Educational program: “Exploring the hill of Lycabettus”

On March 30, the first step was taken in a plan that had started before the appearance of Covid-19 in our lives.

That is the educational program: “Exploring the hill of Lycabettus” that we developed, in collaboration with teachers, through which we aim to bring children into contact with the natural environment, using experiential and interactive activities.

The general objective of this educational scenario is to offer students opportunities to acquire knowledge and develop skills, values and mindsets that will allow them to observe, describe and interpret the natural environment, as well as its relationship with the anthropogenic, through the hike.

In addition, one of the main objectives is to cultivate the perception that hiking is not just a physical exercise, but also an opportunity for meaningful contact with their surrounding nature and culture. With this activity, the children get to know and walk along some of the already existing walking routes of their city and explore their special characteristics.

Also, the children will learn what a trail is, where we find trails and what the degree of difficulty of a trail depends on. What is a hiker’s gear and why is it necessary. What is the language used by hikers, through the signs they use, and how this language transcends the borders of countries, since from a common code of signs, people who speak different languages can understand the route of a trail.

So, on the morning of Thursday, March 30, the children of the 1st Primary School of Neo Psychiko walked a circular route on the hill, which they mapped, took photos and noted its points of interest.

They learned to distinguish the marking of the paths and the reasons why its presence is necessary.

At the same time they explored nature, noticed its contrast with the city, wondered about human intervention and heard about the history of the area.

They understood that hiking is not only walking, but contact and love with the nature that surrounds us!

Of course, along with the children,  their teachers also enjoyed the trip! After all, hiking is a “sport”, truly for everyone.

We hope that these kinds of experiences will follow the children as they grow up, and will be the trigger for their own journey on the paths of the world.