During school year 2022-2023, the Sitia Self-Help Promotion Program conducted a series of action in collaboration with Municipal Schools of the Greater Sitia area, in the context of prevention of addictions and other psychosocial problems. The aim is to activate the school community to implement actions based on its needs, contributing to the improvement of the school climate and promoting active participation, inclusion and strengthening relationships between members of the school community.
Specifically, during the period March – May 2023, the existing cooperation with Sfakas Elementary School with the active participation of most of the school community. To start, a play day with the “Toys of the World” was organised in the schoolyard and some of them were selected to be built at the next meeting. At the same time, in cooperation with the Parents and Guardians Association, weekly information and discussion meetings were held on the phenomenon of addiction and the role of parents and the wider school community in the prevention of addictions and other psychosocial problems. Then, two days of participatory activities were held, for the construction of “Toys of the World” and the creation of murals in the school, with the contribution of students, parents and teachers.
Also, during the months of January to May 2023, a workshop on “Toys of the World” was organized and implemented at Palaikastro Elementary School, through weekly meetings, in collaboration with the 5th and 6th grades. Initially, the students and teachers of the two classes were introduced to the “Games of the World” by playing together in the school yard. Then, through democratic processes, they chose the toys to be built and a period of collective search and gathering of the necessary objects followed. Through weekly meetings and with the active participation of students, teachers and parents, the construction of four toys was completed, transforming objects that were not used until then into functional toys. Finally, some time later, a tournament was organised with the constructed “Toys of the World” and the participation of all the classes of the school, setting an example for the use of the games in future collective actions.
A similar action took place in May in cooperation with the 1st Primary School of Sitia. Specifically, students and teachers got to know and play with the “Toys of the World” through a performance in the school. Then, a participatory toy-making workshop was planned and implemented with the 4th and 5th grade classes to create the school’s toy library.
During the same period, in Municipal School of Long Gialos, a participatory dialogue on understanding the phenomenon of addiction and its prevention was held with the participation of the 5th and 6th grades. Then, through democratic processes, these classes planned together the implementation of collective action in the school, through the presentation of ideas and proposals based on their own needs, inviting the rest of the classes of the school. Thus, two action teams were formed, a kitchen team and a “Toys of the World” tournament organization team, which undertook the organization and implementation of the tournament, with the active participation of students and teachers.
We would like to thank the teachers, students, and parents of the Primary Schools of Sfakas, Paleokastro and Makry Gialos and the 1st Primary School of Sitia for their cooperation.
