SAN DIEGO, CA — As in years past, members of the Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region (ANCA-WR) Education Committee traveled to San Diego to participate in the California School Boards Association Annual Convention. On December 5-6, 2019, the ANCA-WR Education Committee hosted an exhibitor table, interacting with hundreds of school board members and educators from throughout the Golden State and sharing the resources available to teach about the Armenian Genocide.

“We are proud of our Education Committee and their tireless work in facilitating the teaching of the Armenian Genocide in public schools,” remarked ANCA-WR Chair Nora Hovsepian, Esq. “The mission of the Education Committee is critical in equipping school boards and teachers with the necessary tools to effectively teach about the Armenian Genocide in order to safeguard encourage students to learn the lessons of history and recognize signs of crimes against humanity.”

“We believe that this is an important topic for teachers to teach,” said ANCA-WR Education Committee member Taline Arsenian. “There aren’t enough resources at the school districts and we want our decision makers to empower teachers in order to make this very difficult topic accessible and available so that our students are taught about the Armenian Genocide and other atrocities that have occurred in the past in order to combat injustices in the future.”

“We hope that our presence at the convention will help many superintendents and school board members to take a more active role in making sure that California students learn about the Armenian Genocide,” remarked Medea Kalognomos, ANCA-WR Education Commitee member. “They know that resources are available and we stand ready to assist in whatever they may need.”

ANCA-WR Education Committee member Astine Suleimanyan noted that “California is home to many Armenians, and it is important for us to be a part of the policy process and to build coalitions so that our history is properly taught all throughout the Golden State and beyond.”

A short video about the 2019 CSBA Convention is available here.