From Education to Production: The Social Entrepreneurship Project of Amberd School Students

At the only school in the village of Amberd, located on the slopes of Mount Aragats, approximately 20 kilometres from Etchmiadzin, a unique educational model has operated for years – one rarely found in other educational institutions across Armenia. Alongside general education subjects, students are also actively involved in real agricultural work.

Building on this experience, upper-grade students decided to challenge themselves in a new direction by launching a student-led social entrepreneurship initiative and applying to the European Union’s EU4Youth programme, implemented under the ‘Promoting Practical Skills in Social Entrepreneurship and Career Management among Youth through an Innovative Student Social Enterprise Approach‘ project, which was implemented by CODE Social Entrepreneurship HUB (www.codesehub.com), a non-governmental organisation which has been actively shaping the social entrepreneurship landscape in Armenia and beyond.

The student initiative is called ‘Honey Berd’. The name combines two words: “honey” and the name of their village, Amberd. At the heart of the ‘Honey Berd’ initiative is the production of natural, healthy, and nutritious sweets handmade by the students of Amberd School.

After applying and being selected for the programme, a student team of seven to eight participants received guidance and support from CODE SE and attended a series of training courses focused on the fundamentals of business creation and development. During this process, students gained essential skills in marketing, accounting, and financial management and developed an overall entrepreneurial mindset.

Following the training, the ‘Honey Berd’ project idea received a €1,000 sub-grant, which became the foundation for creating their own product from scratch. The students purchased fruit drying equipment and packaging materials.

Thanks to these investments, students had the opportunity to put theoretical knowledge into practice and establish a small-scale production environment within the school. The grant enabled them to independently organise the entire production process-from sourcing fruit and processing it to final packaging and sales.

“Through this experience, we learned how to work as a team, divide responsibilities, take ownership, and understand how an idea becomes a real result,” says the project participant Liana Harutyunyan.

The success story of the ‘Honey Berd‘ social enterprise and the process behind its development would be impossible without a dedicated team of students whose personal interests and future career aspirations came together around one common idea, creating a real social initiative. Each student plays a role – some manage marketing and sales, others coordinate production, while some are responsible for logistics.

The students participating in the programme note that this experience changed not only their understanding of their own abilities but also helped them become more confident in communicating with people, presenting their ideas, and clearly envisioning their future professional paths. According to the students, the initiative allowed them to gain experience in a real working environment during their school years and understand how ideas can turn into tangible outcomes.

“This programme helped us realise that we can have our own business. It gave us the confidence that we can truly make it happen in the future,” says Mariam Mkrtchyan, one of the participants.

Participants also emphasise that they developed communication and presentation skills throughout the programme:

“At first, it was a bit difficult to present our product to people, but later we realised that if we believe in our idea ourselves, we can communicate that belief to others. Today, we can confidently talk about our work, explain why our product is unique, and why people may choose it,” says participant Liana Harutyunyan.

The School’s Role and Educational Model

According to school principal Zohrab Malkhasyan, production is a continuation of education, and practical work is not separated from learning. This approach enhances students’ sense of value and self-confidence.

“Through their work, students are also able to create social value, become capable individuals who help others, and develop a more human-centred way of thinking. We challenge everyone and hope this principle will continue even beyond our own activities,” notes the principal.

The school has a developed agricultural base, including peach, apricot, and plum orchards, a greenhouse, and beehives. Students, teachers, and other school staff members are all involved in these activities too.

Product Features

The raw materials used in ‘Honey Berd‘ products are natural dried fruits and honey. The fruits – peaches, plums, and apricots – come both from the school’s own orchards and from environmentally friendly local produce purchased from villagers.

The dried fruits are crushed and mixed with honey, and students shape the resulting mixture into candies.

The products are sold locally through personal networks and online via social media platforms.

‘Honey Berd’ candies are intended for everyone who prefers natural food products. They contain no artificial colourings, flavour enhancers, or preservatives.

The story of ‘Honey Berd‘ demonstrates that even in a small rural school, ideas can emerge that provide students with confidence, practical experience, and belief in their ability to build their own future.

The EU4Youth Phase III: Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship programme, co-funded by the European Union and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania, is implemented by the Central Project Management Agency (CPVA) in the Eastern Partnership countries, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine. The programme aims to provide technical assistance to governmental and non-governmental organisations to tackle youth unemployment and improve employability.