FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Thursday, January 5, 2012

Peace Corps Volunteers Lead 4 Spelling Bees in Armenia

WASHINGTON, D.C., January 5, 2012 Twenty-six Peace Corps volunteers in Armenia organized four local spelling bees for nearly 170 Armenian youth throughout the month of December. The annual competitions allow Armenia students to demonstrate their English language skills.

I was very pleased by the village turnout and how many new schools we were able to include this year, said Peace Corps education volunteer Matt Oakley of Burlington, N.C., who organized one of the events. The competition was very successful in my eyes, which was confirmed by the positive feedback from parents, teachers, and school directors.

Peace Corps volunteers work throughout the year with students in their local schools to prepare for the event, which is similar to American spelling bees. Prior to the competitions in Armenia, students from 7th to 12th grade were given a list of words to study.

Peace Corps volunteers worked as judges and recorders, and helped with registration and other logistics during the four spelling bees. In each of the bees, students take turns spelling words. If a student spells the word correctly, he or she moves on to the next round; if not, he or she is eliminated from the competition. The first and second-place students of each grade 48 children in total will advance to a regional spelling bee held in the spring.

About Peace Corps/Armenia: More than 780 Peace Corps volunteers have served in Armenia since the program was established in 1992. Currently, 98 volunteers serve in Armenia. Volunteers work in the areas of community and business development, and English education. Volunteers are trained and work in Armenian.

About the Peace Corps: Since President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps by executive order on March 1, 1961, more than 200,000 Americans have served in 139 host countries. Today, 9,095 volunteers are working with local communities in 75 host countries. Peace Corps volunteers must be U.S. citizens and at least 18 years of age. Peace Corps service is a 27-month commitment and the agencys mission is to promote world peace and friendship and a better understanding between Americans and people of other countries. Visit www.peacecorps.gov for more information.

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