A modern Greek Odyssey- With an innovative program based on Homer’s epic, Chryse Hatzichristou is helping teachers help their students

By Rebecca A. Clay                                       

October 2016, Vol 47, No. 9

School children in Greece and more than a dozen other countries are traveling together on a virtual boat and taking a journey based on Homer's Odyssey. The students are retracing Odysseus's adventures, but with a twist: Each stop of the epic gets a socioemotional spin. On Calypso's island, participants learn how to cope with negative feelings instead of being held hostage by an enchantress. On the island of the lotus eaters, they learn to respect diversity. Other stops focus on building resilience and coping with stress and anxiety.

Called WeCARE, the program is among the efforts of psychologist Chryse "Sissy" Hatzichristou, PhD, to promote resilience in Greek children affected by their country's debt crunch.

In the wake of the world financial crisis in 2008, about a quarter of all Greeks are jobless, and household incomes have dropped dramatically. Schoolchildren have been especially hard hit, says Hatzichristou, a professor of school psychology at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. Teachers are reporting worse academic performance, more aggressive behavior and new interpersonal problems among students.

In response, Hatzichristou and her colleagues launched an initiative called Connecting for Caring to support teachers as they support schoolchildren. In 2011, they began training Athens-area school teachers on how to psychologically support children. Between 2012 and 2014, they trained teachers to promote resilience and a positive school environment.

The latest effort is WeCARE, which includes online teacher training as well as the classroom intervention based on the Odyssey. By bringing together an international network of teachers, psychologists and students, the program aims to support school communities during tough times, foster resilience and promote cross-cultural understanding and collaboration.

The approach is paying off. In a preliminary evaluation of the earlier programs, Hatzichristou and colleagues found improvements in social skills, stress levels, emotional management, behavior, cooperation, even learning. "Children felt better so they could concentrate more on schoolwork," says Hatzichristou.

Now she has her eye on another population of vulnerable children: the thousands from Syria, Afghanistan and beyond who are arriving in Greece. Hatzichristou is hoping to train teachers and personnel from nongovernmental organizations about the best way to address these children's psychological needs, whether they're in refugee camps or mainstream schools.

For further information visit the Connecting for Caring website: www.connecting4caring.gr/en.

Or email Chryse Hatzichristou:Αυτή η διεύθυνση ηλεκτρονικού ταχυδρομείου προστατεύεται από τους αυτοματισμούς αποστολέων ανεπιθύμητων μηνυμάτων. Χρειάζεται να ενεργοποιήσετε τη JavaScript για να μπορέσετε να τη δείτε.