Schedule of Activities and Lessons PYXIDA 2022

GREEK LESSONS

Greek for Primary and Secondary Education students: A0, A1, A1 +, A2, A2 + and B1.

In PYXIDA, Greek lessons are divided by reference to the level of language learning according to the Common European Framework of Reference (A1, A2, B1, B2) but also on the basis of special characteristics of students and their needs. Class registration  is done after linguistic and educational evaluation of children or adults on an individual basis.

Classes are held twice a week. The content of the lessons is shaped according to the language levels of children or adults. Classes are held in the morning and in the afternoon. The curriculum has been enriched with original asynchronous digital educational material that our students can find on the educational platform we use. In PYXIDA, unaccompanied minors from different shelters  in Attica, can attend classes, where they will participate in small, separate sections for children and teenagers.

The Intercultural Center PYXIDA participates in the project "Path for All Children in Education (ACE-All Children in Education)" implemented by SolidarityNow with the support and funding of UNICEF Greece. The program aims to facilitate the integration of refugee and immigrant children in formal education, through the provision of non-formal education services and other complementary activities.

The program includes:

• Support the development of language skills, with emphasis on the communicative approach to language teaching (Greek and English), as well as scientific and digital literacy.
• Providing effective support at home for the daily school obligations of students, in order to avoid the phenomenon of school dropout.
• Introduction to the core of intervention activities such as: Social and Emotional Education (SEL), psychosocial support (PSS), citizen education, life skills and metacognitive reading strategies, for the further empowerment and autonomy of students.
• Emphasis on the school readiness of students aged 7-18, in order to lay the appropriate foundations for future educational integration and progress.
• Providing specialized support to children in need from social scientists and child psychologists.

A0 Greek for beginners 6-12 who do not attend Public School

Program of learning activities of first literacy in Greek, for children of primary school age, who encounter obstacles and difficulties and are either waiting to enroll in public school, or have enrolled very recently and find it difficult to reach the level of their class. The program also includes simple conversations in Greek, basic numbering skills, familiarity with a basic vocabulary with an emphasis on school, as well as other dating activities aimed at socializing, creative activities and routines of the school curriculum.

However, in the event that a student presents rapid progress or, on the contrary, great difficulty in integrating into the existing department in which he / she is located, he / she is transferred to another class, which is more suited to his / her own educational profile and level.

A0-A1 Course of learning Greek.

Our goal at this level is to obtain an Elementary Level (Breakthrough A1). It is addressed to minor students enrolled in the public school, who do not know Greek. It focuses on the teaching of the Greek alphabet (reading and first ability to write simple or learned words), on the acquisition of daily conversations and basic oral communication skills, and on a first orientation in the environment of Greek grammar.

A1 + Greek lessons for students who have some basic knowledge of Greek and dropped out of school, due to personal reasons. The program also approaches students who have a good level of oral production and comprehension, but fall short asymmetrically in writing and/or grammar. It is important to assimilate and understand as much as possible the basic grammatical phenomena of the Greek language.

A2- A2 + Greek learning course with the aim of consolidating and expanding skills of level A1-A1 +, in order to achieve approach and conquest of the Introductory Level (Waystage A2-A2 +). It is addressed to students who are fully aware of the basic vocabulary and aims at its expansion and the consolidation of spelled writing, the consolidation of basic grammar and the expansion into new grammatical phenomena. Also, emphasis is placed on authentic texts and dialogues, and on bridges with the school curriculum (taking on the character of remedial teaching).

B1 Greek language course aimed at approaching level B1 for advanced students of the Greek language.

Level B1 is the first in a series of six levels of language learning, which makes the student linguistically independent and can be considered a focal point.

The main goal is to acquire the ability to respond linguistically to situations of direct daily transactions, for which the use of the Greek language is largely stable, predictable and repetitive.

PYXIDA’s group of students that are approaching the level B1, are reinforced with additional and more complex educational material, with the ultimate purpose of preparing them for the Certification exams of Greek Proficiency.

Greek for teenagers 13-17

PYXIDA’s teachers support the adolescent students in the lessons of the public school, while at the same time they work on the difficulties and the gaps, which they  identified. Students are reinforced in the subject of Greek Language, Mathematics, Physics and History. At this age the lessons are quite supportive of those of the school, offering additional supportive educational material.

