Duration: October 2021 – June 2024

Partners: UNICEF Greece, ARSIS – Association for the Social Support of Youth

Geographical coverage: Athens, Thessaloniki, Evros, Kos, Samos, Leros, Crete

Program: ACE program is implemented by the ARSIS teams, which are active in the following centers and regions:

• HCAC Athens – Youth Support Center (ΚΥΝ)
• HCAC Thessaloniki – Youth Support Center (ΚΥΝ)
• Activities Center in RIC Fylakio – Evros
• HCAC Kos – KEDU
• HCAC Leros - LEDU
• HCAC Samos – “Alki Zei”
• HCAC Crete

Description:

In the beginning of October 2021, ARSIS NGO launched the Homework and Creative Activities Centers (HCAC) for migrant and refugee children, 4-17 years old.

The Centers operate under the program All Children in Education (ACE), which is a UNICEF initiative in collaboration with the Ministry of Migration and Asylum, co-funded by the European Union, and implemented in collaboration with a number of partners, including ARSIS- Association for the Social support of Youth.

The aim of the program - in the framework of a 3-year memorandum of cooperation with the Ministry of Migration and Asylum (MoMA), as well as with the support of the Ministry of Education - is to support school readiness, to facilitate access to education for all children while ensuring a successful transition and integration into school.

The inclusion of all the above children in Formal and Non-Formal education is achieved through action that develops in two main axes:

• Classes for school preparation:Support is provided to children who have not yet been enrolled to formal school system but are cognitively prepared by the team of educators. The beneficiaries attend a weekly program of Greek & English language courses, Mathematics and Non-formal education activities in our Centers, for the smoothest possible integration to formal education. At the same time, on a case-by-case and per-field basis, in collaboration/communication with the respective Refugee Education Coordinators (REC’s), administrative support is provided to parents for the context of their children's enrollment at school and the procedures followed, maintaining a continuous two-way communication with the school after the enrollment has been concluded.

• Classes for School Support: Children who already attend formal education, are supported through afternoon remedial teaching and through a variety of (thematic and non-thematic) workshops / experiential group activities / workshops of social-emotional intelligence / Life Skills - development of professional skills (Creating a CV / Professional) info-sessions revolving around living skills (Personal hygiene / Sex education) / thematic actions on the occasion of world days etc. The aim of the above is the social and mental empowerment of children as well as informing them about issues of protection, gender discrimination, mental health education and more.

The HCAC’s teams seek to raise community awareness of fundamental rights issues, particularly children's rights and education through community engagement education projects. In collaboration with the head of education of each group, they organize joint actions within the local and school community for the integration of children.

Through networking and cooperation with Municipalities, local associations that provide services to populations of our target group but also with the Refugee Education Coordinators, our goal is to map the minor refugee population and to engage them through courses that promote language literacy, science literacy, education on children’s rights and citizenship, as well as socio-emotional learning.