The Stavros Niarchos Foundation has awarded the Office of Greek Education $600,000 for the department’s procurement of support and services for parish language programs. The purpose of the “Services, Supports, and Resources Consolidation Grant” is to assist our parishes and schools in enhancing their current programs. “The Office of Greek Education, is committed to working with parishes to advance the promotion of the Greek language in their communities,” said the Education Director Anastasios Koularmanis, Ed.D., “this grant signifies the Archdiocese’s commitment to enhancing the tools and supports needed by teachers in our parish programs in order to provide exceptional services to their students.”

The new grant builds on SNF’s long-standing efforts to support and enhance Hellenic education in the U.S. Over the years, the Foundation has helped bolster the teaching of Greek language and culture by providing funding to strengthen and preserve the Greek curriculum at a number of day, afternoon, and Sunday schools.

The grant will support professional development for teachers within the Archdiocese, strengthening skills and furthering knowledge in Greek language, classroom differentiation, educational technologies, and more. It will also enable the development of a teacher certification program in partnership with the Democritus University of Thrace in Greece and of teacher trainings in collaboration with Simon Fraser University in Canada.

The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese Department of Greek Education revised mission is devoted to the advancement, enrichment, sustainability, and further growth and development of all Greek education programs within the Archdiocese. Its’ mission strives for the promotion, continuous improvement, and dissemination of Greek education academic programs, resources, supports, and services of excellence of which holistically safeguards and advances our collective Faith, Beliefs, Language, Culture, and Customs.