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YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 26, ARMENPRESS. UWC Dilijan College is the first building in Armenia to achieve certification according to BREEAM (BREEnvironmentalAssessmentMethod)green building standards.
The Public Relations Department of IDeA (Initiatives for Development of Armenia) informed “Armenpress” that the solutions of green roof and walls have been assessed in accordance with the BREEAM methodology. Such issues as energy efficiency, impact on health, water supply infrastructures, and ecology have been taken into account.
In summer of 2014 RD Group completed the construction and fit out of the school’s first phase of (37,000 square meters). Construction of the second phase is planned for completion in 2017. The total volume of investment in the project is estimated at $190 million.
The United World College Dilijan is the 14th member of the United World Colleges (UWC) movement, one of fourteen colleges around the world, and the first international boarding school in Armenia. It accepted its first intake of 100 11th graders in September 2014. Initially the school will only operate grades 11-12, and is scheduled to accept the first class of 8th graders in 2017. It will reach a full capacity of 650 students in 2023.
The mission of the UWC movement and of the school is to "make education a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future". The college will follow the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program for grades 11-12, while using IGCSE curriculum for the grades 8-10.
The international boarding school UWC Dilijan College is situated in the mountainous region of Armenia on the border of Dilijan National Park. It is the first educational institution in Eastern Europe and the CIS to become a member of United World Colleges.
The UWC Dilijan College was officially opened on 11 October 2014 for the 2014-2015 academic year, with the presence of the president of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan, the president of Serbia Tomislav Nikolić, Catholicos Karekin II of Armenia and Patriarch Mar Ignatius Aphrem II of the Syrian Orthodox Church.
The founders of the college are Ruben Vardanian and Veronika Zonabend from Russia. The founding patrons are Gagik Adibekyan from Russia, Noubar and Anna Afeyan from USA, Vladimir and Anna Avetissian from Russia and Oleg Mkrtchyan from Ukraine, as well as 4 anonymous patrons. John Puddefoot is the Founding Head of the College.
The college building is home to sport facilities including a 25m indoor swimming pool, indoor and outdoor basketball and tennis courts, an indoor hall for badminton, volleyball and footsal, an outdoor football pitch of international dimensions, as well as table tennis and trampolining facilities.