In Ozun, one of the oldest villages in northern Armenia, a youth space has opened. It is housed in a former House of Culture, which is now occupied by the local administration. The room, with high ceilings and two-tiered windows, has been equipped with modern technology, board games and a library.
The centre is intended for teenagers and young people from all settlements of the Alaverdi community. According to Artur Najaryan, chairman of the board of the public organisation Youth Initiatives Centre, the place will serve as a platform for informal education.
This used to be a place for young people, a place where they gathered; then it became an administrative building, and now it has been returned to young people.
— Artur Najaryan, chairman of the board of the Youth Initiatives Centre
The project is the result of cooperation between the Armenian government, the Alaverdi administration, the European Union and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation. Two communities were initially considered, but Ozun was chosen because it is a densely populated settlement with many young people. The organisers plan for the centre to serve 350 people a year, but they expect to increase that number through outreach events in schools and community yards in other villages.
Classes will be held in five areas: civic education, development of initiative, healthy lifestyle, career guidance and leisure. In addition, Ozun will teach the use of artificial intelligence tools and digital technologies. The centre will open a drone-piloting club; a similar project has already produced good results in the city of Echmiadzin.
The creation of such spaces became a priority for the government after the adoption of the Law on Youth Policy in 2025. One of the goals is to prevent the outflow of young people from rural areas to large cities. According to Armenuhi Petrosyan of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport, Armenia already has 6 youth spaces and 21 youth centres open, and another 30 are planned to be created over the next five years.
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