It is with great pleasure, that we can officially announce that we have succeeded in our tireless mission over the past four years: As of the 2013/2014 academic school year, there will be a Modern Greek Program offered and taught at the University of Toronto St. George Campus!

The Centre for European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies (C.E.R.E.S.) at the Munk School of Global Affairs will be hosting a suite of Modern Greek courses. The courses will include Modern Greek language, modern history, modern politics, cultural studies, and eventually, a connection between the University of Toronto and an institution in Greece for an exchange or abroad program.

As of right now, the Faculty of Arts & Science has given the green light to C.E.R.E.S to develop a coherent Modern Greek Program that focuses on numerous contemporary subjects that fall under History, Politics, Culture, and Language. There is still a whole lot of work to do, however it looks like we will have a number of half credit courses introduced in U of T’s course calendar for the Spring semester of the 2013/2014 academic year.

The Greek Students’ Association has faced countless rejections, was told to give up, and told that we never had a chance. Today, our dream is now a reality.  I would like to thank all of you for always being there for the GSA through all of our events, signing the petition we distributed last year, and always believing in us.  I would also like to thank Professors Robert Austin and Randall Hansen from C.E.R.E.S. for working tirelessly with us since October and for never giving up on the initiative.

Aside from the numerous cultural, social, and academic events that we host on a monthly bases, the GSA has also worked alongside many individuals and organizations to finally bring the Modern Greek Program back to U of T. Most prominently, we would like to thank the Consulate General of Greece in Toronto, the Hon. Dimitris Azemopoulos and his entire office for sharing the same vision of success with us right from the beginning. We would also like to thank the Hellenic Heritage Foundation of Canada for also believing in our goals and initiating our movement for a Modern Greek Program by Event Sponsoring Toronto’s National Hellenic Students Association Spring 2012 Convention.

Our gratitude stretches further to many associations and organizations. The Greektown BIA, Signature Productions,  Pan Arcadian Association of Ontario, Pan Macedonian Association, Ellas News, the Greek Community of Toronto, restaurants and bakeries along the Danforth, the HFO, and many, many more generous Hellenic Canadian organizations and businesses that have supported all of our endeavours. And lastly, as mentioned in yesterdays’ statement, we also thank our student members who have believed in all of our initiatives from day one.

The GSA will be celebrating this momentous occasion on May 16th at our end of Year Banquet: the SEF Toronto Formal.

For SEF Toronto Formal tickets, please CLICK HERE

Panmessenian Federation of USA and Canada

Summer School in Kalamata for Greek Youth and Teachers (2013)

Announcement

 The Department of Humanities and Cultural Studies of the University of Peloponnese in Kalamata, the Panmessenian Federation of USA and Canada, the ATEI Kalamatas, the Prefecture of Peloponnese (Messenia), various municipalities and individuals and organizations organize for the eighth time a Greek summer school in Kalamata, from Monday, July 15 to Friday, August 9, 2013.  The school curriculum includes: Greek language, history, philosophy, culture and civilization.  The program also includes educational excursions in archaeological sites, as well as in various museums.

The purpose of the program is to enhance the Hellenic education and reinforce the Greek consciousness of our youth by providing an immersion experience in contemporary Greek culture in its native environment.

Applicants for the Summer School program in Kalamata are eligible for the program if they:

• are between 18 and 24 years old (born between 1989 and 1995)

(Students must be 18 years old by July 14, 2013)

• have completed at least five years of Hellenic school in the Diaspora or its equivalent by June 2013
• have some ability to understand and communicate in the Greek language

Students who participated in the program in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 are not eligible in 2013.  Priority will be given to students of Messenian descent.

Note to teachers:  Instruction in this Summer School Program is provided by University of Peloponnese professors.  Greek language teachers who participate in the program, in addition to being chaperons to the students, will also attend special seminars in teaching Greek as a second language. Classes are between 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. in the lecture theatre of the University of Peloponnese at Kalamata. Attendance in the Summer School program (including all excursions), accommodation, breakfast and lunch are offered free of charge (on school days) to all participants.  Air fare costs to Greece will be paid by the participants.

The deadline to submit your application is Friday, April 19, 2013

 For applications or for more information about the program please visit our website www.pan-messinian.com or contact

Theodore Tzalalis (Vice-President of the Federation and Coordinator of the Summer School program at 905-764-0342; theotzal@hotmail.com, Toronto)

The Hellenic Canadian Academic Association of Ontario (HCAAO) invites you and your guests to the annual HCAAO Get-together Dinner. This year, our Get-together Dinner is very special and wide open to the community, as it is dedicated to raising funds for humanitarian assistance to Greece. The net proceeds will be donated to the Greek chapter of the Doctors of the World (DoW).

It is well known that due to the economic crisis, thousands of people in Greece, including children, are increasingly in need of medical attention, which they are increasingly unable to get through normal channels. Naturally, this problem tends to be most acute in the large cities and most importantly in Athens. The DoW, among many other NGOs, are on the ground trying to help the best way they can. As demand for their services grows however, these organizations find themselves overstretched and increasingly in need for more financial support.

The Hellenic Canadian Academic Association of Ontario in partnership with the HHF Chair in Modern Greek History at York University present: “Between Catastrophe and Resistance: Greece and the Future of Europe”, a lecture by Dr. Costas Douzinas.  Costas Douzinas is Professor of Law and Director of the Birkbeck Institute for the Humanities, Birkbeck College, University of London. Costas has written extensively in legal and political philosophy, human rights, aesthetics, literature, art and critical theory.  His books have been translated in twelve languages.  This event has been made possible with the generous support of the Hellenic Heritage Foundation.

The office of the Consul General of Greece – Educational Affairs, in co-operation with the Hellenic Language Teachers of Ontario, the Office of Greek Education of the Metropolis of Toronto and the Department of Education of the Greek Community Toronto, cordially invite you to an academic evening on The Future of Hellenic Education in Canada:  Collective Challenges, Collective Actions. Guest Speakers include: Dr. Michalis Vitopoulos (Post Secondary Greek Language Education), Dr. Peter Pericles Trifonas (Language, Culture and the New Generation) and Themistoklis Aravossitas (Greek Heritage Language Education in the 21st Century). Discussion and reception will follow.