Dilijan Community Center (DCC), a project of “Scholae Mundi Armenia” Charity Foundation, was created on the basis of Dilijan Youth Center, founded in 2014 by the philanthropists Ruben Vardanyan and Veronika Zonabend. It started as a platform to engage students from UWC Dilijan College with the youth in Dilijan.
Over the years Dilijan Youth Center expanded the scope of its activities – implemented numerous educational and entertainment programs, capacity building trainings and cultural events, all by the community for the community, and turned into Dilijan Community Center. As a result, Dilijan Community Center has become the pulsing heart of community activities for Dilijan.
In June 2020, Dilijan Community Center was registered as a separate legal entity: “Dilijan Community Center” NGO. The founding members of the NGO are: “Scholae Mundi Armenia” Charity Foundation, IDeA Foundation, UWC Dilijan College.
In January 2021, DCC became the 4th Center adopted by DVV International in Armenia expressing its readiness to contribute to the non-formal education of adults. DCC shares DVV International in Armenia’s conviction that non-formal education of adults encourages their participation in cultural, social and economic processes, as well as in sustainable development and poverty reduction programs.
In 2022, Dilijan Community Center expanded the scope of its activities reaching also Aghavnavank village of Dilijan community with an aim to create equal educational opportunities for everyone and promote proportional development of the community. The main educational programs offered at the Community Center located in Aghavnavank Secondary School include English, Russian, chess, art and carpet making. The beneficiaries are 100 children coming from Gosh, Khachardzan, Aghavnavank villages of Dilijan community and Dzoravank, Dprabak villages of Gegharkunik province. In addition to the main educational program, Aghavnavank Community Center also offers short-term courses, master classes, movie screenings, holiday celebrations which so far have attracted more than 240 beneficiaries.