From Europe to UNESCO: 2nd Primary School of Agios Nikolaos Creates Bridges of Innovation and Values

 This year, the 6th and 2nd-grade students as well as students of the Inclusion class of the 2nd Primary School of Agios Nikolaos successfully participated in the European eTwinning project “Joy all day, one smile away: Heart goals, skill(s) me for life.” Operating within a dynamic international network, our school collaborated closely with partners from Spain, Italy, Turkey, Poland, Romania, Czech Republic, Germany and Jordan to exchange best practices and promote global citizenship. This strong commitment to universal educational values led to a major institutional milestone this year: our school has officially applied to join the UNESCO Associated Schools Network (ASPnet).

Project Pillars & Core Objectives

The project seamlessly integrated Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) with the 17 UNESCO Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Students learned to identify emotions, set "heart goals," and cultivate essential 21st-century soft skills such as empathy, resilience, and collaborative leadership. Through philosophy for children workshops and initiatives students engage themselves to the traditional myths of each country. Mindful journaling, as well as mindful activities were  the grounbreaking essence of our innovative and  collaborative project. 

Community Synergy & Digital Innovation

Adopting a "Whole-School" approach, the initiative expanded deeply into the community through landmark collaborations:

  • Environmental Literacy: Rodanthi Museum in the village of Kritsa with Mr. George Afordakos engage students to the basics of Biodiversity of Crete and Planet Earth

  • Active Citizenship & Teamwork: Outdoor civic activities were carried out with the collaboration of the local Scouts Unit in charge with Mrs Bolonaki Georgia

  • Digital Literacy & Robotics: Utilizing the school's state-of-the-art Robotics Lab, and under school leadership of ICT teacher Mrs. Georgiadou Despoina and our school's Principal Mr. Mathioudakis Ioannis,  students enhanced their ICT skills. They engaged in hands-on internet safety and GDPR workshops via the SaferInternet4kids.gr framework, transforming from passive tech users into digitally responsible creators.

Through rigorous data evaluation (pre- and post-questionnaires) and a wide dissemination plan—including social media, local press features, and a dedicated blog—this eTwinning project achieved remarkable local and international visibility, proving that modern education knows no borders.


Our official school's blog: https://blogs.sch.gr/2dimagnilas/2026/06/23/ena-scholeio-gemato-chamogela-to-2o-dimotiko-agioy-nikolaoy-dimioyrgei-toys-energoys-polites-toy-ayrio/

Our activities in a glimpse: https://youtube.com/shorts/29Xmju3BCFk?si=au9NLYtjGCGGh_Vn

Our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/etwinningskillsforlife202526/?hl=en

Our local press article:  




















Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How to introduce journaling to young children - Benefits on SEL

Image
One of last year's  etwinning project  main activities in general, and especially for my students, was journaling. I can't wait to share with you all, students'  pages and opinions for this unique experience, as soon as schools open, with a video.  Meanwhile, let's look deeply in benefits journaling is carrying, since you and your students will apply it for our etwinning purposes this year.  Teaching  social emotional skills with a journal  is a foundational activity, not only because we teach our kids to be succesful, but also because students do better academically, as time passes throughout the school year.  If you've never engage yourselves and students in such learning, until now,  you must be aware that social emotional learning  belongs in schools , because it teaches students skills for the five essential competencies:    Research   shows  that  journaling  has multiple benefits, not only for adults,...
Read more

Warm welcoming to all members and guests - One smile away from the happy classroom

Image
  Welcome all to our new o ur eTwinning project, "Joy all day: one smile away - A Heart of Goals: Skills for life". This creation it is not just another project : it is a whole-school initiative designed to cultivate wellbeing and happiness as core educational outcomes for both students and teachers. By leveraging the transformative power of Mindfulness and Positive Affirmations, along with the principles of Philosophy for Children through storytelling, we aim to build robust Emotional Intelligence and essential 21st-century citizenship skills. Through practical activities and engaging challenges, our students will actively engage with key UN Global Goals, learning to apply sustainable practices and compassionate thinking in their daily lives. This project fosters a supportive, positive school environment and provides teachers with innovative tools to optimize the educational experience, creating a lasting culture of resilience and personal growth. You can engage yourself to ...
Read more
Image
İzmir Trade Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School, İzmir, Türkiye, Zehra P. Böge. We presented our project to our students. We discussed the monthly activities and shared ideas.
Read more