The TUMO Center for Creative Technologies (Armenian: Թումո ստեղծարար տեխնոլոգիաների կենտրոն) is a nonprofit, tuition-free after-school education center for teenagers aged 12–18, focused on skills at the intersection of technology and design.
Founded in 2011 in Yerevan, Armenia, TUMO combines self-directed learning, workshops, and project-based learning labs, without entrance exams or fees.
Since its founding, TUMO has expanded from Armenia into a global network of centers and satellite learning hubs operating across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and the Americas. As of the mid-2020s, the organization reports 32,000+ active students and an international alumni community. In addition to its core teen program, TUMO operates other initiatives, including TUMO Studios, TUMO Labs, 42 Yerevan, the EU TUMO Convergence Center for Engineering and Applied Science, the Gyumri Market & Culinary School, and the Armenian Cultural Heritage Institute.
There are currently six TUMO centers in Armenia, located in Yerevan, Dilijan, Gyumri, Koghb, Kapan, and Yeghegnadzor. Until 2023, there used to be one TUMO center Stepanakert, Artsakh, with six TUMO boxes operating in neighboring towns, all of which are currently non-operational due to the expulsion of Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians.
In 2021, TUMO announced the 60 million dollar TUMO Armenia campaign to bring 16 TUMO Hubs and 110 TUMO Boxes to Armenia.
On February 19, 2018, at the World Congress on Information Technology conference in Hyderabad, India, TUMO received the "Implementation of the Digital Century" award.
In 2019, TUMO announced the TUMO Box, a mobile, technically equipped mini-center, made of a repurposed shipping container. Boxes can be installed in any city or village and serve as self-study areas for local youth. The first two TUMO Boxes were opened in Gavar and Berd. More than 30 TUMO Boxes exist in Armenia as of December 2025.
TUMO received the 2019 Europe Nostra Award in Education, Training and Outreach. The award is routinely given to organizations and individuals who make significant contributions in the areas of conservation, research and dedicated service.
In 2025, TUMO received the WISE Prize for Education by the Qatar Foundation at a ceremony in Doha, Qatar.
Background The TUMO Center for Creative Technologies was founded in Yerevan, Armenia in 2011, with the first center opening on August 14. Serj Tankian of System of a Down performed a solo concert at the center's opening ceremony.
TUMO is founded by Sam and Sylva Simonian, with funding fully provided through the pair's Simonian Educational Foundation.
Sam and Sylva Simonian Sam Simonian is an Armenian-American entrepreneur and telecommunications engineer, best known as the co-founder, president, and chief executive officer of INET, a Texas-based telecommunications technology company. He was born and raised in Beirut, Lebanon, and emigrated to the United States in the mid-1970s following the outbreak of the Lebanese Civil War.
Simonian was educated at the AGBU Hovaguimian-Manougian Secondary School in Beirut and briefly attended the American University of Beirut before relocating to the United States at the age of 19. He later earned a degree in electrical engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington. After graduating, he worked at Electrospace Systems Inc., where he collaborated with engineers Elie Akilian and Mark Weinzierl on telecommunications systems.
In 1989, Simonian and his partners founded INET after leaving Electrospace Systems. INET’s first major product secured an early contract with Nippon Telegraph and Telephone, marking the company’s commercial breakthrough. Throughout the early 1990s, INET experienced rapid growth, expanding its portfolio and client base to include companies such as AT&T, Sprint, Ericsson, and British Telecom. By 1993, INET had become the fastest-growing privately-owned company in the Dallas area, earning a top ranking on the Dallas 100 list.
Simonian was named Entrepreneur of the Year for the U.S. Southwest by Inc. magazine and Ernst & Young.
In addition to his business activities, he has supported educational and philanthropic initiatives, particularly through contributions to the Armenian General Benevolent Union and founding the TUMO Center for Creative Technologies, citing the role of education in his own professional development.
Formerly a member of the AGBU council of trustees following his service on the Central Board from 2000 to 2019, Simonian was unanimously elected to be President of the Central Board of AGBU.
Simonian has received the distinguished Ellis Island Medal of Honor in May 2000 and was the recipient of Armenia’s highest award, the Anania Shirakatsi Medal, for his contribution to the preservation of the Armenian identity, services to the Motherland, as well as contributing to the friendship between Armenia and foreign states.
Leadership TUMO is headed by chief executive officer (CEO) Marie Lou Papazian and chief development officer (CDO) Pegor Papazian. The two developed TUMO's educational program and led efforts to design and construct the center's first facility in Yerevan. The duo are married and have five children.
Marie Lou Papazian Prior to running TUMO, Marie Lou Papazian headed the Education for Development Foundation, which brought together students from Armenia and the Diaspora through online education programs. Papazian holds a Master’s Degree in Computing in Education from Columbia University's Teachers College, another Master's Degree in Construction Management, and is a graduate of Harvard Business School's General Management Program.
Marie Lou Papazian has previously founded the Narod Network Project and the Three Pomegranates Network, nonprofit, internet-based education initiatives connecting Armenian schoolchildren worldwide. She has also led the construction management of several renowned high rise buildings in New York, including the Marriott Hotel near New York City’s World Trade Center.
