The Europe Challenge

The Local Challenge

The children’s library “Myrsini Zorba” is the main workspace of the Network for Children’s Rights (NCR). With a good collection of lendable materials, the library is located in an underprivileged area of Athens. The 54th Elementary School is close to the library and has a diverse group of students from countries including Egypt, Ukraine, Syria, Iran, Poland, Albania and Bangladesh. This challenge is designed to strengthen the love of reading and improve the reading ability and educational well-being of youngsters.  

The Initiative  

The students and teachers benefit from learning how a library works, how to re-organise it and what you can do with a library space. Teachers from the school have the opportunity to become trainers for the students, learning how to build a nice environment for them and exploring activities they can arrange in the library. The students also have the opportunity to buy books in their own languages. 

After The Europe Challenge

This proposal is transferrable for other schools, libraries, youth centres, and can be used by others facing similar challenges to approach the operation of libraries and books and bringing people closer to reading, critical thinking, teamwork and creating a nicer environment in classes. The Challenge team learnt that there is often a difficulty for children of migrant and refugee origin to access books and reading materials in their mother tongues. They have been very successful in connecting the community with the library as a place of social expression, exchange of views and communication. 

Contact theeuropechallenge@culturalfoundation.eu if you have any questions or want to be connected with the team behind the project.