by Nane Vardanyan At the Lori COAF SMART Center, everyone’s special in their own way. If there is one thing our longtime student Nvard Petrosyan is famous for, it’s her digital artworks. Digital Drawing is just one of the programs she has enrolled in, together with English, Performing Arts, Programming…

by Nane Vardanyan The frequency people visit beauty salons varies. However, we all need them from time to time for self-care, a fresher look, or a slight boost of motivation. Until recently, people in the village of Debet had to travel to the city of Vanadzor to use services offered…

by Nane Vardanyan Al-fresco yoga, afternoon walks in nature, and cozy wine and cheese evenings under the starry sky are some things you’ll enjoy doing on the small island of peaceful vacations: COAF’s Concept Hotel. Concept Hotel by COAF in Lori, Armenia Since its opening in 2018, COAF’s first social…

by Nane Vardanyan Those who wanderlust will agree that traveling might be costly, but it is worth infinitely more than you spend on it. Meeting new people, observing cultures, experiencing beauty and lifestyles, and tasting food are some of the things that make up lifelong memories. Recently such an adventure…

by Nane Vardanyan While the world is building new highways and figuring out ways to avoid traffic jams, proper public transportation remains a yet unachievable human right in the villages of Armenia. The rural roads connecting villages and towns are often impassable. Operating buses and marshrutkas (minibusses) take a route…

by Nane Vardanyan Behind COAF’s efforts to make Armenia’s villages a better place to live is a big team of believers and doers. Get to know one of them. The COAF SMART Center Education Manager Shahane Halajyan is a longtime COAF family member who has the status of a “landlord”…

by Nane Vardanyan COAF invites architects from all over the world to participate in an open architectural competition for its second COAF SMART Campus in Armenia’s Armavir region. Inspired by the success of the first COAF SMART Campus in Lori (2018) as a model of sustainable development and contemporary education…

by Nane Vardanyan Food connoisseurs will soon have a new gourmet destination in Armenia’s Lori region. A new bakery-restaurant called Debed Delights is opening in Debet village, a community of over 800 people, famous for its heavenly nature and innovative community projects. Currently under intensive construction, Debed Delights unites an…

by Nane Vardanyan Want to inspire women around the world? Start a podcast, just like COAFians! Students of COAF’s social-financial Aflatoun education program have launched a series of podcasts aiming to empower women in rural communities to become change-makers in their own lives and society. …