Early Childhood Development Interventions

YMCA of Thessaloniki Social Action is running “DIA-drasis: Child Center for the Development of Social Skills” (Action 1). The program started in mid-October in two  zones (morning and afternoon).

Early Childhood Education and Care program for 2-4 years old

Quality education can provide critical benefits to children.  Action and intervention in an early stage of childhood has plenty of advantages in children’s social, emotional, cognitive and language development. The aim of the programme to be implemented is for refugee children to improve their skills and have them prepared when they first enter formal Education (preschool) in Greece at the age of 5. Our goal is to provide an innovative educational program based on bilingual learning and focused on social skills development.

Spoken languages: Greek and Arabic. Schedule: 8.30- 15.00 Mon-Fri.

Early Childhood Intercultural Activities program for 2,5-6 years old

In the same premises an afternoon program is taking place aiming in bringing together refugee children and parents with local community. The program aims to engage families in recreational and educational activities and workshops of high quality oriented towards inclusion and sharing the benefits of multilingualism and multiculturalism. Also, social events or fests will be organized to further involve local community and enhance integration.

 

Schedule and Activities

  • From home… to “school”! for children 2,5-3,5 years old.

Monday & Wednesday or Tuesday & Thursday, 17:00-18:15

Our first steps together in learning through play, adjusting in new environment and building new friendships. The journey of little “Jigili Migili” (as we call ourselves: can you guess the meaning?) is starting with Drossia Tzioutziou, early childhood educator, as our guide to get us through magic realms… Come on board!

  • A “school” full of journeys! for children 4-6 years old.

Monday to Thursday, 18:30-20:00

Together we explore our worlds, discovering knowledge and find new ways of communication. Every day a different journey is going on… Pick yours!

Music and Movement workshop (Mondays)

Ioanna Pavlidou, music teacher, awakes our imagination and cultivates musical creativity through music and movement aiming in developing rhythmic education, coordination of auditory sensation, movement and voice, discovering ways of drawing representation of sound and getting familiar with the musical act.

ScArt (Science& Art) workshop(Tuesdays)

What happens when science meets arts? We will discover it with Despina Kokkidou, teacher, through experiments, artistic materials or digital tools. Following the approach of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art & Math) we will become young scientists, engineers, artists, mathematicians -raising questions, designing and building, creating, solving problems and finding solutions through play, because above all we are children!

Playing with “Little I-Am-Me” workshop (Wednesdays)

The Hellenic Theatre/Drama & Education Network (TENet-Gr) will implement a theatre workshop with inspiration of Mira Lobe’s picture book “Little I-Am-Me”. This collaboration is the Action “Together” realized under the “it could be me, it could be you” project of TENet-Gr in association with UNHCR Greece. Check more here. With theatre as our vehicle and imagination as our guide, Antigoni Tsarbopoulou, Meropi Kota, Irene Marna and Jenny Karaviti, drama/theater pedagogues, members of TENet-Gr, together with Maya Razavi, actress and director, will begin an exciting journey…

With colour and imagination workshop (Thursdays)

A creative arts and crafts workshop where everyday materials meet artistic techniques… We work together aiming to expand our creativity, develop fine motor skills, build our self-confidence and spontaneous self-expression with Stella Papadopoulou, Arts teacher, member of Polydromo: group of bilingualism and multiculturalism in education and society.

 

  • “Grown-ups and little ones together!”

Every Friday afternoon open meetings for parents and children with educational, creative and recreational activities and events.

 

Further information

ΔΙΑ-ΔΡΑΣΙΣ: Παιδικό Κέντρο / DIA-drasis: Child Centre https://www.facebook.com/groups/diadrasis

Δευτέρα – Παρασκευή 8:00-21:00  |  2311264629  |  [email protected]

Address: Ι. Prasakaki 6A & Koukoufli 2 https://goo.gl/maps/eJQswAdRJVr

 

Project: “Enhancing the right to education and access to schooling for refugee children” | Under the auspices of the Municipality of Thessaloniki  |  Lead partner: Metropolitan Development Agency of Thessaloniki  Action 1: “DIA-drasis Early Childhood Interventions”  |  Design, organization and implementation: Y.M.C.A. Thessaloniki | Funding: Foundation Open Society Institute