winner in the nomination
«Education Community Leader»
Maria Paraponiari
Teacher of Greek as a foreign language

Philadelphia, United States
I have developed a Greek learning course and a cultural immersion program for children who are native English speakers. My program doesn’t just include a textbook but also songs and videos. I combine music, activities, and exercises so that the learning process is interesting and entertaining. Three years ago, I set up a Greek choir, which I lead to this day. Kids learn and perform Greek songs at different events. This is how they develop language and cognitive skills, as well as their memory.

There are 2,000 students in my community. The interactive form of education helps me form a positive attitude towards other cultures among kids in a multilingual, international space.