Maritime Education for kids in Greece
By John Faraclas
You all know how allaboutshipping.co.uk is focusing to Maritime Education and Training to all intents and purposes from its inception as well as my personal involvement since 1978 to date in lecturing on this important issue in academias and universities all over Planet Ocean. As Greeks and students of so many Greek philosophers as well as great teachers of antiquity, such as Thoukidides who said: “Seamanship, just like anything else, is an art. It is not something that can be picked up and studied in one’s spare time; indeed, it allows no spare time for anything else” (1.142.6-9) Peloponnesian War. You get the message!
Now, thanks to a lean team led by a visionary woman that has achieved swift leaps ahead, gathering the support of a group of eighty pioneering ship owning and maritime services entities, plus teachers and ship captains, the amazing Adopt a Ship is ‘the’ maritime educational program in schools today and it is flourishing all over the Hellenic Republic!
The fact that it is gaining increased momentum in the Greek school system is no coincidence as it was planted 7 years ago by PROJECT CONNECT with strong foundations and fundamentals in mind.
Project Connect, an non-profit organisation, is a big-time facilitator with a revolutionary approach to filling the gaps between schools and the business community where shipping trade and commerce are concerned.
Irene Notias, the founder and director of Project Connect says, “Although Greek people all over the world are successful businesspersons and are shown as role models in their communities to the younger generation, surprisingly Greece’s youth is hardly exposed to commerce and trade, nor do they have professionals as role models. One can see the mixed-up priorities by the dress code and behaviors of children ages 12-16 and their social media posts. But these are the trends. Nevertheless, image is not as important as substance in shipping work to be truly successful. These children will be searching for jobs in a decade and PROJECT CONNECT shows them accomplished seagoing and shore captains, owners, managers and employees, and yes, teachers as role models. It encourages excellence and substance, not image. We help young people who want to be unique and live consciously, who are eager, and make an effort to achieve goals. That is why our soft skills game, and our work study programs are an essential part of our ON LINE CV PLATFORM screening process. We have a responsibility to connect quality candidates to the shipping companies HR Departments that are our members.”
The Hellenic Ministry of Education’s programs board has authorized Project Connect’s Adopt a Ship program for the sixth consecutive year to be in schools at all levels, nationwide. They consider Adopt a Ship to be one of the most organized programs inducted in the skills lab. This year it is in 37 classes of 23 nautical vocational schools (EPAL), besides in over 160 classes of primary and secondary schools in places like Florina and Trikala where the kids have no view of sea even.
Over 400 Greek school teachers see the value of the program and use it. They appreciate the abundance of material they can work with and how the pupils react positively, eagerly attending school in anticipation of receiving the captain’s response to their e-mail letter.
Dr Adamantia Spanaka, Project Connect Adopt a Ship Educators Consultant shares her concern, “it would be good that the Greek Shipping community learn that maritime is taught in schools due to over 400 school teachers nationwide have been actively engaged in Adopt a Ship for the last 6 years, at all levels, private and public schools, on a weekly basis, all school year long. This means about 14,000 pupils, and their families to date know about their Greek shipping heritage and life at sea, and the various vocations available to them because of their activity in Adopt a Ship. Exactly what the community has been asking for is here in this amazing program, even if it is in small numbers for now. It is here to stay, because we teachers want it permanently. It would be most appropriate if the shipping community embrace and support it and these children who are sure they want to pursue careers in this industry. ”
See Dr. Adamantia Spanaka’s Educator’s Consultant Assessment report school year 2022-23.
Adopt a Ship can be an effective branding tool for shipping, as the pupils’ parents and teachers’ children all know about the captains’ voyages and learn through their adventures about life at sea and the importance of key workers and how their goods arrive to their country.
Adopt a Ship transports maritime into schools, for the first time, in depth and with substantive information! Thanks to creator, Secretary General of Cyprus Marine Environment Protection Association Michael Ierides and Mr George Tsavliris, Chairperson, CYMEPA who have run it with Cyprus Chamber of Shipping for over 15 years.
This program is the only consistent, contemporary, and interactive way to learn about shipping, commerce & trade, ports, cultures, and more, from an early age, say the teachers who voluntarily enroll their class in October every year. The Greek shipping community is called to join Ms. Notias and her team who have planted it and now need more seeds to make it grow.
It is the solution to incubate seafarers. According to PROJECT CONNECT recent surveys, it makes grade school pupils want to be captains, engineers, and even cooks. Forty-nine (49%) pupils wish to become seafarers and 41% wish to join shipping at shore, out of 1700 pupils surveyed in schools year 2022-23.
Another plus, the EPAL students declare they are surer now that they made the right choice to follow a career in seafaring because of the Adopt a Ship program. They say that their AaS captains are showing them great support through sharing voyage experiences and encouragement consistently during school. These EPAL students will be the next generation captains and engineers the Greek community is concerned to advance.
To dispel any misunderstanding about how Adopt a Ship works, it is an internationally trademarked program where coordinators connect the vessel to a classroom, the kids, as a team, start the first letter in English, coordinators monitor the exchanges and trouble shoot. E-mail letters are exchanged on average bi-weekly between class and captains are committed to provide factual and practical information, throughout the entire school year which the teachers can expand on and conduct their various subjects. Crew loves it. They feel useful and it is a recreational activity as well.
PROJECT CONNECT is uniquely and strategically investing time and energy resources in maritime education for kids all over the Greek nation and in youth employability.
Ms. Notias asks “if we do not instruct the students now, under the ‘brain bank’ of shipping that is already getting ready to leave, what experiences will they draw from when trouble surfaces which it always does in shipping and in any business? Isn’t it better to prepare our youth now with skill sets: organizational, administrative, communications, besides the soft skills which let’s face it they seem to be deprived of? That is why PROJECT CONNECT “jump starts” careers by offering work experience during college that is necessary to land jobs upon the student’s graduation. We also created a 3D Virtual Shipping Company Tour so students who don’t have access to a shipping company can view one online and get a clear and concise understanding of all the various departments, roles and interaction.”
How can you help?
The Adopt a Ship scheme is obviously substantially making an impact on school children and shipping.
Currently there are about 120 vessels accommodating the adherence of 95 schools. It is expected that the classes will double next school season and therefore the Greek Shipowners are invited to become Members and enroll more vessels. Spread this good news to your colleagues and associations that maritime education is finally a lesson in schools for children.
SHARE THE VISION? Join PROJECT CONNECT
AND, remember: IT’s NOT THE ECONOMY STUPID, IT’S EDUCATION, EDUCATION, EDUCATION and being precise here: Maritime Education and Training from day one – (paraphrasing the famous presidential buzz phrase: It’s the Economy Stupid” (James Carville, a strategist in Bill Clinton’s presidential campaign against George H.W. Bush).-
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N.B. English is the language of shipping and same is being taught here; and the English language is a Greek Dialect.-
