TUMO Center for Creative Technologies will be established in the Southeast San Fernando Valley after California Assemblymember Adrin Nazarian announced that $9 million in state funds are earmarked for the project.

The $9 million secured to establish a TUMO Center for Creative Technologies in the Southeast San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, in partnership with the City of Los Angeles and the USC Institute of Armenian Studies, would make it the first TUMO Center in the United States.

The TUMO Center for Creative Technologies is a free-of-charge educational program that puts teenagers in charge of their own learning. Founded by engineer and entrepreneur Sam and Sylva Simonian, TUMO’s mission is to allow teens to maximize their potential by discovering their passions and building the skills and self-confidence required to shape their future.

The University of Southern California Institute of Armenian Studies, in support of their broad commitment to studying and recording the history of California and Los Angeles through the experiences and memories of California’s large and diverse Armenian community, will also receive a $1 million allocation to support a project to serve both academic and public policy interests. The integrity and value of a large collection of first-person stories for researchers, educators, and policymakers, will be irreplaceable and this funding will allow the Institute to expand the breadth and reach of these programs, benefiting various stakeholders in the state.