Imagine living in a rural area of Greece, predominantly agricultural and touristic, and being offered the same opportunities for personal and professional development as people in urban areas. Imagine you are a student being able to make informed decisions about your career using high quality psychometric tests. Imagine being a first-generation immigrant attending school as a mere “observant” and being able to have Greek language lessons for free.

Poros and Galatas-Methena areas, Southern Greece (apx. 11,000 inhabitants)

On the one hand, youth in rural areas are often faced with a lack of opportunities for personal and professional growth, leading rural areas to overdependence on very few economic activities, such as agriculture and tourism. This is not sustainable, as was poignantly manifested by the Covid-19 lockdown. Because of the lack of learning opportunities, the local area is also lacking alternative, more sustainable forms of tourism, leading to a depletion of its natural resources.

On the other hand, first-generation immigrant youth is further disadvantaged by the fact that they are left alone to navigate the treacherous waters of the Greek educational system, that incorporates them into classrooms as “observants”, not offering them a chance for real integration.

1. Local students aged 14-18 who need to create a comprehensive image of themselves and choose the academic and professional direction suitable to them.
2. Local youth who want to change their career path and pursue a profession that suits them best, in the context of sustainable development.
3. Underprivileged groups, such as immigrants, unemployed people and women, who in rural areas many times are less empowered than in cities.
4. The local population in general, who will benefit immensely by a decrease in brain drain and an increase in professional alternatives. Also, the local environment, by a turn to more sustainable economy.
5. Youth in rural areas in Greece and Europe generally, by exchange of good practices and the creation of material downloadable or watchable for free.

Our idea is a multi-faceted program, encompassing on the one hand career guidance, mentoring, coaching and skill-building, and on the other the development of educational resources:
 Career orientation based on the use of psychometric tools.
 Coaching.
 Mentoring:
- Local mentors.
• Inspirational videos and interviews.
• Mentor-mentee pairings.
- Greek mentors in Greece and abroad.
• Conference calls in collaboration with Tipping Point in Education.
• Inspirational videos.
- International mentors, through platforms like Masterclass.
 Workshops and development of resources for practical skills.
 Non formal education workshops and development of resources for soft employability skills
 Business Library

The project will empower local youth to achieve their maximum personal and professional development.
Career orientation and coaching will create self-awareness to youth giving them the opportunity to make informed life and career decisions.
Youth need role models and experienced advice to help them understand how the adult world works and even prevent them from falling into potential pitfalls. This is achieved through mentoring.
Self-awareness and role models are the basis on which skill-building can take place, through workshops and educational material developed within the framework of the program.
The resources (educational material for practical and soft skills and business library) will enable the widespread impact of the project and will ensure its long-term viability.

Democracy and active citizenship entail critical thinking, active listening, empathy, respect for yourself and the others. These are qualities and skills that the program aims to promote and cultivate among youth. Apart from the necessary qualities and skills, through self-awareness, one realizes how important individual values are to decision-making in all aspects of one’s life.

The program promotes active citizenship by cultivating a mentality of volunteerism in the local area. Furthermore, the Greek language lessons offered to immigrant students by volunteers strengthen democracy and equity by contributing to their smoother integration into the school and wider local community.

Katheti's stated mission is to galvanize the deep expertise and creativity already resident in the local community and to provide the additional resources that encourage sustainable growth. We support local artisans and entrepreneurs, students preparing for their futures, and all those who seek to expand their horizons, learn new skills, share knowledge, and celebrate the richness of our culture.

Katheti, since the beginning of its operations, has strived to offer the local community opportunities for personal and professional development, with programs like Crash Smallville, Greek language lessons for immigrants, School of Educators, Gyroskopio, programming lessons, and lately the Life & Career program.

Salaries: €15600 (1 Project Manager & 1 personnel: €1300 per month x12 months)
Educational outputs: €10000 (educational material, workshops)
Service providers: €12000 [Tipping Point in Education: €3000 (€250 per month x 12 months); psychometric tests: €5,000 (€50 per test x 100 youth); graphic designer: €2000, trainers: €2000]
Travel and accommodation for trainers: €1000
Consumables and administrative costs: €2000
Dissemination: €6000 (2 PR events, leaflets, posters, social media boosting)

We would like to have the feedback of the community, especially of rural organizations, on the communication aspect. How do you reach out to youth who are not used to innovative ways of making life and career decisions? How do you change mentalities in a sense?