Category: Educational Projects

Making of Modern Georgia – A series of webinars and in person activities across the US

The Georgian Association in the USA is launching the ‘Making of Modern Georgia’ series, which intends to inform the American public on Georgian history and culture. This series brings together Georgian and non-Georgian researchers, academics, and practitioners to create an engaging series and provide information for those interested in learning more about Georgia today.

The series, titled “The Making of Modern Georgia” will start in November 2025 and go until Summer 2026. It will combine webinars, movie screenings, and other social activities to attract a wide range of participants and attendees.

Schedule of the events will be updated regularly. Topics and guests are subject to adjustment.

November 30, 2025, 1pm EDT – The Democratic Republic of Georgia, 1918-21 – REGISTRATION REQUIRED ON ZOOM

Guest: Professor Stephen Jones, Founding Director of the Program on Georgian Studies, Harvard University.
Moderator: Professor Beka Kobakhidze, Professor and Co-chair of MA Program in Modern History of Georgia at Ilia State University, Tbilisi.

December 2025

In Person event – December 12, 3 pm. Visit to Library of Congress for a display and briefing on the Democratic Republic on Georgia materials. Registration is required

December 14, 1pm EDT – Webinar – Georgian Monks and Scribes: Shaping the Christian Legacy REGISTRATION REQUIRED ON ZOOM

Guest: Nikoloz Aleksidze, Professor of History and Political Thought.  Dean of Social Sciences, Free University, Tbilisi
Moderator: Professor Stephen Jones, Founding Director of the Program on Georgian Studies, Harvard University

January 2026

Webinar – Keeping the Georgian Language Alive: Poets, Legislators and Teachers 

Webinar series continues in 2026 with the following topics (subject to updates)

  • The History of Georgian Wine: What does the Georgian Wine Industry look like today?
  • Soviet Georgia and its Legacy on Contemporary Politics
  • How do Small States Survive? Lessons from Georgia
  • Georgia and the Black Sea
  • Armies and Nations: The Role of the Georgian Military Since Independence
  • Foreigners, Immigrants, and the Making of Modern Georgia

Support for Colorado Georgian Association – Ertoba

Colorado Georgian Association Ertoba was founded with the following goals:

  • Promote the Georgian culture and heritage within the State of Colorado.
  • Unite, engage and inspire the Georgian Community in the State of Colorado to stand as one in support of each other’s growth, success, and development.
  • Organize events to help Georgian Community bond and assimilate.
  • Provide educational programs for the purpose of retaining the Georgian culture in Colorado.

In 2025, Georgian Association in the USA has made a small grant to support the Georgian language school run by Ertoba. We look forward to continued collaboration for years to come.

If you would like to support the Colorado Georgian Association, please visit their page for tax-deductible contributions.


Seminar series for Georgian-American students on college applications

Georgian Association in the USA hosted a series of seminars led by University of Virginia graduate, Liza Khutsishvili, who provided students with the insights, knowledge and tools needed to confidently navigate the complexities of such process.

Universities actively seek diverse thinkers with unique experiences who can ignite innovative thinking within their institutions. Georgian Americans have an opportunity to showcase their cultural backgrounds and distinct perspectives, authentically and with pride. Through engaging workshops and discussion, Liza shared her experience and perspective as a Georgian-American and aims to foster a deep understanding of how students’ cultural identities can serve as a powerful asset in the pursuit of higher education. The series informed and inspired students to reflect on, embrace, and celebrate their backgrounds and life experiences. 

Designed especially for current high school juniors, this workshop was tailored to assist students in planning their summer and fall timelines. From discussing extracurricular activities to letters of recommendations and standardized tests, Liza encouraged students to consider the aspects that will contribute to a strong finish to your academic year. 

First two sessions of the series were recorded and can be viewed on our YouTube channel.


Academy of Georgian Heritage

The Georgian Association in the USA is a proud supporter of the Academy of Georgian Heritage. The Academy emerged from a Sunday school project that the Georgian Association initiated in 2009-2010 together with St. Tamar’s Georgian Orthodox Church. Thanks to the efforts of the first teacher of the school, Ms. Nino Meladze, the project attracted tens of Georgian children from the Washington, DC area. Nino’s contribution was very important for building up trust for this new project.

In 2013 thanks to the energy and dedication of Ms. Tamara Kalandiya, the project evolved to the next level and the Academy of Georgian Heritage was formed as an independent 501 C (3) organization. Tamara is a Georgian-American from Abkhazia and mother of three. She spends significant time and effort to make this new organization a success. The academy, based in Maryland, currently educates up to fifty Georgian-American children in Georgian language, history, literature, art, panduri, dance, and physical theater by Synetic. 

The Georgian Association initially provided limited financial support to the Academy, using funds from a trust inherited from Martha Alshibaya and her husband Stanley Garstka, an American family of Georgian-Polish descent.  More recently, the Association is providing support from a scholarship fund endowed by the Chatara family of Illinois. 

If you are interested in supporting the Georgian Heritage Academy through your donation, please visit our donation page or contact us.


Georgian Heritage School in San Francisco

The School of Georgian Heritage of the Georgian Heritage Foundation in Santa Clara, CA (https://www.facebook.com/GeorgianHeritageFoundation) was founded in August 2020. The goal of the organization is to promote, preserve and popularize Georgian Heritage among the Bay Area’s Georgian community and friends of Georgia. The school currently conducts online classes free of charge for over 40 students concentrating on teaching the Georgian language. The donation was made possible by a scholarship fund managed by the Georgian Association in the US.

If you are interested in supporting the Georgian Heritage School in San Francisco, please visit our donation page or contact us.