Sona Sohigian has some fun playing with the Aram, Maral, gampr and tree finger puppets crocheted in Armenia by HDIF artisans for ATP
WOBURN, Massachusetts—Armenia Tree Project has established a new partnership with Homeland Development Initiative Foundation with a set of crochet finger puppets based on characters from its Building Bridges program.
For the past seven years, ATP’s Building Bridges program has introduced environmental education into schools throughout the diaspora. The effort is underwritten by a leadership grant from the Thomas Kooyumjian Family Foundation. It has expanded from a few schools in Glendale and Watertown to more than 75 schools throughout the United States.
ATP created a series of tools for schools, teachers and students to learn about Armenia’s environment. These include a Building Bridges website, an annual newsletter, interactive presentations for schools, YouTube videos with educational and documentary content and tree planting opportunities in Armenia.
Every issue of the newsletter highlights a new theme, with topics ranging from recycling to trees. The newsletter and recurring characters Aram and Maral were created by illustrator Alik Arzoumanian.
“Alik has a unique sense of style, is an active environmentalist, and is able to create age-specific content that is easily understood, informative, and fun,â€
