The Kastellorizian Association of Victoria is to be congratulated for funding the Santrapeia School on Kastellorizo to become the 14th school to participate in the Tipping Point online education program supported by THI Australia.
The initial donation of $2,600 will enable the students at Santrapeia School to participate in the excellent Tipping Point program for the 2021-2022 academic year. The total pledge of $7,800 will allow students to participate in the program for three years.
The Tipping Point program aims to empower young students, primarily aged 16-18, who are at a critical point of making decisions about their future by bringing the world into their classrooms in three steps (1) students select an area of interest (2) they are paired with a mentor, and (3) they connect online for a live-session.
‘This is the first multi-year commitment THI Australia has received from a Greek Australian association and we wholeheartedly thank the Kastellorizian Association of Victoria and its members for providing students at this remote school the opportunity to access professional advice on subjects and careers they have identified,’ said THI Australia’s President, Nicholas Pappas AM.
Mr Pappas, who is currently in Greece, visited Santrapeia School and met with Principal, Betty Mouzak and students. During the meeting Ms Mouzak identified that the lack of real life experiences and local career orientation programs causes an additional challenge for students on remote islands like Kastellorizo. ‘We are delighted to be able to offer this important opportunity to students so they can discover their aptitudes and how they can use them in order to make their livelihoods happily and creatively,’ said Ms Mouzak.
Santrapeia School in Kastellorizo joins schools in Chios, Crete, Epirus, Kalymnos, Kefalonia, Kos, Lemnos, the Peloponnese, and Eastern and Western Macedonia for the 2021-2022 academic year in Greece.
‘We are proud to support THI Australia in delivering this much needed mentoring program to the youth of Kastellorizo. It is our belief that this will also encourage our youth and future generations to take on mentoring roles in supporting those less fortunate in the spirit of the island’s symbol that represents ‘faith, hope and charity’,’ said Kastellorizian Association of Victoria President, Nik Spartels.
This is the third consecutive year THI Australia has supported The Tipping Point program, commencing with a pilot program with three schools in 2019 and increasing its support to include 11 schools in 2020.
