The Hellenic Initiative Australia has announced a new grant to Desmos to support the innovative I Care & Act program, encouraging volunteering, solidarity and active citizenship among school children in Greece.

The Hellenic Initiative Australia will be contributing AU$30,000 to the “I Care & Act” (Nοιάζομαι και Δρω) national education program, which is implemented by the Desmos Non Profit Foundation and the Lambrakis Foundation.

More than 280 public schools in Greece have adopted the program into their curriculum, with more than 18,500 students participating this year.

Through I Care & Act, students are encouraged to discuss the community issues they care about and collectively create projects to take action in their local community.

I Care & Act includes original educational material developed for the program, with guides for in-class exercises. As well as the printed suite of educational materials, a range of free tools and materials is available for all through the program’s website www.noiazomaikaidrw.gr.

“The Hellenic Initiative Australia is pleased to be supporting this progressive program, which is helping to plant the seed of change in the new generation in Greece to become active and engaged citizens,” said Nicholas Pappas, President of The Hellenic Initiative Australia.

“Australia has a strong volunteering culture and last year we launched a Volunteering Program encouraging Australians to volunteer in Greece. I Care & Act is an impressive program that promotes the values of volunteering, solidarity and active citizenship in public education and has the potential to be applied to schools in Australia and beyond.”

Through sponsored educational visits, students actively participate in volunteer activities and experience “giving”, creating powerful synergies with local, national and international NGOs and community organisations. Examples of last year’s best projects can be found on the I Care & Act website (in Greek).

This week schools around Greece are participating in a week-long celebration of I Care & Act, with a range of volunteer activities and civic engagement initiatives taking place.

The Hellenic Initiative Australia is proud to be continuing its support for Desmos through this program. Since 2015, The Hellenic Initiative Australia has provided grants totalling AU$40,000 to support Desmos’ online giving platform, through which goods valued at more than €534.293 (AU$837,495) have been distributed.

“We are very honoured by the continuous support of The Hellenic Initiative Australia, which is instrumental to our vision to inspire giving in everyone,” said Ekavi Valleras, co-founder and director of Desmos Non-profit Foundation.

“Thanks to supporters such as The Hellenic Initiative Australia, through efficient and impactful projects and initiatives, Desmos has been able to create economic value – for every €1 donated to Desmos, another €9 is generated for Greece,” Ms Valleras said.