The popular Greek hospitality program for Greek youth of the diaspora to visit their parents’ homeland was restarted this year after five years of inactivity. Already, fifty young second and third generation Greek teenagers from around the world, aged from 15 to 17 years of age, have arrived in Athens to participate in cultural and educational events aimed at strengthening their bonds with Greece and exploring their roots.

The program was restarted by the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs that realizes the importance of helping young Greeks abroad keep alive their Greek identity and also develop bonds with other young Greeks in other countries.

The General Secretariat of Greeks Abroad has organized the program that runs through to August 11 and includes visits to the Archaeological Museum, the Acropolis Museum as well as many other archaeological sites.

Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Kyriakos Gerontopoulos also announced the reopening of the summer camp in Malesina, on the Northern Gulf of Evia, to accomodate Greek children living abroad aged between 9 and 13 years of age. The camp will offer cultural activities and other courses that help Greek kids to be better acquainted with their culture.

…and for teachers too!

Parallel to these efforts, a Greek pilot language program for Greek teachers working in the former Soviet Union kicked off in Thessaloniki yesterday. The program is organized by the Center of Greek language and aims to improve the quality of Greek being taught as a Foreign language.