Parent Recommendations for International Outreach Camp

Sending your son or daughter to another country alone can be a daunting thought for any parent. We do everything we can to provide a safe and secure environment from the time the IOC participant arrives in the local country until they leave, including a Code of Conduct, high ratio of staff to students, specially trained student peers and 24-hour contact information. But the only real reassurance for a parent can come from another parent. So we asked the parents of international participants from IOC 2006 to give us their recommendations, and they did. Here are some of their responses.

We would be happy to put any parent considering IOC in contact with parents of previous participants. (Just be aware that in some cases, this may require student interpreters, as not all parents are as multi-lingual as our IOC participants!) Please let us know if we can be of assistance.

Wendy Shapiro, Vlada Chopa
IOC International Student Support Team

"Our names are Bagratuni Smbat and Bagratuni Arusyak. We are Bagratuni Mariana’s parents. She is one of the winners of the IOC program held in Ukraine in 2006.

At first when Marianna told us that she had been involved in that program, we did not want to let her leave for Ukraine, as she had never gone somewhere without us before. We were not sure of the worthiness of letting her do that. But after some time when Marianna showed us all of the papers, the curriculum, the schedule, we decided not to make her sad and she left.

It was very hard for our family to have a person abroad alone. But when she came back, and we saw her happiness and excellent impressions, everything changed. Now she is more self-confident, risky, communicative, experienced. She has improved her English greatly and found a good job. She has a lot of friends abroad and keeps in touch with them.

We are so happy that our daughter has succeeded.

We recommend the parents of other participants to let their children enrich their outlook and knowledge by applying to this program."

Bagratuni Smbat and Bagratuni Arusyak, 10 October, 2006

"We are the parents of Seda Kirakosyan. In 2006 Seda applied for the International Outreach Camp. After successfully completing the application and interview process, together with eight Armenian young people she left for Ukraine on July 4th. She was really excited and enthusiastic about the program but we never heard about the program, so we were really worried about her safety. The only comforting fact was that the program was recommended by her teacher Patty Avent, a Peace Corps volunteer who we trusted and knew fairly well.

Things changed when she returned. We realized that her enthusiasm and efforts were not in vain. We got probably as enthusiastic as she was but no. She was far more excited, full of energy and enthusiasm to start something new for her society and she do start. The group of this young people (the IOC alumnae including my daughter) together with some partners have started a similar project for Armenia to share their experience in model EU, UN, Country Studies, Interpreting Cultures they got during their one month experience in IOC in Ukraine. To my point of view the parents should give their children a chance to grow both locally and globally. This is a wonderful chance for young people to gain new friends from different countries, and to get acquainted with different cultures.

Now my daughter uses almost every chance to improve her leadership skills, her English language skills, anything that can help her keep on having an active role in the society. Special thanks to IOC directors Rosa Werthwein and Wendy Shapiro and the whole IOC staff."

Kirakosyan Razmik and Davtyan Armenuhi, December 10, 2006

"I am writing to express my support for the International Outreach Camp (IOC). My daughter, Narine Dallakyan, had the opportunity to participate in the IOC in Ukraine in July 2006.

I am so glad my daughter had such a wonderful chance to get acquainted with different cultures and peoples and study subjects of international importance by participating in the IOC. After the program it was obvious that her perspective had enlarged and changed, and she became more self-confident. My daughter inspired us too with the energy and enthusiasm she had gained during the IOC. Now she believes that the world can be changed for the better by the united efforts of youth! That is why she and other camp alumni had decided to organize a similar program in Armenia for 2007 in order that other young people have a chance to participate and benefit from it.

After meeting the organizers of the camp in Armenia this fall I was more than sure my daughter was lucky to work with such intelligent people with a great sense of responsibility and enthusiasm.

I wish every young person to have a chance of participating in such programs in the future as I am sure it will change their life for the better!"

Janna Apinyan, 10 December 2006