Armath Labs: Creating a Pan-Armenian STEM Community

On March 18, 2023, Armath Engineering Laboratories expanded its global presence with the opening of Armath Glendale, its first lab in the United States. This new location adds to its existing roster of over 600 labs around the world, from Armenia to France, and Kuwait to India. 

Time and again, Armenia has seen its internal affairs and economic growth overshadowed by an ever-looming storm cloud of geopolitical tensions. When it breaks, it floods public and political discourse with fear, anger, and a scramble to find a way to ensure our national security holds. Just last month, when Azerbaijan launched an attack on Artsakh that forced over 100,000 civilians to leave their homes due to fear about Azerbaijani rule, Armenia’s vulnerabilities were all too evident. But power comes in many forms, and Armath, along with several other technology education initiatives, is constructing a robust, pan-Armenian STEM community. This is cementing Armenia as a leader of technological innovation, granting it with a form of soft power that is both potent and long-lasting.

What Is Armath?

Launched in 2011 by the Union of Advanced Technology Enterprises (UATE), an organization created to foster high tech in Armenia, Armath Engineering Labs is a comprehensive educational engineering program that introduces children from the ages of 10 to 18 to science, technology, engineering, and math education through interactive after-school classes, camps, and competitions. 

Written by engineers working in the field, this curriculum is based on advanced learning methodologies and tools. It guides students through basic programming and robotics to the production of their own products. All of this occurs in a setting that encourages exploration, creativity and teamwork. The labs are equipped with state-of-the-art equipment like 3D printers, robots, and new computers to facilitate this learning. Moreover, students benefit from the guidance of specially-trained educators who provide personalized feedback and foster the development of the students’ ideas for new inventions, programs, and even startup companies. 

Armath’s impact on students in Armenia can be seen in the numbers: in 2022, Grant Thornton’s online assessment found that 45% of Armath students were admitted to local universities, 3% were admitted to international universities, and 11% were already employed in the IT sector. But, the influence of this Armenian model of technology education extends beyond Armenia. UATE has exported Armath to several countries around the world, with labs currently in operation in seven different countries serving 17,200 students. In some cases, these labs are managed by local community organizations, while in others, foreign entities acquire the Armenian brand, including its concept and curriculum, and adapt the program to their needs. This model can be compared to that of the TUMO Center for Creative Technologies, an after-school program focused on digital learning in various subjects. Apart from Armenia, TUMO has centers in eight countries, with more centers currently in development.

Armath Glendale: Armenia’s American Frontier

In March, Armath extended its reach to the United States, marking its presence in a seventh country. At its helm is Karapet Manukyan, an engineer with four years of experience teaching at Armath labs in Armenia and helping design the program’s core curriculum. As Armath Glendale’s lead instructor, Manukyan organizes classes and teaches alongside three other instructors while adapting the curriculum to local needs. “We take into consideration the fact that the residents here speak mainly English,” he says, “and translate content accordingly.” He adds that they’ve changed some topics to better suit the interests of children in the community while adopting new teaching styles that they find work better for American children. 

When asked why Armath works as well as it does, Manukyan emphasizes the program’s dynamic and engaging nature, as well as its ability to foster innovation. “Kids have the support they need to build their own projects,” he explains. More importantly, they have the opportunity to collaborate with their peers, developing valuable interpersonal skills from a young age that will benefit them in their future endeavors, even if they choose not to continue in the technology sector. Manukyan cites the demonstrated success of the program in Armenia, where he has seen program graduates advancing to technical fields at the university level or securing engineering jobs directly after high school.

“Armath was brought here by the Armenian community of Los Angeles,” Manukyan says. Established at the Academy USA Center of Glendale, it is managed by the Armenian Engineers and Scientists of America (AESA), a 40-year-old organization focused on improving quality of life for both Armenians in Armenia and in the Diaspora through STEM-based projects in education, research, collaboration, and professional development. Its STEM Academy backs various projects aimed at educating children in STEM, including Armath.

