The NGO “Changing myself …I change the world”   is based in Volos Greece. The Organization is working with and for youth with and without disabilities

Our Organization is a member of National Consultation Group for Inclusion and Diversity in the context of the Erasmus+/Youth & European Solidarity Corps Programs National ERASMUS Agency in Athens Greece

Our multidisciplinary team is expert in

• Enabling youth with and without disability to manage the challenges they face strengthening their resilience motivating and empowering them in various educational, social, and developmental context
• Developing of training courses and workshops related to “Understanding education as a human right”, “What are violations of the right of education”, “What can we do to help realize the right to education”
• Socio-educational integration of young people with and without disabilities
• Developing the competences and skills of youth with and without disability on eco-inclusive entrepreneurship
• Supporting the activities of “Association of People with Disabilities MAGNEZIA ILIOTROPIA” now days ANEMONES which aims at the professional training and social inclusion of youngsters with cognitive disability. The Cooperative provides herbs, flowers, quality decorations, healing herbs, olives, olive oil and jam using different fruits and vegetables. The cooperative is in contact with various producers of eco-friendly vegetable and animal products The members of the cooperative provide recipes for traditional delicacies as well as explanations about their origin. All these delicacies are traditionally prepared by young people with and without disabilities guided by senior experts in the field. The members of the Cooperative in collaboration with the multidisciplinary team of our Organization carry out educational programs where primary school students are engaged in experiential actions that aim to raise awareness and mobilize the school community on disability , healthy habits and environmental issues
• Elaborating and implementing Experiential Learning Projects with special license from Ministry of Education in Greece (elaborating questionnaires under WHO guidelines, recording leisure activities and dietary habits of students in primary and secondary schools, recording them knowledge on ecological issues), assessing of the findings and proposing of interventions in an effort to promote a healthy life style and change of attitudes of students towards disabled and environment.
• Generating and elaborating  of educative material under WHO guidelines, concerning health/disability and environmental issues
• Elaborating and implementing National and European Health Promotion Programs for school community
• Promotion of physical and mental health in school communities.
• Organizing Awareness campaigns in schools teaching students about the 3 Rs (Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle) using fairy tales, true stories and examples of good practices from Greece and Europe
• Organizing online photo exhibition and drawings with students’ works related to environmental issues.
• Organizing of Awareness Campaigns in the school community through the presentation by students with and without disability of small theatrical scenes with strong healthy lifestyle and ecological messages
• Organizing of Anti-discrimination workshops concerning the educational and social inclusion of children/people with any kind of disability
• Creating , equipping and operating Daily Care Centers and Productive Centers for Youngsters with Disability
• Arranging and appropriately equipping therapeutic rooms.
• Using the necessary educational equipment for training disabled youth
• Recording and assessing of handicapped children’s and their family’s socio-medical needs, using standardized questionnaires and interviewing each family.
• Scheduling and elaborating personal intervention programs based on the recorded needs of the child and family.
• Training of the personnel working with the handicapped (children/adults) in order to acquire a holistic approach in each case and thus improve quality of the service.
• Training youth Volunteers on disability, inclusion and environment issues.
• Designing and providing models of good practices (in the form of seminars, educational material, sensitization events and workshops, personnel and volunteers training etc) which can be used in total or partially by any interested member in favor of the support development of intercultural competences of children and adults, educational partnerships, inter-institutional communication and community involvement in social inclusion
• Co-operating with all relevant bodies in order to provide more chances for youngsters belonging to vulnerable groups towards social inclusion, either by organizing relevant researches and thus designing and implementing appropriate programmers, or by empowering and supporting the youth themselves to cooperate with any appropriate bodies to claim their autonomy, integration in educational, social and professional community.
• Organizing cultural, sport and social activities with the participation of youth with and without disabilities, migrants, minorities in order to promote social cohesion, integration and intercultural dialogue.
• Enabling teachers, youth workers, parents, volunteers to apply innovative, accessible, modern, alternative, effective methods which will help youth with and without disabilities to develop  communication and social skills necessary for their integration
• Organizing and implementing outdoor/leisure activities aiming at strengthening the physical, psychological, and cognitive capacities of young people with and without disabilities.

Our Organization is actively co-operating with the

• Commercial Handcrafts Association of Mentally Disabled “ILIOTROPIA” -Volos, Greece now days “Association of People with Disabilities MAGNESIA ANEMONES
• Voluntary Team “Volunesia”

Association for the Visually Impaired in Magnesia “MAGNITES TIFLI” – Volos, Greece,

• Enterprise for the Promotion of Health and Education in children and adolescents “EFYKE” – Volos, Greece,
• Association for the motor impairment “IPPOKAMPOS” – Prefecture of Magnesia, Volos, Greece
• Association of Parents and Guardians of Primary and Secondary schools
• Educational Department of the Municipality of Volos (our partner in implementation of project regarding health promotion and education in special schools for children/youth with multiple disabilities )

The multidisciplinary team of our organization is composed of 2 doctors (GP), a pediatrician, 2 teachers, 1  psychologists, a sociologist ,a social worker experts in designing , elaboration and implementation of Experiential Learning Projects in school community (with special license from Ministry of Education in Greece )aiming to develop the healthy habits of students and a firm ecological mindset in order to overcome today’s environmental challenges with a proactive attitude and a strong commitment, 1facilitator , 1 teacher and 1 trainer experts in designing, elaboration and implementation of projects on environmental issues  in school community, in designing and implementation of training courses for teachers/parents on environmental issues in general and Sea/Ocean protection in special,  a lawyer (specialized in human rights education) 2  trainers experts in developing training, coaching and mentoring for youth eco- entrepreneurs programs ,  a dog trainer expert in training dogs for children/youngsters/people with disability,2 teachers of physical education and sports for mixed ability groups , a  dance teacher specializing in I Dance and Dance Disability Style, 1 dance instructor  experts in working with mixed ability youngsters , and 2  youth workers trained to support and empower young people to deal with challenges they face, and strengthen their resilience accordingly,

Our multidisciplinary team is expert in creating innovative educational tools and educational material using formal and non-formal methodologies.  We have experience in implementing the “leaning through movement”, Learning through senses”,  “learning through games -be active, learn, have fun ”  “learning through the arts “methodologies, “project based learning”  activities always using evidence based practices (backed up from research and data about the students’ s needs and community needs),  good practices to create a robust partnership with parents, teachers (so that teachers and school leaders understand the cultural differences between a student’s home life and school experience),  a large expertize in working with mixed ability groups of  young people, in designing and elaboration of training kits  on health environmental issues

Our staff participated in multiple international projects as beneficiaries of training, project partners, and collaborations at European or worldwide level.

Our NGO

• Organizes in collaboration  with Scientific Society of Health Care and Education 11 PanHellenic Pediatric Conferences  under the auspices of the 5th Department  of Health of Thessaly and Central Greece, the General Hospital of Volos, the PanHellenic Medical Association, the Medical Association of Magnesia, the Hellenic Pediatric Society with about 200 participants /per year aiming at training of doctors/medical sisters/ social workers /youth workers/parents caregivers on medical/care social and environmental issues
• Is a the Founder of the first established in Volos, “Social Dance Academy for vulnerable groups” (children / young people from socially disadvantaged families, young orphans, children with disabilities) The young people after their training participate in volunteer activities, cultural and artistic activities, in the implementation of theatre scenes with strong messages about the importance of a healthy lifestyle, about the serious consequences of alcohol and smoking, in sports activities.