YEREVAN, Armenia, Sept. 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Marking
TUMO's 10 year anniversary and the inauguration of the new TUMO
Gyumri building, the TUMO Center for Creative Technologies today
announced a five year, $50 million
initiative to make its leading edge educational program available
to all teenagers throughout Armenia and Artsakh. With 110 satellite
facilities called TUMO Boxes connected to 16 fully equipped TUMO
Hubs in regional centers, the program will serve 80 thousand
students and reach all young Armenians even in the most remote
villages.
A $10 million seed fund donated by
the Yemenidjian family will launch and support hubs in Vanadzor,
Kapan and Koghb, along with TUMO Boxes that feed into these and
three existing hubs. To raise the remaining $40 million, TUMO is kicking off an international
fundraising campaign. The Armenian General Benevolent Union and
Elie & Elzbieta Akilian have
each pledged to match up to $10
million of funds raised in the first 2 years of the
campaign. With $10 million in seed
funding, a $20 million fundraising
goal, and an additional $20 million
in matching contributions, the deployment initiative is already
underway.
The announcement was made during the anniversary celebration of
the official opening of the new TUMO center in Gyumri in the
presence of government representatives, partners and friends. TUMO
founders Sam and Sylva Simonian joined via live video and gave
opening remarks.
"Our vision has always been to empower all young Armenians to
achieve their full potential," said Sam
Simonian. "And now we are setting out to fulfill that vision
throughout Armenia and
Artsakh."
Also attending were Armen Yemenidjian, representing the
Yemenidjian family, Vasken Yacoubian
and Vera Setrakian on behalf of
AGBU, Elie Akilian, on behalf of
Elie & Elzbieta Akilian, via
video feed, and TUMO CEO Marie Lou
Papazian.
"My family is extremely excited and proud to be a part of this
vital initiative to arm the next generation of Armenians with the
tools necessary to compete in the global technology marketplace, no
matter where they live in Armenia," said Armen Yemenidjian. "We hope
this initiative encourages our Armenian brothers and sisters in the
diaspora to invest in the future leaders of our country and
economy."
"AGBU has supported the incredible mission and vision of TUMO
since its expansion in Armenia and
Artsakh, and this gift will solidify a partnership to benefit
Armenian children for generations to come. It is an honor to be
able to strengthen the relationship between TUMO, AGBU, and
students and their families. I also wanted to thank the other
generous donors who will be joining this important campaign," said
Dr. Eric Esrailian on behalf of the
AGBU Council of Trustees and Central Board of Directors.
Donations in the United States
are tax deductible, and can be made in the form of one time or
recurring contributions to the general project or earmarked to
specific hubs or boxes through https://armenia.tumo.org/.
More information about TUMO can be found in the electronic press
kit.
About TUMO
TUMO Center for Creative Technologies is a free-of-charge education
platform that puts teenagers in charge of their own learning. The
TUMO program is made up of self-learning activities, workshops and
project labs that cover a wide range of focus areas at the
intersection of technology and design, including computer
programming, animation, game development, music, robotics, 3D
modeling, writing, filmmaking, graphic design and more. Over 20
thousand students currently attend TUMO centers in Armenia on a regular basis. In recent years,
TUMO centers have also opened in Paris, Moscow, Tirana, Berlin and Beirut, with additional centers expected to
open in Lyon, Los Angeles, Lisbon, Milan, Tashkent and Seoul. Licensing revenues from international
locations contribute to the long term sustainability of TUMO in
Armenia and Artsakh.
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SOURCE TUMO