Service Learning is an initiative of the Greek America Foundation that aims to engage North American college students and young professionals in impactful volunteer programs in Greece, a nation that has been impacted adversely by a crippling financial crisis and the largest international refugee crisis since World War II. Humanitarian relief programs which are unheard of in most Western countries are commonplace in Greece, which has experienced exponential increases in homelessness, child poverty, suicide and other societal problems.
There are three primary aspects to this initiative:
(1) Students are are exposed to the ideals of service and volunteerism, core ideals of the Greek America Foundation’s mission, and experience first-hand their own impact on the causes they are supporting.
(2) At the same time, collectively, our program supports the nation of Greece and her people as they grapple with numerous humanitarian issues.
(3) Finally, our volunteers are exposed to contemporary Greek life and culture.
The inaugural Service Learning Program took place during the summer of 2017 in Athens, Greece when 10 volunteers spent the month of July with The HOME Project, a network of shelters for unaccompanied refugee minors.
Our upcoming program is taking place on the island of Chios during the summer of 2019, where 16 volunteers are supporting the efforts of METAdrasi, a non-profit offering support, education, integration and other services to unaccompanied refugee minors trapped in Greece.
Our program has been supported over the years by companies, institutions and individuals who understand the significance of imparting the ideals of service and volunteerism amongst future leaders of our community.
Donate today to help us sustain this program and continue to instill the values of service and volunteerism in young North Americans — while immersing them in real-world humanitarian challenges.
Our program strives to create human experiences for our volunteers, connecting them with their inner-selves and instilling in them the importance of volunteerism and service by allowing them to experience first-hand the smile on the face of someone they are feeding, supporting or serving.
We seek volunteers who are able to handle quickly changing environments, encountering people from different cultures and sharing viewpoints and the emotional ups and downs that come with working in challenging conditions. Having strong boundaries, knowing your limits and when to take a break are important skills while volunteering.
Participants have the option to accrue college credit that can be applied to their studies at their home institution in the United States or Canada via our partnership with the Hellenic American University, a U.S.-accredited institution of higher education in Athens. Students are responsible for checking with their home institutions about transfer of credits and ensuring the transfer of the credits. A counselor at Hellenic American University will be made available to assist, as will a curriculum and coursework.
Our programs are usually a month long and require about 5-6 hours a day of volunteering, four days per week. We do offer an "off-day," as well as pre-planned weekend excursions to allow for volunteers to have a physical and emotional break for the demanding work they are doing. Excursions involve the immersion into the local culture, with guided visits to cultural and historic sights, beaches, traditional village festivals or other important locations and/or happenings that may be taking place during the program's duration.
Read more about the 2017 program in Athens with The HOME Project
During our recent summer volunteer program, 16 young adult volunteers from North America spent the month of July supporting refugee minors on the Greek island of Chios. Throughout the month, we shared periodic updates via social media posts, inspiring dozens of people to comment, share, donate — and engage. One of those generous supporters was […]
This summer, on the island of Chios, 16 young adult volunteers from the U.S. and Canada had a transformative experience participating in the Greek America Foundation’s summer Service Learning program. During the month of July, our volunteers worked diligently alongside a dedicated team of professions from the Greek non-governmental organization METAdrasi, which — among numerous other […]
For the past month, the Greek America Foundation’s 16 dedicated volunteers have offered their time and talents to support unaccompanied refugee children on the island of Chios. This team of young people from throughout the United States and Canada has been working alongside a dedicated team of professionals from the Greek non-profit METAdrasi, which is dedicated […]
During their latest weekend excursion, the Greek America Foundation’s 16 volunteers from the US and Canada took some time off from their work on Chios island and traveled to Izmir, Turkey. The trip to the once-Greek city formerly known as Smyrna provided a unique experience for the volunteers, who were taken on a guided tour […]
Today may seem like just another average day, but for the Greek America Foundation’s volunteers, who are on the Greek island of Chios serving unaccompanied refugee minors — it’s more than that. While some volunteers are at a school — operated by our partner charity METAdrasi — offering basic education to the children… Others have […]
By Gregory C. Pappas, Founder What are the qualities of an individual who has decided to give up a month of his or her time during summer vacation — and instead of sunbathing on a swanky beach or visiting a far-flung Greek Island — visiting one of the most decrepit places on the planet and […]
The Greek America Foundation is thrilled to announce that a recent donation from George and Kristin Strompolos will support four scholarships for our summer 2019 Service Learning program. Two of these scholarships are earmarked specifically for young people from Colorado’s Greek American community, where George Strompolos was raised. Service Learning is an initiative of the […]
The Greek America Foundation is proud to partner with METAdrasi on the Greek island of Chios for our 2019 Summer Service Learning Program which aims to engage North American college students and young professionals in volunteer programs in Greece. Our 2019 program includes a month-long experience volunteering with vulnerable groups, including refugee children and unaccompanied […]
This summer, the Greek America Foundation sent ten North American students to spend several weeks in Athens volunteering at shelters of The Home Project, a non-profit organization founded to protect and care for unaccompanied refugee minors — children who have arrived in Greece from various conflict zones throughout the world and who are alone without […]
This summer, 10 North American students were sent by the Greek America Foundation to spend several weeks in Athens, volunteering at shelters of The Home Project, an organization founded to protect and care for unaccompanied refugee minors — children who have arrived in Greece from various conflict zones throughout the world and who are alone […]
The Greek America Foundation’s Service Learning program volunteers visited United States Ambassador to Greece Geoffrey Pyatt on Wednesday, July 26, 2017 to discuss their work with unaccompanied refugee minors as well as other contemporary issues facing Greece. The nine American and one Canadian students have now spent a week and a half volunteering at shelters […]
Service Learning is a new initiative of the Greek America Foundation aiming to engage North American university students with volunteer programs in Greece. Our program fulfills a dual purpose. First, students are immersed into contemporary Greek life, while simultaneously volunteering for important humanitarian relief programs and helping to make a lasting impact on contemporary problems […]
