The “Thesaurus” project, which is part of a non-formal educational program developed since 1996 by the Greek Council for Refugees (GCR), aims to:
- Allow minors in migratory situations to express their emotions and their experiences in a creative way, within a safe, protected and child-friendly environment;
- Improve their self-esteem and increase confidence in themselves and in others;
- Strengthen their artistic-creative skills, their relational and socio-communicative skills, thus starting a post-traumatic resilience process.
Beneficiaries in 2021
151 migrant and refugee minors, aged 6-15, with different linguistic and cultural backgrounds, have participated to the various creative-artistic and educational activities organized at the Intercultural Center “PYXIDA”.
In 2021, Greek Council for Refugees (GCR) with the support of Alta Mane, has organized the following activities:
- Developed the digital educative platform “Thesaurus Library” where, subsequently, a total of 877 books for children and adolescents, which are part of the “PYXIDA” Center’s book collection (consisting of 1’200 books in total), have been catalogued;
- Organized 19 digital art-education workshops (4 at distance and 15 in presence for a total of 44½ effective hours) during which 151 children, starting from the reading of different books and through different expressive-artistic modes, had the opportunity to reflect on various themes such as, inter alia, identity, journey, talent, ocean pollution, friendship, knowledge and co-existence with the other, and produced various drawings, paintings and padlets, successively featured and shared on the “Thesaurus” platform.
In 2022, GCR foresees to: i. consolidate and strengthen the artistic and educational activities designed and implemented in 2021 at the Intercultural Center “PYXIDA”; ii. replicate and integrate the “Thesaurus” educational program inside ACE (All Children in Education), a program implemented by UNICEF and “Helping Hands Joined”, a social support program developed by GCR, both programs intended for minors on the move; iii. disseminate the “Thesaurus” method/approach inside the national school curricula; iv. engage, involve, and sensitize the local community on the importance of an inclusive society.