On May 4, Ayb School hosted an interschool conference to honor Gagik Grigoryan, a teacher who adopted a mission to spark the interest of schoolchildren in scientific research and to create opportunities for valuable experience exchange between different schools.
Gagik Grigoryan, a revered figure in both education and science, left an indelible mark on Armenian education and science development. As Ayb School Executive Director David Sahakyan aptly puts it, the role of school teachers in instilling the importance of science in students is pivotal. Mr. Grigoryan, a beacon of inspiration, was one of those teachers who ignited a passion for physics and education among young minds.
The conference united 52 teams from 32 schools across Armenian provinces, including Yerevan, Armavir, Kotayk, Shirak, Gegharkunik, Lori, Syunik, and Tavush. Each team, with their unique projects in chemistry, physics, biology, and geography, contributed to the collective pursuit of knowledge and innovation.
In her remarks, the Director for Academic Affairs at Ayb School, Meri Hovsepyan, dwelled on questions that had to be addressed during the day: What is science? How is knowledge formed? How are discoveries made?
The conference featured oral reports, project posters, and demonstration experiments. A wide array of topics were covered, from the effects of energy drinks to the latest technology in cartography, from Alzheimer's disease to the study of red stars. The teams elaborated on their experiments, presenting the process, results, and conclusions.
Artavazd Chulyan, a student of the Hakob Kojoyan educational complex, shared his research on the effect of colors on the brain spectrum. Artavazd also said getting acquainted with the work of other teams was exciting.
"Basing on thorough scientific research, our peers do solid piece work and even invent new things," Artavazd says.
Artavazd also highlights the importance of questions asked by the jury members and their "criticism" that helped him outline future actions to improve his project. According to Artavazd, instead of working on a project merely to work on it, a clear goal should be set, and an in-depth study should be conducted.
10th-grade student Arpi Gharagulyan conducted research on homemade disinfectants. The objective was to understand the antimicrobial effect of household foods on bacteria commonly found on the hands. Arpi notes that the jury members' sense of humor helped her relax and present the project confidently, as well as watch the other teams’ presentations with enthusiasm and great interest.
What would a celebration be without a national dance? To close the event, Ayb School students performed Ishkhanats and Yarkushta dances, followed by a round dance with the guests.
As the conference results were summarized, the winning teams received valuable prizes.
On the same day, the school’s science laboratory was named to honor Gagik Grigoryan. Ayb School co-founders and students conducted the ceremony.
We were delighted to see so many bright and promising young people, and we are confident that our novice scientists will achieve great success.