Athens is home to a significant number of unaccompanied refugee children who have fled conflict and persecution, often after experiencing family separation, trauma and interrupted or missing schooling. For younger children in particular, educational support and opportunities to build social connections are critical to their wellbeing, healthy development and future prospects.
Many children arrive at their shelter with little or no prior schooling and find it hard to adapt to an unfamiliar environment. Even once they are enrolled in school, the public education system is rarely able to give them the individualised support they need to build academic, language and social skills from scratch.
The project
The project adds a dedicated educator, who works alongside an existing one to give each child individualised support tailored to their needs. Acting as a bridge between the children, their schools and the wider community, the educator coordinates with teachers, supports language learning, and opens access to extracurricular and integration activities.
Each child follows their own path, shaped by an individual plan that brings together educational, social and practical support. The children attend a range of public, intercultural and private schools, reflecting how different their needs and starting points are, and the aim throughout is to help each of them grow the tools, confidence and social connections to become an active, independent member of their new community.
Who the project is for
The project's direct beneficiaries are 14 unaccompanied refugee children, boys and girls aged 4 to 12, living in one of The HOME Project's shelters in Athens.
By strengthening their language skills, academic engagement and integration, the project also has a wider effect: helping these children overcome barriers to inclusion and build the meaningful social connections and future opportunities that come with feeling truly settled in their new environment.
Project name: Additional education and integration support for unaccompanied refugee minors aged 4-12 years old
Proposing organisation: The HOME Project
Area of intervention: Inclusion & Social Development
Country: Greece