Non-Formal Education at the Intercultural Center PYXIDA

In addition to conducting Greek language courses, the courses also include non-formal education activities, through experiential learning and group collaboration method aimed at psychoeducational support of children. For example, activities that aim to interact between students and strengthen team spirit. Book Workshops with the rich collection of the multilingual library of PYXIDA and enhancement of the digital skills of the students with tablets using the digital platform ‘THESAURUS’. Finally, the goal of the Center is the participation of children in group workshops of emotional intelligence.

Beginner Adult Classes with the aim of conquering an elementary level of Greek.

The classes are aimed at adults who do not know Greek. It focuses on the teaching of the Greek alphabet (learning to read and write), on the acquisition of daily conversations and basic oral communication skills, and on a first orientation and communication with the environment of Greek grammar.

EMPLOYMENT GREEK FOR ADULTS

Greek for adults: Beginners, A1, A1 +

The integration in the Employment Greek departments is done after linguistic and educational  evaluation of the interested parties on an individual, always, basis, in order to ascertain the A1 language level, which is a basic condition for participation in the courses. The main goal is to improve the understanding and production of students' oral and written speech and the development, therefore, of their communication skills with the ultimate goal of their integration into the labor market. Candidate employees are also supported through Greek courses in all their steps in the job search process (i.e to write their CV themselves, to discuss their employment rights and obligations in Greek, etc.). They are specially prepared for their interview, while they are provided with specialized vocabulary and curriculum related to the field in which they will eventually be employed.

English in collaboration with Deree - The American College of Greece

In collaboration with the postgraduate program MA TESOL (Teaching of English to Speakers of Other Languages) of Deree - The American College of Greece, and after a placement test, there are English adult and juvenile classes in periods, in which voluntarily trained postgraduate students and qualified teachers teach. Classes are held twice a week, morning and afternoon.

Additional educational activities.

Beneficiaries who are interested  receive information and are assisted in the application process, for admission of foreigners to universities, as well as in their enrollment in evening EPAL with reception classes, in order to take advantage of the relevant opportunities, but also to submit applications for language proficiency exams.

Social Service

PYXIDA’s  Social Service supports families with children's enrollment in Public Education, providing, where necessary, counseling to families, referrals for medical issues as well as follow-ups with school principals and teachers.

Child Psychological Support

PYXIDA provides psychological support and counseling services for children aged 4 to 17 and their parents. These services include: diagnostic testing and assessment of the needs of each child and family, individual psychological support sessions, group psychological support sessions aimed at improving socialization, strengthening and enhancing mental resilience, as well as parental counseling. Finally, referrals and collaborations are made with external health units and other mental health bodies, where necessary. The interdisciplinary cooperation with the Social Service and PYXIDA’S teachers, is a necessity, for the implementation of an individualized intervention plan for each child and each family. Support was provided by HumanRights360/Fidelity Charitable.

Job Counseling

PYXIDA’s  Employment Office, “Cosmos Employment Hub”,  continues to connect the beneficiaries of the APS with the labor market, through the large list of employers it maintains and constantly increases, and to attend when necessary in all the steps of preparing the candidates, preparing the individual for the interview and consultation with the employers. In collaboration with the Trafigura Foundation, an intensive pro employment preparation program is carried out, which includes Employment Greek courses for adults who have already reached the A1 level in the Greek language, job counseling and direct connection to the labor market.

Our effort is supported by the Dutch Council for Refugees and the “Non-Profit Civil Company AEGEAS”. We thank them for the sensitivity they have shown by supporting the work of the Pyxida Intercultural Centre.

Helping Hands Joined

The volunteer program Helping Hands Joined has a purely inclusive character and includes guided tours in the city of Athens to refugees by Greek volunteers. Families can also take part in this program, so that they can attend the tour program in the Museums and Archaeological sites of Athens, as well as participate in the camps organized by the educational team of PYXIDA. The latter action takes place in the framework of "THESAURUS II- Engaging the Community", with the kind donation of the Alta Mane Foundation.