AYF Junior Seminar Draws 238 Youth to Pennsylvania
Junior Seminar 2026 unites youth under “Our Identity, One Mission”
The Armenian Youth Federation's 54th annual Junior Seminar brought together 238 junior participants and 91 seniors from across the Eastern Region for a Memorial Day weekend conference in Ligonier, Pennsylvania, May 22-25. The event centered on the theme "Our Identity, One Mission," focusing on Armenian identity, education, and community commitment.
Nine educational sessions covered topics including Armenian dance, language, the fedayagan movement, digital advocacy, multimedia storytelling, and the Armenian Revolutionary Federation's role in community building. Cabin groupings reflected AYF and ARF values, with names emphasizing truth, language, community unity, and fedayi characteristics such as fearlessness and resistance to oppression.
Organizers framed the seminar as encouraging youth to see Armenian identity as an active responsibility and to participate in advancing the Armenian cause through organized service, civic engagement, and intergenerational connection.