New Round of Project Smile Grants Awarded

IREX is pleased to announce the April 2009 Project Smile grantees. Please see below.

Project Smile is a community development program for alumni of select Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) sponsored programs. Grants are awarded to alumni to implement community service activities that will benefit an underprivileged group in their local community such as children at an orphanage, the disabled or the elderly.

Armenia

Gayane Mkrtchyan, Armenia, Muskie 2004 alumna
Mkrtchyan will organize a day of sports and other recreational activities at an orphanage in Yerevan for 20 children. Alumni will volunteer to participate in the activities in order to help the children build their networking and communication skills and encourage their integration into society.

Georgia

Konstantine Grdzelishvili, Georgia, Muskie 03-05 alumnus
Grdzelishvili will organize a one-day student conference on the topic of living healthy lifestyles in Karajala, Telavi District, whose public school population is Azerbaijani. Students of three other schools located in remote districts of Georgia and representing ethnically and culturally different communities will be invited to participate in the conference.

Russia

Violetta Khabibulina, Russia, Muskie 02-04 alumna
Khabibulina will organize a field trip to the Kazan Zoo for disabled youth, ages 18-24, to participate in a day of activities with ten zoo volunteers.

Ekaterina Panarina, Russia, Muskie 2006 alumna
Panarina will organize a week-long collection of toys, clothing and school supplies for children at a local orphanage in Russia.