The AHEPAN - Summer 2009 - (Page 14)

educAtioN Journey to Greece Concludes Fourth Successful Year National Hellenic Society Grant Expands Curriculum The AHEPA Journey to Greece Program successfully completed its fourth year since being re-launched in 2006 under the direction of Past Supreme President Dr. James F. Dimitriou. Once again, AHEPA teamed with the University of Indianapolis-Athens campus to offer two sessions, July 5 to 18, and July 19 to August 12. Both sessions were booked to capacity. A total of 70 students from 14 states and Canada, representing 37 universities, participated. This year’s program expanded to include additional venues for learning thanks to a generous $13,000 grant provided by the National Hellenic Society. The grant allowed students to visit the Ecumenical Patriarchate, where the students had an audience with His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I; Thessaloniki, Meteora, Vergenia, and Sounion. “We are thrilled and grateful to the National Hellenic Society for its kind sponsorship of the AHEPA Journey to Greece Program,” said Supreme President Nicholas A. Karacostas. “The grant is a testament to the program’s credibility and ability to provide young scholars with fully transferable college credits while gaining the experience of lifetime abroad. It is also an excellent example of collaboration within the American Hellenic community to benefit the youth.” “The National Hellenic Society’s collaboration with AHEPA serves as a blueprint for Greek American organizations working together to achieve common objectives benefitting the next generation,” wrote Fanis Economidis, chair, NHS’s Program Committee, to Journey to Greece Program Director Dr. Dimitriou. The program provides the opportunity to take classes from a fully accredited American university with units fully transferable to their local institutions. For example, Modern Greek Society and Culture was offered to students of Session 1, which allowed them to study at famous archeological sites. Session 2 students were able to take two courses, choosing from Greek Language Level I or II; Ancient Greek Plays; the History of Greek Orthodoxy; and the European Union and Greek Foreign Policy. Each course is three semester units of credit and students attend class a total of four hours daily. In addition, distinguished guest speakers compliment the coursework. They included: U.S. Ambassador to Greece Daniel V. Speckhard; His Beatitude Hieronymos II, Archbishop of Athens and All Greece; Dan Chronopoulos, the Development Director of the IOCC; the Exarch of the Patriarch of Jerusalem; Professor Alkis Raftis, the President of the Dora Stratou Theater and UNESCO director of dance. In four years, JTG has more than 270 alumni from 52 universities representing 27 states and Canada. The continued success of the program is evidenced by the number of returning students, relatives and friends of previous participants who enroll. Under the sponsorship of the AHEPA Educational Foundation, the Journey strives to present unique opportunities for our youth. This year the AEF offered 11 scholarships to students and assistance to two student RAs. In addition, AHEPA Canada, and Districts 5 and 12, offer full scholarships annually. Moreover, Hellenext generously sponsors one student intern for both sessions. Many chapters also provide scholarship assistance to their students. This year, 28 students received a minimum $500 scholarship. “The success of the program is due to organizations such as the AHEPA Educational This year’s Journey to Greece Program had the opportunity to have an audience with His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I thanks to a grant provided by the National Hellenic Society. the ahepan Summer 2009 www.ahepa.org http://www.ahepa.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The AHEPAN - Summer 2009

The AHEPAN - Summer 2009
Contents
Supreme President’s Message
AHEPA Family News
AHEPA Goes Green
One Mission. . .One Fraternity. . .One AHEPA
AHEPA Answers the Call to Public Service
Education
Housing
Athletics
AHEPA Family Chapter News
Book Review

The AHEPAN - Summer 2009