The teaching staff of Aetolia-Acarnania discovers the opportunities offered by Erasmus+
Teaching staff and executives from primary and secondary schools in the region of Aetolia-Acarnania were informed on the possibilities offered by Erasmus+ during the Info Day held on Thursday, 1st February 2024 at the Papastration Mansion in Agrinio. The Erasmus+ Info Day was co-organised by the State Scholarships Foundation/IKY (the Erasmus+ National Agency) and the Regional Directorate of Education of Western Greece with the support of the Directorate of Primary Education of Aetolia-Acarnania and the Directorate of Secondary Education of Aetolia-Acarnania.
The purpose of the Info Day was to present the Erasmus+ Programme and how schools can benefit from their participation in the Programme. Teaching staff was also advised on the applicable procedures related to the preparation and submission of proposals-applications for the 2024 Erasmus+ Call for Proposals. A morning info session and evening small-scale training workshops were organised to this end.
The Info Day was attended by the Director of Secondary Education of Aetolia-Acarnania, Mr. Christos Kazantzis, and the Deputy Head of the Unit of European Union Programmes of IKY, Ms. Stavroula Sotiropoulou, who both addressed the meeting.
After the successful completion of the Info Day, the Regional Director of Primary and Secondary Education of Western Greece, Mr. Konstantinos Giannopoulos, made the following statement: “We are grateful to the Erasmus+ National Agency for a continuous and flawless cooperation with its executives who strive to support teachers and students in reaping the benefits of participating in the Erasmus+ Programme”.
The Deputy Head of the Unit of European Union Programmes of IKY, Ms. Stavroula Soriropoulou, referred to the longstanding contribution that IKY makes to the society by promoting education, science, arts, language and culture through the scholarships awarded. Ms. Sotiropoulou also pointed out the important role of the Erasmus+ programme which supports education institutions and offers equal opportunities for all.
Ms. Sotiropolou also encouraged attendees to take part in Erasmus+ by underlining the advantages of the Programme: “Schools are a living organism in constant need of renewal. By participating in the European educational programme Erasmus+, schools strengthen the international visibility and the European dimension of Greek school education, while you, as educational staff, are given the opportunity to exchange views with colleagues from abroad and apply new teaching methods in your class”.
Finally, representatives of schools that had successfully implemented award-winning Erasmus+ projects participated in the panel discussion held during the Info Day. The contribution of Ms. Olga Vlachou, school leader, Mr. Konstantinos Georgopoulos and Ms. Vasiliki Latsinou, Teachers (13th Primary School of Patras – European Innovative Teaching Award 2024), Ms. Paraskevi Katsiopi, school leader (13th Primary School of Agrinio), Ms. Aliki Karagouni, Teacher (1st General Upper Secondary School of Agrinio), Mr. Athanassios Patropoulos, Principal (Unified Special Vocational Lower and Upper Secondary School of Messolongi) has been significant.
The Info Day in Agrinion was attended and supported by the following executives of the Erasmus+ National Agency, namely: Ms. Maria Adamopoulou, Project Coordinator for Erasmus+ KA1 (Key Action 1 – Mobility)/School education, Ms. Maria Karampatsou, Project Support Officer for KA1/School education, Ms. Maria Tsitsomitsiou, Project Support Officer for KA2 (Key Action 2 – European Cooperation Partnerships)/School education, Ms. Anna Iliopoulou, Project Support Officer for KA2/School education, the Coordinator of the Erasmus+ Communication and Valorization Unit, Ms. Elina Mavrogiorgou, and Ms. Elena Sarli, EU Projects Official Disseminator at the Regional Directorate of Primary and Secondary Education of Western Greece, appointed by the Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports.