**Armenia Education Initiative Unveils AI‑Powered School Model “SEROOND”**
*Yerevan, Armenia – September 2026* – The Armenia Education Initiative (AEI), the organization that founded Teach For Armenia, announced the launch of “SEROOND,” the country’s first home‑grown school model that integrates whole‑child development with artificial intelligence (AI). The model has received formal approval from the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of the Republic of Armenia.
The inaugural cohort of first‑grade students will begin classes this month under the SEROOND framework. The rollout is being supported by Hovnanian International, the Rev and Rachel Foundation, and an anonymous donor.
**Development and Design**
SEROOND was developed and piloted over the past six years across public schools in Armenia. According to AEI, the model is intended to operate within the existing public education system rather than as a parallel program, with the goal of making whole‑child education accessible to all Armenian children, regardless of socioeconomic status.
The curriculum incorporates AI from the outset. AEI describes a “four‑layer architecture” that automates tasks such as curriculum adaptation, learning‑data analysis, and individualized pacing. The technology is designed to free teachers to focus on relationship‑building and the social‑emotional development of students.
**Statements from Stakeholders**
Larisa Hovannisian, founder and chief executive officer of AEI, said: “Education systems everywhere are asking what they are preparing children for. Very few are in a position to start over. Armenia is. We are treating SEROOND as a laboratory. It is one country’s attempt to design learning around what stays human, and we will share what we learn with anyone who wants to look at it.” She added gratitude to the project’s partners for ensuring the model reaches every child in Armenia.
Shant Hovnanian of Hovnanian International, a construction firm with nearly three decades of activity in Armenia, commented on the partnership: “My family has been building in Armenia for nearly thirty years… The longer we do it, the more convinced I am that classrooms matter more than anything we pour concrete for… A small country has decided to write its own model of education instead of importing someone else’s, and then to hand that back to the world.”
Rachel Lebaredian, representing the Rev and Rachel Foundation, highlighted the long‑term effort behind the initiative: “Long before there was a model, or a name, or a Ministry approval, there was Larisa and the team, putting one stone on top of another, year after year, mostly out of sight… The children starting first grade this month have no idea how many years of work went into opening that door for them.”
**Future Expansion**
While the first cohort begins in September 2026, AEI plans for SEROOND to expand into a network of schools throughout Armenia over the coming years. The organization intends to monitor outcomes and share findings with other education systems interested in AI‑enhanced, whole‑child approaches.
Article and image source: mediamax.am
