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

The project is executed by the JA Worldwide and has the following objectives: expansion of JA programs in economics and business, development of educational programs in tourism and hospitality, and socioeconomic adaptation of the youth of Turkmenistan. The project's organizational development involves a staff of six members, including an Executive Director, Program/Finance Manager, Training/Event Manager, Economics and Business Program Coordinator, Monitoring and Evaluation/Hospitality and Tourism Programs Coordinator, and Office Manager/Bookkeeper. The staff conducts weekly working meetings to discuss plans, tasks, and segregation of duties, results of the project implementation, obstacles, and ways to overcome them. Managers of Resource Centers of the project in velayats (regions) report on performed work quarterly. During the third quarter of 2016, the project continued working on updating and improving methodological and learning materials in business and economics. Project specialists, in cooperation with the Union of Economists and local IT company "Täze Gün," developed design and development of interactive lessons and electronic aids and applications. These materials will be published on the newly created website of the Union of Economists to increase the accessibility of methodological materials and extend the coverage of economics teachers by JA programs. Thirty-one teachers used the consultative, methodological, and technical assistance of the Resource center of JA Worldwide Project in Turkmenistan in July-September 2016. This assistance aimed to facilitate the teaching of Basics of Economics school discipline, as well as JA programs delivered by the project, especially those concerned with computer technologies and interactive methods such as simulation programs MESE/JA Titan and Banks in Action. The project also conducted a training of trainers in JA Programs from August 30 to September 1, 2016. Ten new trainers of the project were introduced into the most popular JA programs delivered in Turkmenistan, such as JA Economics, JA Company Program, MESE, Banks in Action, JA Be Entrepreneurial, etc. They also were acquainted with the unique JA teaching techniques and methodology. Some of the newly trained trainers were subsequently used as trainers and assistants during the training of secondary school economics teachers that was conducted by JA Worldwide Project in Turkmenistan in September. In addition, the project conducted a training workshop on the Basics of Economics for 23 secondary school teachers at the Center of Professional Development of Ashgabat from September 5 to 10, 2016. The training program was developed on a basis of materials of JA programs, including JA Economics, JA Company Program, MESE, and Banks in Action. The workshop participants rated highly the quality of organization and conduct of the training and teaching forms and techniques. They liked the use of up-to-date technologies, as well as the simplicity and understandability of presentation of learning material and quality of handouts. The project also implemented the My Career/JA Job Shadow program, which includes in-class theoretical activities and a visit to business enterprises of the country, where young people get a unique possibility to see the world of work and business from within. The program is designed to motivate an interest of young people in continuous learning through helping them to understand how the things they learn at school can be used in their adult life as the school prepares them for their further work and career prospects.