A few words about the workshop
Its name is the “Creative Workshop”. It is a literally model daycare, located in the courtyard of Agia Triada Church of Stavrodromi, at the central Taksim square of Istanbul. It accommodates children aged two to four years old, coming from different cultural environments. They are children of members of the Greek-Rum Community, Greeks, Arab-Orthodox Christians and of many mixed marriages. The number of children can be up to thirty.
The Creative Workshop offers programmes of bilingualism, museum education, environmental education, cooking, natural sciences, psychomotor activities, visits and field actions, anniversary religious celebrations (practising customs and traditions) and trips. Toddlers are prepared in order to acquire both basic Greek language skills and socialisation skills, to better adapt in primary education. Attendance at the Creative Workshop is necessary and a prerequisite for all children who will attend Greek-Rum Community education.
The Creative Workshop launched its operation in 2007 at the ecclesiastic hall of the Community of Megalo Revma. As of 2010 onwards, it is accommodated in communal areas of the Greek Orthodox Community of Stavrodromi. In terms of finance and technical infrastructure, it is mainly supported by the Greek Orthodox Community of Stavrodromi, the Rumvader Association for the Support of Greek Community Foundation, the Ecumenical Federation of Constantinopolitans (EFECON) and the Greek Consulate in Istanbul. It also enjoys the complete moral support of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
The educational and support staff are specialised and highly experienced in minority education. Furthermore, the Creative Workshop cooperates with a Istanbul-based Greek psychologist on matters relating to learning and other difficulties. From time to time, it hosts speakers, that prepare appropriate work plans for modules, such as music, arts, natural sciences etc. Moreover, the Creative Workshop collaborates with pre-school education institutions in Greece. Young pupils enjoy on-line communication and teachers from Greece participate in celebration activities.
The education level represented by the daycare centre (Creative Workshop of Agia Triada) is important, unique and effective in Greek-Rum Community education, while it sets the foundation and is a true nursery for pupils. The preservation and continuation of its operation guarantees the qualitative and quantitative upgrading of the educational institutions of the Greek-Rum Community.
It would be no exaggeration to say that a miracle takes place at the Creative Workshop. In the various events held, the tiny pupils and their teachers present a programme of music, poems, painting and other activities.
