissa Young will cover trauma-informed reporting and journalist well-being.
🗞️ Professor Mark Turner will explore conflict reporting, censorship, and staying neutral in high-stakes stories.
🗞️ Professor Kevin Smith will dive into journalism ethics, including how to build ethical frameworks in the age of AI.

The lectures include interactive exercises and discussions among participants and opportunities to meet student journalists from various programs in Yerevan.

👉 Find all the details and register here: https://shorturl.at/yVZM5

15/07/2025

🎬 A tariff that could silence voices.

The U.S. is considering a 100% tariff on all foreign-made films, which threatens to limit access to global stories, and hit smaller film industries like Armenia’s the hardest.

In her Los Angeles Times op-ed, producer Alexanian warns what’s really at stake: when a country like Armenia makes a film, it’s not just cinema, but a survival, identity, and connection.

“To penalize ‘foreign-made’ films is to punish Americans, too — artists, producers and distributors who thrive on collaboration. You can’t build a wall around storytelling.”

🎞️ Take “Amerikatsi,” an award-winning film shot in Armenia by Emmy-winner Michael A. Goorjian, inspired by his grandfather’s escape from the Genocide. It's a story made possible through international collaboration, and exactly the kind of film this policy would endanger.

📖 A must-read on what this policy could mean for diaspora voices, global film, and American culture itself.

👉 Read the piece here: https://shorturl.at/9zGps

10/07/2025

Meet our next intern for this summer, Charlotte Snoonian, coming all the way from Boston to join us in Armenia 🇦🇲✈️

Currently pursuing her M.S. in Journalism at Boston University (Class of 2026), Charlotte holds a B.S.C. in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Miami. Her work spans sports reporting, arts writing, and producing live TV broadcasts, showing both depth and range in her storytelling.

She has spent the past few years deeply involved in journalism, reporting sports stories for The Miami Hurricane, anchoring and producing live newscasts at UMTV, and now mentoring fellow students as a Writing Fellow and Teaching Assistant at Boston University, building a strong editorial foundation.

We are excited to work with two of Armenia’s most respected media platforms, .am and .am, as hosts for the internship. CivilNet’s hands-on newsroom journalism experience and Mediamax’s interview-driven storytelling guarantee that TAP journalism interns have every opportunity to learn, grow, and contribute to meaningful media work on the ground.

📌 During her 8-10 weeks in Armenia, Charlotte will contribute original reporting, build her portfolio, and explore the stories that matter most, both locally and globally. Stay tuned to follow her journey.

02/07/2025

🎬 TAP Micro-Grant’s second recipient is a timely and impactful project by journalist Rima Grigoryan from Investigative Journalists of Armenia NGO and freelance journalist Siranush Sargsyan.

It highlights the often-overlooked challenges faced by displaced Artsakh families. It tells the compelling story of Gohar, a talented singer, and her four-generation family, who, like many, are being forced to leave Armenia due to the dire circumstances following the cessation of financial assistance and the struggle to find stable work.

The project will follow their journey during their final weeks in Armenia, capturing the emotional and practical hurdles of preparing to emigrate. This project humanizes the statistics of forced migration, offering a look at the sacrifices made by families striving for stability.

🌍 TAP is committed to supporting such stories, bringing important narratives to international audiences. Follow along for more on this essential project that gives voice to unseen struggles.

30/06/2025

🎬 We are excited to spotlight AYG, one of the two winning projects of our first microgrant call!

What began as a small filmmaking workshop in the village of Karmir Shuka,has grown into a deeply moving documentary that gives voice to a generation navigating displacement, loss, and resilience.

AYG follows Nver and Arman, two close friends from Artsakh whose lives were uprooted by war. Now, rebuilding their lives in new villages across Armenia, their friendship remains a quiet constant through separation and uncertainty.

The film, made on a zero budget but full of heart, has already made an impression at the Kino Asyl Festival in Munich in 2024 and the One Shot International Short Film Festival in Yerevan in 2025, where it received the Cinema Without Borders - Best Armenian film award.

We’re proud to support GUrban and the voices it brings to light.

🔸A huge thank you to everyone who applied to our Micro-Grants project. This was our very first year running the grant, and we’re grateful for the inspiring ideas and stories we received. We hope to make this initiative a tradition, supporting bold andnecessary stories that deserve to be seen and heard internationally.

26/06/2025

🇦🇲 We’re thrilled to welcome Michele Crestani (London School of Journalism) to Armenia as our next intern for the 2025 TAP International Journalism Internship. An aspiring freelance journalist and photojournalist who studied journalism in London and photojournalism in Rome, Michele explores the intersections of social issues, underground culture, and life-changing storytelling.

We’re proud to partner with EVN Report, one of Armenia’s leading English-language newsrooms, as the host for Michele’s internship. Known for its in-depth coverage, EVN Report offers interns the opportunity to engage with thoughtful, high-impact journalism and gain firsthand experience.

During their 8-10 weeks in Armenia, our interns will address important local, regional, and global issues, sharpening their skills and building portfolios that stand out. 🌎

📌 Their published work will be shared regularly on our website and social media channels. Follow us to stay updated!

23/06/2025

📍As tensions between Iran and Israel escalated, Armenia became an unexpected corridor to safety.

Over 100 Indian students fled Iran, crossing the border into Armenia in one of the first waves of Operation Sindhu, India’s evacuation mission. Among them was Tamheed Ulislam, a medical student who described the emotional toll of escaping a war-affected zone.

TAP intern Minahil Arif reported the story for CivilNet, capturing a rare look into the human side of the geopolitical crisis.

“The most challenging part was the emotional stress—traveling through a war-affected area, not knowing what could happen next,” Tamheed told CivilNet.

🔗 Full story here: https://shorturl.at/Ygn2f

17/06/2025

Announcing the winners of TAP’s first Micro-Grant Program.

Two stories. One shared purpose: to bring powerful storytelling from Armenia to the world. 🌍

Chosen from over 30 submissions, these projects shed light on the experience of displacement and the strength it takes to protect one’s identity in uncertain times.

This moment marks a new chapter in The Armenia Project’s mission to support bold, high-impact narratives that resonate far beyond Armenia’s borders.

We’re proud to stand behind these creators, and certain their voices will be heard on international stages very soon.

More on the creators and their stories coming soon.

The full announcement is now live on our website.
https://shorturl.at/rQVrg