Within the framework of the FOCUS Training Program, aimed at building resilience among children and adolescents and implemented through the cooperation of the RA Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports, the Republican Pedagogical-Psychological Center, the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and the Armenian Medical Association of Quebec (Association Médicale Arménienne du Québec – AMAQ), a two-day training course was held at the RPPC on October 8-9, 2026, with the participation of 50 school psychologists from general education institutions in Gegharkunik Marz and Yerevan.
The aim of the Training was to update psychologists’ professional knowledge and skills by equipping them with effective tools to enhance the emotional resilience of school-aged children and adolescents, as well as to support activities aimed at fostering and developing the core competencies outlined in the FOCUS Program.
The training was delivered by certified FOCUS program trainers Naira Mkhitaryan, Astghik Grigoryan, Anush Hovhannisyan and Kristine Mkrtchyan.
Welcoming the participants, Director of the Republican Pedagogical-Psychological Center Lilit Mnatsakanyan emphasized the important role of school psychologists in fostering a positive psychosocial climate in educational institutions and ensuring effective cooperation within teachers, students, and parents. Lilit Mnatsakanyan noted: “Enhancing psychological resilience and promoting social-emotional learning are not limited to crisis situations. They are integral and essential components of the educational process that must be continuously developed in the school environment.”
RPPC Director also addressed the ongoing efforts to establish Student Protection Teams in schools, attaching importance to the effective mechanisms for their operation, procedures for identifying and responding to cases, and the teams’ role in safeguarding students.
The training consisted of theoretical and practical stages. Participants studied emotional regulation, effective communication, goal setting, problem-solving, and strategies for managing stressors when working with children of different age groups.
Theoretical knowledge was reinforced through practical exercises during which participants applied various behaviour management strategies, methods, and techniques. Particular attention was paid to combining these approaches flexibly and purposefully within the framework of the nine modules of the FOCUS Program.
10.10.2026
