Greek Australians who will be attending the Greek Community of Melbourne’s 2023 Greek Summer Camp program
The program will run from 1 July to 11 July 2023, starting in Thessaloniki and including multiple visits to neighboring towns such as Serres, Kavala, and Xanthi.
The Greek Summer Camp, now in its second year, is the result of a long and fruitful partnership between the GCM and the Hellenic Foreign Affairs Ministry. After the success of its inaugural year, the GCM was excited to collaborate with both the Hellenic Foreign Affair Ministry and Thessaloniki YMCA to once again offer the Greek youth of Australia an opportunity to experience Northern Greece’s unique hospitality.
With a large number of applicants from across Australia, the available positions were highly sought after. The successful applicants were selected from a diverse pool and were welcomed to The Greek Centre by Board Member Dean Kotsianis.
Dean spoke to the Campers from the perspective of attending the 2022 Camp, he stated: “The experience was superb not only because I had the opportunity to network with like-minded young adults but also to get to know my homeland, practice the Greek language and see places which I would never normally visit. My advice is to seize this opportunity to explore Greece and connect with the locals. This experience will give you a better understanding of our culture.”
The group was then led through induction by GCM camp coordinator Meg Smith who provided detailed information about this year’s program itinerary and answered participants’ questions regarding their expectations.
When surveying the crowd, most of the 2023 campers expressed their excitement to “learn the history of Greece and establish a deeper connection with their heritage and culture.” Others noted that this trip was about making “connections” with their Greek Australian peers and finding a foothold in the Greek-Australian community.