11th Gymnasium of Larissa

11th High School of Larissa has about 150 pupils, aged from 13 till 15.

Our school tries to apply new techniques and activities that allow our students to participate actively in the learning process. To stimulate their interest we constantly look for new creative activities, to: a) make the lesson more attractive to teenagers and b) to mobilize them in values and attitudes required as future citizens and employees.

In particular, we materialize environmental, cultural and health programs, by students' working groups. We teach them drawing research projects through teamwork activities. Moreover we encourage our pupils to take part in events which are prepared by various bodies of Secondary Education.

We believe in the process of experiential learning so we organize Environmental Visits to Greek Environmental Education Centres and other educational visits to Greek organizations and institutions.

There is a great cultural heterogeneity in our school population. Our pupils are Greeks (majority), Roma (25%) and a lower percentage of migrants from Albania, Bulgaria, Romania, countries of former Soviet Union etc. Moreover, many Greeks migrate now due to the economic crisis and unemployment that plague the country. Therefore it is necessary the symbiosis despite the diversity and the rejection of xenophobic and racist attitudes.

Our school efforts try to mitigate discriminations arising from different cultures of students and to have a critical attitude towards such issues.  E.g. it has been included in projects prepared by the University of Thessaly in collaboration with the EU to fight illiteracy among Roma. It participates and implements regularly activities on respect to diversity and to address issues which grow by racist ideologies. Additionally it organizes with the pupils, activities on social offering. E.g. each year our school organizes a day where students exhibit some of their own works& sell them. Then they offer the money to some charitable foundations like "The smile of the Child" etc.

Our students speak English, French and German, participate with joy in all programs and activities materialized by our school, but they had never till now the opportunity to participate in the Comenius or similar European cooperation Programs with schools abroad or travel to other countries. It will be a precious experience for them, to host and be hosted by the peers from other countries.