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Educational Programs at Center for Environmental Education in Argyroupoli
Center for Environmental Education in Argyroupoli (Athens metropolitan area)
The Center for Environmental Education in Argyroupoli (Athens Metropolitan Area) was one of the first founded in Greece (1995), under the auspices of the Ministry of Education and funded by the EU. The center organizes a series of educational programs (7 active programs during 2010) which involve both classroom activities as well as field action, related with environmental themes (Water, Energy sources, atmospheric pollution, forest, landscape reconstitution, fires and natural catastrophes). The Center is open during the academic year and open to organized school visits from the Athens area and the rest of the country.
This initiative aims at developing the value of environmental responsibility among young secondary school children. It aims at providing information showing the complex interrelationship between man and its natural environment, at creating a positive attitude towards scientific knowledge related to environmental science and at cultivating the ability for inquiry about the physical world.
Secondary school pupils between 11-18 years old
Classroom activities engaging novel technologies, educational games (role playing), and open discussions. In addition, each educational program involves action in the field (eg collection of water from a local river and then simple chemical tests for its quality, evaluation of solid waste contamination etc)
The event has national impact since the school units visiting the Center originate from all over Greece
In the period between 1995-2009, 2650 secondary school visits (teams of 30 pupils) have taken place at the Center of Environmental Education of Argiroupoli, in order to participate at its educational programs.
This initiative is a form of non-formal education which affects deeply the perception of young people of nature and the interrelationship between man and natural world. These centers (69 all over the country) are however sometimes understaffed or with personnel that is not an expert in the field.
Gekos Mihalis
T.E.I. of Ionian Islands
Researcher