Conference on Strategies to promote Greek Education in Canada (Ottawa, 19 October, 2013)

A Conference on Strategies to promote Greek Education in Canada was organized in Ottawa, on Saturday, October 19, 2013, by the Embassy of Greece in Canada, in cooperation with the Office of Education Counsellor in Canada and Midwestern United States, the Office of Greek Education of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Toronto and the Hellenic Community of Ottawa.

At the Conference, all the participants from the Chairs of Hellenic Studies, Phrixos B. Papachristidis, McGill University, Montreal, the Stavros Niarchos Center for Hellenic Studies, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver and the York University Chair in Toronto, presented the programs offered by their respective Institutions for the teaching of Greek language, culture and history, in Canada.

The Conference was also attended by key stakeholders from Greek schools in Canada, including the top-quality trilingual “École Socrates and Démosthène“ of Montreal, the Director of Modern Greek Studies at the University of Illinois Dr. Stefanos Katsikas, leading members of the Hellenic Community of Canada, the Educational Coordinator of Greece in Canada and Midwestern United States Dr.Despina Hatzidiakos, the Director of the Office of Greek Education of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Toronto (Canada) Mr. Volonakis, the Consuls General of Greece in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, Messrs. Azemopoulos, Kafopoulos and Kremmydas, the Consul General of Cyprus in Toronto, Mr. Iakovos Giragosian and teachers from Greek schools in Canada.

Upon completion of the Conference, detailed conclusions were presented with regard to the priorities and programs for implementation, which will form the basis of an Action Plan for the ensuing period until the next Educational Conference in Canada, takes place in 2014.

Summing up the works of the Conference, Ambassador of Greece Mr. Anghelopoulos pointed out that “based on the conclusions of the Conference, we have to develop a shared vision and an Action Plan to be supported by concrete actions and activities to promote the Greek language, history and culture in Canada”, stressing “the need for systematic collaboration of all partners and the importance of synergy to maximize the results”.