Summer School July 21-28, 2024

In the period from Sunday 21 to Sunday 28 July 2024, a Summer School for Teachers was held in Karpenisi with the participation of 90 Teachers of all 3 levels from all over Greece within the framework of the Erasmus+ program entitled “Mindful Nature” and code 2022-1-EL01 -KA220-SCH-000085458.

The aim of the Summer School was the realization of a small experiential School (considering Life itself as the big School) lasting a week with axes the connection with Nature and the practice of mindfulness.

The 4 main characteristics of an experiential school (in our personal opinion) are:

1. It is based on practice, on experience and not on theory. The Participants each day had the possibility to choose the program or route or activity they wanted, having the right not to follow any route or activity.
2. It is pleasant. In our life the main thing is to be able to find joy and happiness, therefore we cannot expect a school that is unpleasant to bring us closer to joy in the future. A taboo of education is that school can be pleasant, with a prevailing view that to be useful, it should be unpleasant.
3. We are encouraged to learn to give. When everyone tries to get more and more, it leads to total impoverishment, instead we have more when we give and share.
4. In an experiential school, the need to attend is not imposed by punishments, absences and degrees, but by wanting to take something unique to our heart.

The program included an experiential introduction to butterflies (Apollo program) from the Biodiversity Laboratory of the University of Ioannina, environmental visits and activities in the Palaio Mikro Chorio, Voutyro, the Small Museum of Education of Voutyro, the town of Karpenisi, the Center for History and Culture of Evrytania, in the Karpenisi Mountain Museum, in Tornos (Waterfalls trail and mikro Pantavrechei, Klimis Tsatsaragos gorge), in the Folklore Museum of Tornos, in Proussos Monastery, in the plane forest of Gorgianados, in Mavri Spilia, in Via Ferrata, in Kefalovryso, in Megalo Chorio, in Pantavrechei gorge, in Chryso, in Viniani, in Valaora, in the Eurytos climbing field, in Domnista, in Krikello, in Koryschades, in the Museum of National Resistance, to the Prophet Ilias Myriki, on the High Peak of Velouchi with additional afternoon/night activities learning modern and traditional dances, chess, artistic creation, round table on environmental issues, orientation in natural and artificial ways, stargazing, music, visit to Evrytania Carpinus microbrewery and other workshops and activities.

We thank the Municipality of Karpenisi and especially the Vice-Mayor Ms. Sveroni Christina and all the staff of the Student Center of Karpenisi, the University of Ioannina and especially the professor Ms. Kati Vassiliki, the Mountaineering Association of Agrafa and especially the President Mr. Davarinos Thomas, the Department of Forestry & Natural Environment Management of the Agricultural University of Athens (Karpenisi School) and especially Mrs. Lappa Vassiliki, Mantzari Elena and Professor Fotiadis Georgios, Mr. Antonopoulos Nikos and Konstantinos for the tour of the Carpinus microbrewery and all our Evrytania Partners for the support, as well as all the participating Educators and Attendants who as a whole got the best impressions from the Nature, the environment and the people of Evrytania.