STEM Academy director Araksiya Nadjarian says that the main objective “is to create a pan-Armenian STEM community where children can work both with and against each other through various projects,” sharpening their engineering skills and building a network from Armenia to the United States. AESA is one of UATE’s 160 partners and works closely with the enterprise to implement the Armath Glendale program. Nadjarian personally collaborates with Manukyan to ensure the success of this program, volunteering her time to oversee its overall organization and finances.

For Nadjarian, the STEM Academy’s existing project, a robotics program, wasn’t meeting expectations. The curriculum was rigid, requiring students to study the same topics at the same pace. This approach held some students back while allowing others to fall behind. Nadjarian wanted to find an alternative with a proven track record that would better meet the needs of the community. 

Last summer, AESA partnered with Academy USA and traveled to Armenia to see the labs in action. “We were quite impressed by the high quality of education that they provide,” she says, describing the hands-on curriculum as the best she had ever seen. Importantly, she observed that the program grouped students of similar levels together, allowing them to excel collectively.

In March, Armath Glendale opened its doors to the first cohort of students with a team of impressive organizations such as UATE, AESA, and Academy USA. The program has modified curriculums that allow students to join at any age and start their STEM journey. Nadjarian adds that at just $250 a month (for 16 hours) per student, the program is priced to be attainable for community members. AESA and Academy USA shoulder the remaining costs to keep the program affordable. Additionally, while most students are Armenian-American, Armath does not require this as a prerequisite for enrollment. 

Creating a Pan-Armenian STEM Community

So, how does the opening of Armath Glendale contribute to building this pan-Armenian STEM community? In addition to fostering internal collaboration, Armath Glendale facilitates communication and collaboration between students in Glendale and students in Armenia, creating a larger network of aspiring engineers that spans oceans to build a bridge between Armenia and the United States. Manukyan hopes that by next year, the program will be able to send some of these students to Armenia to further strengthen these relationships.

In a recent podcast episode with EVN Report, Hayk Chobanyan, the former CEO of UATE, touched on the emotional aspect of Armath in Armenia. He explained that the first stage of implementing this pan-Armenian approach is to foster a deep sense of connection to the country, inspiring students to work in and for Armenia. With labs spread throughout the country, the program, along with other initiatives, aims to decentralize tech education in Armenia while attracting new talent to the tech sector and enhancing Armenia’s global reputation in tech.

Now, with Armath Glendale, Armenian children in the U.S. have the opportunity to connect with their homeland. When they become fully fledged engineers in tech, they can choose to work in tandem with the tech scene in Armenia. Furthermore, Armath leverages its location to integrate those students into the larger tech community in California. This allows them to learn from established engineers to make headway in the industry. 

Initiatives like the Hero House Glendale Gateway Program are already in place to connect deep tech teams in Armenia and the U.S. with business development talent and opportunities in Southern California to help them find entry into the American market. Hero House itself has a hub in Glendale that facilitates further collaboration between these groups. In fact, AESA has its offices at the Hero House building.

Manukyan adds that collaboration in the early stages of one’s education or career can result in stronger bonds and partnerships, particularly when this collaboration evolves into ventures like startups. He believes that “a network of competent engineers who trust each other will lead to outstanding results.” 

What’s Next for Armath in America?

As the school kicks into full gear, Manukyan, Nadjarian, and the Armath Glendale team are actively working to recruit more students for the flagship location. They are also adding weekday classes to better accommodate students’ schedules. A second lab will soon open at an Armenian school in San Francisco, although it will not be managed by the Glendale team. While there are no immediate plans for further expansion, Manukyan notes that with a large Armenian community in the U.S., new locations are sure to follow. In equipping this new generation of Armenian minds with the education and resources necessary to thrive in the tech sector, Armath contributes to a broader goal of strengthening Armenia’s economy, security and prosperity. 

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