In 2018, Papazian received the Movses Khorenatsi Medal by the Armenian Government, "the nation’s highest cultural honor, granted for outstanding achievements in education, culture, and the arts."
In 2019, Papazian was awarded the rank of Chevalier (Knight) of the Ordre des Palmes Académiques. This distinction, granted by the French Republic, recognizes outstanding contributions to education, culture, and the advancement of knowledge. Papazian was nominated for the honor by Gilles Pécout, Rector of the Academy of Paris and the Île-de-France region, who is also a recipient of the same order. She received the award by Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo.
Pegor Papazian Pegor Papazian holds a Bachelor of Architecture from the American University of Beirut, a Master of Science in computer science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he worked on artificial intelligence and design automation at the MIT AI Lab, and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
Pegor Papazian has formerly served as the chief executive officer of the National Competitiveness Foundation of Armenia (NCFA). In this role, he has overseen large-scale public–private initiatives aimed at improving Armenia’s economic competitiveness, with a focus on education, tourism, healthcare, and communications infrastructure. Among the projects is the Tatev Revival Project, including the Wings of Tatev aerial tramway, which gained international recognition as the world’s longest reversible aerial tramway and significantly improved access to the Tatev Monastery complex. Papazian has also founded Bazillion Beings, a platform for virtual agents.
Prior to joining NCFA, Papazian worked as head of project development for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Armenia. He previously held senior leadership roles in the private sector, including vice president of strategy and product development at Prosum Technology Services in California and as a founding partner of Design Technologies Consulting in Barcelona, Spain.
TUMO Foundation Board of Directors
Sam Simonian (Founder, TUMO) Raffi Krikorian (Emerson Collective, Uber, Twitter) Roger Kupelian (VFX Artist, Fugitive Studios) Rev Lebaredian (VP of Omniverse and Simulation Technology, NVIDIA Vahe Kuzoyan (President, ServiceTitan) Katherine Sarafian (Producer, Pixar) Elie Akilian (Founder, KingsIsle) Nairi Tashjian Hourdajian (VP of Comms, Figma)
Advisory Board
Serj Tankian, singer, songwriter, producer Katherine Sarafian, Senior VP at Pixar Roger Kupelian, VFX Artist, Fugitive Studios Alex Seropian, CEO of Industrial Toys
Educational model
Program TUMO operates as a tuition-free, extracurricular education program for teenagers aged 12–18. Participation is open, with no entrance exams or academic prerequisites. The program is structured to complement formal schooling and is delivered primarily after school hours and on weekends. A unique aspect of TUMO's education model is the TUMO Path, a software program developed in-house that places students on a learning plan based on the students' expressed areas of interest, showing the students' rate of progress and letting them know which tasks they need to complete to move on to the next level.
TUMO's curriculum consists of self-learning exercises, workshops and learning labs in 14 learning targets, including:
Animation Game Development Filmmaking Web Development Music Writing Drawing Graphic Design 3D Modeling Programming Robotics Motion Graphics Photography GenAI
Curriculum
TUMO's learning system combines three interconnected components:
Self-learning: Students work independently through interactive digital activities on the TUMO Path. These activities introduce core concepts and skills and allow students to progress at their own pace with support from on-site coaches. Workshops: Instructor-led, hands-on courses offered at beginner to advanced levels. Workshops are project-based and culminate in individual or group outcomes that demonstrate applied skills. Learning Labs: Time-bound, advanced programs led by local and international professionals. Labs focus on real-world challenges and extended projects and are typically offered to students who have completed prerequisite self-learning and workshops.
Rather than diplomas or certification, students build digital portfolios consisting of completed projects, which may be used for further education or employment applications.
Pedagogical approach TUMO's educational approach emphasizes voluntary participation and learner autonomy. Often referred to by the organization as a "walk-away pedagogy", the model allows students to discontinue or change learning paths without penalty. The approach is intended to foster intrinsic motivation and reduce barriers between artistic and technical domains by emphasizing learning through making.
Centers TUMO Armenia
TUMO Yerevan TUMO's first center opened in Yerevan in 2011. The center's namesake is inspired by next-door Tumanyan Park, which bears the name of prominent Armenian author Hovhannes Tumanyan. TUMO Yerevan was designed by architect Bernard Khoury. Approximately 15,000 students actively attend the center.
TUMO Dilijan TUMO's second center in Dilijan opened in 2012 under a cooperative agreement between TUMO and the Armenian General Benevolent Union, with additional support from the Central Bank of Armenia.
TUMO Gyumri
TUMO Gyumri started operating in a temporary location since 2015, after which it soon moved to the Gyumri Historical Theater Building, which TUMO restored in order to accommodate 4,000 students. The idea of TUMO Gyumri sprang from Shant TV, which kickstarted a fundraising drive to open the center. TUMO Gyumri is one of three TUMO centers (along with TUMO Dilijan and TUMO Stepanakert) to benefit from a cooperative partnership with the Armenian General Benevolent Union.