The Shapiro Foundation grants 18 full-time scholarships to The HOME Project children
The Shapiro Foundation grants 18 full-time scholarships to The HOME Project for lone refugee children to realize their educational goals as they are embraced by ACS Athens, a premier educational institution
Athens, June 6, 2019: The HOME Project (www.homeproject.org), a nonprofit organization that offers shelter and work for children and young refugees in Greece has announced, for yet another year, the granting of 18 full-time scholarships for the American Community School (ACS Athens) during the academic year 2019-2020.
These scholarships were made possible by the support of the Shapiro Foundation (www.theshapirofoundation.org), which was founded in 2001 to support refugees. The Foundation is a close partner and valuable supporter of The HOME Project. This will be the second year in a row that these scholarships will be made available to the refugee students. Moreover, the Foundation has also funded the creation of an additional shelter for unaccompanied girls and minor mothers with their babies.
ACS Athens provides the educational context and content, making it possible for this educational opportunity to manifest. The ACS Athens and The HOME Project have developed a meaningful partnership since 2016 through the Youth to Youth Educational and Social Inclusion Program. The program fosters meaningful educational experiences and promotes social inclusion addressing the educational and social needs of unaccompanied minors in Athens through a student to student partnership learning model. Through their Greek and English language classes, computers, music and art classes as well as through athletic activities, the children of the The HOME Project bond with the ACS Athens students creating a unique caring learning community.
Sofia Kouvelaki, CEO of The HOME Project, said: “We would like to express our deepest gratitude for the valuable support of our work by the Shapiro Foundation that enables us to provide a holistic network of child protection services to unaccompanied children, with education being the cornerstone of equal opportunities and social inclusion. We are also grateful for our partnership with ACS Athens who together with The Shapiro Foundation cooperate for the benefit of the children we care for”.
Ed Shapiro, Trustee for The Shapiro Foundation added: “My family is honored to continue to support The HOME Project-ACS Athens scholarship program. We have been encouraged to hear about the progress of the students this year and excited to create an opportunity for their continuing education, as well as slots for new HOME Project students to enter the program next year”.
Dr. Stefanos Gialamas, President of ACS Athens, noted: “Today more than ever, academic institutions must prepare students to transform society as architects of their own learning, guided by ethos”.
The HOME Project continues to seek sponsorships and support to help combat the refugee crisis, which is the largest global humanitarian disaster since the Second World War. According to official data (National Center of Social Solidarity, May 15th, 2019) more than 1,920 unaccompanied minors remain outside a system of protection, living in the streets, police stations, detention centers and camps.
All donations received by The HOME Project directly benefit child refugees by helping them to be safe, to have access to food and clothing, to have a home, and to be integrated into society. All donations are gratefully received by The HOME Project that looks to make an immediate, positive and lasting impact on the lives of unaccompanied minors and all those affected by the refugee crisis.
CONNECT:
Facebook: The HOME Project | Twitter: @HomeProjectOrg | Instagram: HomeProjectOrg
GET INVOLVED:
www.homeproject.org/en/get-involved/
For more information, please contact:
Maria Nomikou| +30 216-809-9152 | [email protected]
Notes to Editors
The HOME Project
The HOME Project’s mission is threefold. First, to bring unaccompanied minors to safety in dedicated shelters offering a holistic network of child protection services which include food, shelter, material, medical provision, social, legal and mental health support. Second, to create jobs for refugees and Greeks. Third to add value to the local economy by sourcing, refurbishing, and converting unused buildings into shelters, bringing them back to life and into good use. In two years, The HOME Project has supported more than 380 children and has created 130 new jobs.
The Shapiro Foundation
The Shapiro Foundation, founded by Barbara and Ed Shapiro in 2000, is focused on improving the lives of the world’s most vulnerable populations. The foundation’s primary focus is on children, refugees, and immigrants, as well as education, global health, and humanitarian aid. Support is provided for organizations in Boston and throughout the US, as well as Canada, Israel, Greece, Rwanda, and Bangladesh.
ACS Athens
ACS Athens is a student-centered international school, embracing American educational philosophy, principles and values.
Through excellence in teaching and diverse educational experiences, ACS Athens challenges all students to realize their unique potential: academically, intellectually, socially and ethically — to thrive as responsible global citizens.