(Los Angeles, California) – The ANCA Western Region (ANCA-WR) Education Committee was proud to partner with Los Angeles Unified School District Board Member Kelly Gonez to host its annual Armenian Genocide Commemoration event on April 17, 2024 at James Madison Middle School in Valley Glen. Hundreds of community members, students, teachers, and parents attended the event which featured song and dance performances led by students from kindergarten through 12th grade. The event also featured an exhibition of student art projects, tables showcasing Armenian books and educational programs, and the ANCA-WR Education Committee’s comprehensive teaching resources.

This event was the continuation of an ongoing partnership between the ANCA-WR Education Committee and LAUSD Board Member Kelly Gonez, who have regularly hosted such events to honor the descendants of the Armenian Genocide who are a part of LAUSD, as students, parents, or faculty. Last year’s festivities took place at Mount Gleason Middle School, also in collaboration with LAUSD Board Member Gonez.

In addition to the annual event, Board Member Gonez and the ANCA-WR Education Committee have continuously partnered to ensure that comprehensive Armenian Genocide education is integrated into schools across the Board District and beyond.

“I’m so grateful for the longstanding partnership with the education leaders at the ANCA Western Region,” said LAUSD Board Member Kelly Gonez. “Together, we stand committed to preserving the memory of those lost in the Armenian Genocide and building a better future, rooted in understanding and empathy. Their unwavering dedication has helped ensure that our classrooms reflect the diversity of our history and the importance of remembrance.”

ANCA-WR Education Committee Vice-Chair, Dr. Sedda Antekelian, spearheaded ANCA-WR’s efforts to create a handbook with ample high-quality resources for teaching about the Armenian Genocide and the Artsakh Genocide of 2020-2023.

“The ANCA-WR Education Committee is grateful to LAUSD Board Member Gonez and her team led by Charity Castro. They have worked and advocated with us to assure that the history of the Armenian Genocide, and now the Artsakh Genocide, is shared with teachers and students in the second largest school district in the United States,” said Alice Petrossian, Chair of the ANCA-WR Education Committee.

If a parent or student wishes for their school or district to also teach our history using these materials, they can contact ANCA-WR’s Coalition and Community Development Director Edward Barsoumian at edward@ancawr.org and cc: educationcommittee@ancawr.org.

The Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region is the largest and most influential Armenian-American grassroots advocacy organization in the Western United States. Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the Western United States and affiliated organizations around the country, the ANCA-WR advances the concerns of the Armenian-American community on a broad range of issues.