The main goal of NEMESIS is to change the children’s experience inside the school. They are the most important audience in this project since they are the main subjects of NEMESIS’ work. After a first period focused on turning ideas into a cohesive theoretical framework, the second period is bringing these ideas into action. The social innovation process becomes real when we give the children the opportunity to help people, making their voice heard, and working on projects chosen by themselves, which appears to be the biggest motivation for them to join (and enjoy) the project.
The 14th General High School of Thessaloniki (Greece) is a secondary educational school, with 30 teachers and 324 students. There is a low migrant population in the area and medium unemployment. The school is engaged in innovative teaching. They use e-learning platforms such as eclass.sch.gr and Moodle. They create blogs and wikis and use Web 2.0 tools in teaching such as Kubbu, Socrative, Prezi, Sway, Mindomo, Draw.io etc. The school also participates in Young Business talents programme.
At the Thessaloniki School there is a group of 15-16-year-old students participating in the NEMESIS programme. After school, students chose to deal with issues they encounter in their everyday life and to find solutions by applying new ideas and suggestions. They worked on two main topics: restored and abandoned buildings and vulnerable groups of the population.
– The first group of students noted abandoned buildings in the neighbourhood and identified one that needed restoration. They took the responsibility for solving the problem by sending emails and calling 80 different construction companies in order to find sponsors. However, there was a legal problem, because a school cannot be responsible for such a project and there was nobody willing to help.
– The second group talked to the parental association of children with neoplastic illnesses called «Blink». They organized a day at school to inform all students about becoming bone marrow and platelet donors when they become adults. Also, they participated as volunteers in a downtown area to inform passers-by, distributing flyers and balloons about the topic.
– Another team made a record of all the schools and public buildings in the area in terms of their accessibility for people with mobility problems. They continue now with a collection of the dining and entertainment venues in the same framework. A meeting with the NGO «Action for something else», which deals with people with mobility problems, was arranged.
– The last team contacted the «Sierios» Center for the Prevention of Addictions and Promotion of Μental Health. They are to organize a group therapy workshop at school.
The Thessaloniki project is a perfect example of how different types of learning scenarios shape the NEMESIS model. As is seen, social innovation can address many fields and helps to put the students at the centre of education, developing their passion for social change.
Do you want to contact this school? Write to nickaman4[at]gmail.com