Quarterly Performance Report: Socioeconomic Adaptation of the Youth of Turkmenistan through Experiential Learning and Skills Enhancement Project

The project's objectives are to expand JA programs in the sphere of economics and business, and to develop educational programs in the sphere of tourism and hospitality. The project's organizational development activities include the execution of the project by a staff of six members, who conduct weekly working meetings to discuss plans, tasks, and segregation of duties. The project also conducts quarterly meetings with managers of Resource Centers in velayats (regions) to report on performed work. In January 2016, the office of JA Worldwide Project in Turkmenistan was visited by Amy Lovejoy, Economic Development Office Director of USAID/Almaty, and in February 2016, the office was visited by Mission Director for Central Asia Mr. George Deikun. The project's development of methodological materials in business and economics includes the revision, updating, and improvement of its methodological and learning base. Specialists of the project cooperated with the Union of Economists and local IT company "Täze Gün" on development of economic section of the Union's website. Thirty-one teachers used the consultative, methodological, and technical assistance of the Resource center of JA Worldwide Project in Turkmenistan in January-March 2016. The project's development of educational programs in the sphere of tourism and hospitality includes the collection of normative and methodological, information and reference materials about tourism industry, sights and hotels of Turkmenistan, national standards of tourism and hospitality area. A number of meetings with experts of Professional School of Tourism and IT company "Täze Gün" was held within the limits of workgroup operation. The materials collected are analyzed, processed, and colligated, and will be used for improvement of programs delivered by the project in area of tourism and hospitality and development of electronic aids and applications. The project's alumni club meetings include a meeting of Alumni Club members with Ms. Karen Peterson, an American teacher and researcher who promotes youth involvement in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Ms. Peterson gave an overview of professions and career options in STEM area and discussed with alumni the current importance of STEM and future prospects and ways of getting STEM education. The project's marking plan implementation includes the use of USAID logo and identity in various materials, such as the MESE/BANKS/TITAN contests, Training of Trainers (TOT) and Teacher Training (TT) workshops, "Best JA Teacher of the Year" contest, Economics Brain-Ring Quiz Game, Student Company Fair, Quarterly Performance Report, and JA Asia/Pacific Regional Conference. The project also includes the recognition of support in JA Worldwide newsletter: Worldview and Week in Review.