
U.S. Mission to Greece launches “Education Unites: From Camp to Campus”
Academic Scholarship program for young refugees in Greece
The U.S. Embassy in Athens, in collaboration with The American College of Thessaloniki – Anatolia College, Deree – The American College of Greece, and Perrotis College – American Farm School, announces the program “Education Unites: From Camp to Campus” that will provide higher education scholarships to 100 eligible refugees in Athens and 100 in Thessaloniki.
The goal of the program is to give opportunities to displaced students to continue their education; provide them with knowledge, skills and academic credits they can use either in Greece or in any other European country they move to in the future; help them get out of the camps and become integrated in local colleges; and offer young refugees hope for the future.
At last year’s Hack the Camp program, a creative marathon aimed at finding solutions to challenges that refugees face in Greece, co-organized by the U.S. Embassy in Athens, a young female refugee spoke passionately of her desire to continue her university education. She was a student of Economics at a university in Damascus, but she had to abandon her studies as she fled the war. Her plea for a better future through education was the inspiration for the program.
The “Education Unites: From Camp to Campus” program will offer two courses per student for the next two semesters (Fall 2017 and Spring 2018) in the three U.S. affiliated colleges in Athens and Thessaloniki. The courses offered will include preparatory English classes, academic classes in diverse fields based on the participants’ educational background, as well as vocational training.
During the first week of October, seventy eight young refugees started their academic studies as part of the “Education Unites: From Camp to Campus” scholarship program, organized by the U.S. Embassy in Athens in collaboration with the American College of Thessaloniki – Anatolia College, Deree -American College of Greece and Perrotis College – American Farm School.
After reviewing over 400 applications and interviewing dozens of refugees and asylum seekers, the three U.S. affiliated colleges have selected the first group of fellows that began their academic studies. For the first semester of the academic year 2017-2018, forty-eight students attend Deree in Athens, fourteen students attend the American College of Thessaloniki, and sixteen students started classes at the Perrotis College in Thessaloniki.
We are pleased to announce the selection process for the spring semester, which started on October 16, 2017.
For application and admissions information, please contact:
- American College of Thessaloniki – Anatolia College: Mona Siksek, Coordinator, tel. 2310 398-346 | email: msiksek@act.edu | https://admissions.act.edu/courses/course/74-cc-camp-campus
- Deree – The American College of Greece: Kathleen Macdonell, Consultant, tel: 2106009800 (ext. 1511), email:kmacdonell@acg.edu | acg.edu/education-unites
- Perrotis College – American Farm School: Ms Penna Leighanne, Education Unites Coordinator, τ. 2310 492-702 | email: newstart@perrotis.edu.gr | perrotiscollege.edu.gr/new-start-project/
Deadline for applications: November 24
Inspired by the impact of the “Education Unites” program and aiming at offering academic opportunities to more young refugees, Webster University will also offer 20 scholarships, starting in the spring semester of 2018. For more information applicants can contact Ms. Peggy Manouka, Director of Admissions, Webster University (Tel: 211 990 5300, email: peggymanouka91@webster.edu).
For further information:
- www.act.edu/education-unites
- www.acg.edu/education-unites
- www.perrotiscollege.edu.gr/new-start-project
For press issues: OPUS Integrated Communication 210 3242869 |Natalia Katifori: 6972345289 natalia@opusltd.com |Mania Ntanou: 6937056207 communication@opusltd.com