A special psychosocial support program for the children and families of Santorini is being implemented by the Ministry of Social Cohesion and Family, with the crucial contribution of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (EKPA) and in collaboration with the Municipality of Santorini.

The Minister of Social Cohesion and Family, Sofia Zacharaki, visited the island and, together with experts from EKPA’s Interdisciplinary Committee for Risk and Crisis Management—established on the initiative of the university’s rector, Professor Makis Siasos—held a meeting with Mayor Nikos Zorzos.

The initiative aims to address the vulnerabilities of children affected by ongoing seismic activity through specially designed activities that create safe spaces. The program includes weekly sessions over a one-month period, allowing children and their caregivers to process daily challenges through creative expression and group activities.

Following the meeting, Minister Zacharaki stated: “This is a coordinated effort where the ministry, the Municipality, and EKPA come together and collaborate for the same purpose. Every Tuesday and Wednesday, an interdisciplinary team—including special educators and psychologists—will be on the island. These professionals will talk to the children, and the children will have a chance to share their feelings and express their emotions. In this way, we will support families. We are also exploring the possibility of extending this initiative to families who have relocated, as well as to other islands such as Anafi, Amorgos, and Ios.” She also expressed her gratitude to EKPA and the Municipality of Santorini for their collaboration.

The program harnesses the power of the arts—theater, music, storytelling, and dance—providing children and their caregivers with a valuable tool for psychosocial empowerment. It was developed by EKPA’s Master’s Program in Global Health – Disaster Medicine and has been adopted as a best practice by the international organization AMNA, which specializes in childhood trauma management. The program is carried out with the support of EKPA’s Laboratory of School Psychology, Department of Psychology.

For more information, interested parties can contact the Secretariat of the Global Health – Disaster Medicine program at EKPA (crisismed@outlook.com).