The final version of the Greek language-learning platform "StaEllinika" was launched by the Secretary General for Public Diplomacy & Greeks Abroad of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ioannis Chrysoulakis on Tuesday.
The platform was first launched in April 2020 at schools in California, Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey under the supervision of Dr Anastasios Koularmanis, director of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America's department of education.
This digital tool bringing the children of the Greek Diaspora closer to the Greek culture, language, history and mythology, has gained more than 13,000 subscribers from 110 different countries over the last few months.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Costas Vlasis said that due to the special conditions caused by the coronavirus pandemic, "the fact that children and young people of the Greek Diaspora have the opportunity to travel for free from their home computer, mobile phone or their tablet to the wonderful world of the Greek language, Greek mythology and culture is even more valuable."
The apps are designed for kids aged 4+ (Greek for Preschool/Kindergarten), kids aged 6+ (beginners Greek for ages 6-8), kids aged 9+ (beginners Greek for ages 9+) and teens and Adults (beginners Greek for ages 13+).
Each teaching unit includes audiovisual educational material such as videos, online educational books and interactive exercises.
On his part, the Director of the SNF Centre for Hellenic Studies at SFU, Dr. Dimitris Krallis, noted that “with the Foundation’s assistance we were able to bring together Canadian and Greek expertise in ways that bridged continents and constituted a team. (...) We are proud to be able to serve Greek communities around the world, both in conditions of social distancing, but also in what should be a brighter and more optimistic era to follow."
The www.staellinika.com initiative is already operating on YouTube, and the app is available on apple (iOS) devices for children aged 4-5, 6-8 years and over 9 years and on android devices.