Recently the pupils of “Armath” engineering club-laboratory of Akhuryan high school after Nikol Aghbalyan in Shirak region of Armenia hosted the project representatives from Ucom and Union of the Information Technology Enterprises (UITE).
During the tour the pupils of “Armath” demonstrated everything they have learnt throughout an entire year. The children became skilled in creating games, doing animation, performing mathematical calculations with the help of «Scratch» and «K-Turtle» programs, also in object modelling and printing with the help of three-dimensional printer.
«Here we not only program games, but also create robots, which may become applicable both in army and at home», - believes Albert Hovhannisyan, a pupil at «Armath» engineering club-laboratory of the Akhuryan high school after Nikol Aghbalyan.
«Every time the “Armath” engineering labs’ students tell in a conversation what types of robots they are going to create, I feel proud I’ll be living in Armenia of their vision. Our greatest wealth are these children, who quite often suggest more interesting and innovative technological solutions as compared to the older generation», - said Hayk Yesayan, director general at «Ucom».
«The number of the laboratory attendees is regularly increasing. Children enjoy learning programming and robotics basics, and after getting the three-dimensional printer they are delighted to do the design and printing of objects used in everyday life. I believe, that 60% of the current attendees will choose the métier of an engineer», - said Shushanik Poghosyan, the head of the robotics laboratory.
According to the Memorandum of Cooperation signed between the Union of Information Technology Enterprises (UITE) and Ucom, the latter invests to open around 70 more engineering club-laboratories named “Armath” in 9 regions of Armenia. The project aims to promote the technological education in all schools of the Armenian communities, to assist pupils in their early interest emergence in modern high technology, to promote the development of engineering mindset from early ages and to prepare competent students.
The project enables practical support for the integration of qualified IT-specialists into the Armenian and world markets, the exchange of the experience between them, and the attraction of large-scale investments into the IT-industry. It is noteworthy, that the software and assembly drawings of the labs-developed equipment are open to public. The computer programs and systems are “armenianized” to the extension possible, while during the project implementation for the acquisition of the equipment and software, the priority is given to the local producers, the bright example of which serve the high-quality three-dimensional (3D) printers, mini-computers, robotics kits and other devices produced in Armenia.