Week#1
The first week is about discovering Greece in general, and Thessaloniki and the American Farm School in particular. Getting to know the group, touring the campus, exploring the city, learning and producing the AFS specialities such as wine, butter and yoghurt, are some of the things the students actively are participating during the first few days.
Then, we end the week with visiting the Home of Greek Gods, Mount Olympus. With a 2-day trek to one of the mountain camps, this always creates a great chance for the group to bond and have a great time!
Week#2
After the adventurous mountain climb, we’ll be heading to a village outside Thessaloniki for a ten-day stay. There we will begin our service project and an experience of the real, rural Greek environment. The students will lead an English language camp for the elementary students for five days at a local elementary school, as well as take part in different culture exchange activities with the local community.Week#3
We’re now in the middle of the village-stay, where the English language camp usually is the highlight of the week for many of our participants, with many of the local boys and girls joining them during the day at camp. Besides the English language camp, we also visit the surroundings such as tea farms, historical sites, towns and villages, before saying our final goodbyes and depart to Thessaloniki. Once back on campus, we’re going on more excursions such as a one-day trip to Meteora to see the beautiful monasteries atop cliffs, and to Vergina where we tour Phillip II’s grave site and tomb.Week#4
The final week of Greek Summer is packed with activities. We’ll be heading to Sporades on a five-day sailing trip where we explore the magic of the islands. After five days on the boat, we head to Athens for sightseeing and a deep dive into history! We tour the Panathenaic stadium, the Parthenon, the Acropolis museum, and the old neighborhood of Plaka in order to fully discover the ancient and modern Athens. This is also where we part ways, after four unforgettable weeks of the Greek Summer!
The AFS Greek Summer 2021
The School
Founded in 1904, the American Farm School of Thessaloniki, Greece, applies its hallmark Learn by Doing approach to educate students of all ages toward responsible stewardship in the areas of agriculture, food systems, the environment and other life sciences related to our sustainable future. Greek Summer has been offered to U.S. and international high school students since 1970.
Home-stay and Service-learning
In the past, a keystone of Greek Summer has been the period in which our students have stayed with a village family in their home. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it is unclear at this point whether our students will stay with a family or in some other kind of lodging while in the village.
Greek Summer helps students develop their cross-cultural skills, empathy and confidence to learn and thrive in new environments. A particularly meaningful part of the program is the family stay in a traditional Greek village where students spend days exploring village life, conducting community service projects and developing relationships with their Greek families and villagers that can last a lifetime. While changing the lives of their hosts, they change their own lives and perceptions – making this summer more than a simple vacation.Discovering Greece
We are in Greece so experiences extend beyond the farm and village to engage in the rich culture and history that surrounds them. Students summit Mount Olympus and sail the Aegean to visit sites and people on some of the most beautiful islands in Greece. Their time in Greece fittingly closes with bicycling around Athens in the shadow of the Acropolis. This experience is like no other: Greek Summer will give students something to remember and share with friends, family – and colleges.
Our Staff
Staff are committed educators focused on providing compelling learning experiences. They help participants reflect on and process those experiences to deepen personal growth. Their in-country experience and training ensure that participants’ health and safety are top priorities. Our past participants have viewed their time in the program as life changing and cherish memories and relationships developed with other participants and with their Greek families.
JASON PAPADOPOULOSGreat Neck, NY, GS'11
"Greek Summer is one of the greatest experiences I have ever had."
ANTHEA LEWISNEW YORK, NY, GS'10
"Greek Summer gave me moments I will keep with me always."
LUCAS ATHANSSIADISAgoura Hills, CA, GS'11
"Greek Summer was - without out a doubt - the best six weeks of my entire life."