The Greek Community of Melbourne (GCM) School, Bentleigh Campus, completed its participation in the Olympic Educational Program titled “4th Olympic Week, on the way to Paris 2024” by awarding participation certificates to its students on Tuesday, May 21. The program, which is the most important educational initiative of Olympic Education, is implemented by the Hellenic Olympic Committee and the National Olympic Academy in collaboration with the Ministry of Education. This year, the program took place from April 22 to 26 for the fourth consecutive year and involved schools and teachers from Greece, Cyprus, and the diaspora.

The main goal of the program and the activities carried out during Olympic Week is to promote Olympism and the Olympic ideals. This year, Olympic Week was dedicated to the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games that will be hosted by Paris. As part of the program, the students had an online meeting with Olympic gold medallist in artistic gymnastics, Lefteris Petrounias, and champion in artistic gymnastics, Vasiliki Millousi. The meeting was attended by schools from Greece, Cyprus, and the diaspora. The two athletes shared their sports experiences, answered questions, and talked about the Olympic ideals and their future goals.

Mrs. Syrmo Kapoutsi, a teacher at the GCM schools who participated in the program with her students, described the meeting as a lifetime experience for the students. She believes it will be a source of inspiration for many children regarding their personal goals and the values they will follow in their lives. Mrs. Kapoutsi also emphasized the importance of the Olympic Games and the values they carry, mentioning that the schools are implementing a series of relevant actions to educate the students about the history, ideals, and values of the Olympic Games.