ELIX, supported by UNICEF and funded by the European Commission (DG ECHO), began in October 2017 the implementation of an educational program for refugee and immigrant children, aged 3-17, and their parents in Attica.
The aim of this project is to provide non-formal education and homework support to refugees and migrants children, as well as their parents, in order to contribute to their smooth integration into the formal education system through innovative educational methods.
The project is designed to provide day-to-day coverage of the educational needs of children aged 3-17 and daily homework support for children aged 6-15. Each beneficiary attends 2 hours a day of lessons (10 hours a week), which are performed in the morning or in the afternoon.
All courses are conducted by experienced Greek certified educators and supported by teachers from the national community of the pupils, who act as cultural mediators and facilitate the understanding of the lesson in the children’s mother tongue.
Activities include the work of social workers who identify vulnerable situations and provide additional support to the children participating in the project, as well as to their families.
In addition, an accredited psychologist provides professional support to both the staff and the benefiters of the program.
In particular, the project includes:
- Preschool classes for children aged 3-5 years
- Greek language lessons for children aged 6-17
- English language classes for children aged 6-17
- Natural science lessons for children aged 6-17
- Mother tongue classes for children over 6 years old
- Life skills courses.
- Greek language lessons for parents.
Brief review of the program for the months of March-April
- 1,537 children aged 3-17 years in total enrolled in the program (895 boys and 642 girls).
- 277 parents, (133 men and 144 women).
- 27 different nationalities and 12 different mother tongues.
- In total, 3,056 hours of classes (Greek, Mathematics and English) were provided to children and 290 hours to parents.
- 54 teachers, 3 social workers and one psychologist work for the project and support the children and their families.
- 23 training courses attended by teachers
As part of the ELIX’s staff training programme, teachers and social workers of the Proejct attended sessions on topics such as: Pre-school education, Intercultural communication, Post-traumatic stress, Teaching Greek as a second language, Sexual health, Personal hygiene, First Aid, Neuropsychology, Cultural diversity in the media, Music (British Council choir), Gender and Migration.
In Attica, the program is implemented in the Open Reception Centers of Eleonas and Skaramangas, at the ELIX Learning Center (20 Patision st, Omonia) as well as at the 51st Primary School of Athens (40th Akominatou str.), the 20th Gymnasium of Athens (44 Koraka, Athens) and the 48th Gymnasium of Athens (Koraka 44, Kato Patisia).
ELIX educational units hosted at the 51st Primary School of Athens and at the 48th Gymnasium of Athens have been provided for this purpose by the Municipality of Athens under the "Open Schools program", an initiative of the City of Athens, funded exclusively by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation.
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Funded by European Union |
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