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Living the English Language.

Dates.

December 2022 to December 2024

End of the project.

31st May 2025

Service Type.

Education

Funded by.

Educational Opportunity Foundation and extended fund by Humanity Now and ForRefugees

Education is never a matter of teaching one objective “truth”; it is a matter of assisting people arrive at their own personal constructions of reality.

The Living the English Language programme aims to raise awareness among young people about the significance of education in establishing a strong foundation for their lives, the employment prospects it creates, as well as the opportunity for a smoother integration process. The programme was initiated in December 2022, funded until December 2024, and will support approximately 120 young individuals between the ages of 16 and 25 through daily classes per level and additional learning support during Library Time.

The project is delivered by the Velos Youth team, with the involvement of Doris Dimopoulos, a Greek/Canadian English educator who serves as the project leader. Doris designs and delivers direct lessons for young people as part of Velos Youth’s comprehensive services. This includes an 80-hour English course provided within the project, followed by a certificate of attendance upon completion. Furthermore, participants receive preparation and training for official and internationally recognized language certifications, such as those offered by the University of Michigan (USA). Additionally, a monthly day-out is organized to allow practice of learned concepts in real-life situations and themes covered in the classroom.

Our objective is to support young individuals in pursuing further educational and training opportunities, securing jobs that utilize English as a lingua franca, and enhancing their self-esteem and self-worth, thereby fostering a greater sense of belonging in their chosen country.

Project Material.

Case Study.

Nicol, originally from Cameroon, arrived at Velos Youth in September 2022 seeking assistance with various matters, including housing, employment, and legal support. At that time, English lessons were being provided twice a week on a voluntary basis by the team’s educator since the Living the English Language program had not yet received funding. Nicol, the sole female young person (YP) at Velos Youth during that period, expressed her interest in attending the classes.

Following an initial assessment test, Nicol’s English proficiency was determined to be at a B1 level, with areas such as writing, grammar, and vocabulary requiring improvement due to French being her native language. Once she began participating in lessons, although initially reserved, Nicol consistently displayed rapid progress.

In October 2022, the Livelihoods Officer (LO) assisted Nicol in developing her curriculum vitae (CV), learning how to search for jobs online, preparing for future job interviews, and becoming familiar with labor rights and the Greek labor market. Nicol also attended seminars organized by Generation 2.0 on babysitting and received training from the Odyssea NGO on hard skills. A month later, she secured a farming job without a contract, which she decided to accept for a limited period to cover her daily living expenses and gain work experience. Consequently, her education was temporarily put on hold.

Upon her return in late December, the Living the English Language program had secured funding, enabling Velos Youth to provide even greater support for YP education. Nicol was informed about the opportunity to receive training and preparation for the BCCE Michigan (U.S.A) University’s official and internationally recognized language certificate. In addition, she was offered an 80-hour English course, followed by a certificate of attendance. Nicol immediately expressed her desire to register for both programs and, over the next six months, admirably managed to balance work—she is now employed in Athens—and education, achieving the required scores to pass the examination scheduled for June 17th, 2023.

Today, Nicol takes great pride in her accomplishments. She has already completed the 80-hour English course and feels a strong sense of camaraderie with her male peers and classmates, who have become her friends.

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Location.

Tzortz 26, 126 82
Athens
7th floor

Contact.

info@velosyouth.org
(+30) 2108256749
(+30) 211 118 1966
Γ.Ε.ΜΗ. 142494001000
Article of Association 2023

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Social.

© 2023 Velos Youth. All rights reserved
Developed by loud

© 2023 Velos Youth. All rights reserved

Developed by loud

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Support to find a job & develop a career

Do you want to create your CV and start looking for a job? 

Don’t forget that for getting hired for the first time you will need some documents (Tax Number (AFM), Social Security Number (AMKA), bank account, Insured Person Registration Number (EFKA)), at Velos we can support you to issue them. 

Do you already have a job but you are facing some challenges, in Velos Youth we can discuss how you could better deal with them. 

Are you thinking of your next professional steps? Here is the place to discuss your ideas and goals for your career development and explore ways to achieve them. Together, we can find vocational training and other educational opportunities to improve your professional skills.

If you are interested, you can book an appointment on-line or in Velos Youth space.

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Something else

If you need support in any of the ways not listed you can still contact us for assistance. We may still be able to provide you with support, guidance or information you need, or we may be able to help you find this somewhere else. Velos is part of a large network of organisations and groups that work collectively to try to meet the various needs of young people in Athens. 

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Social space

Velos Youth is a place in the centre of Athens where young people between the ages of 16 and 25 can come and feel safe and supported. We have an open-door policy, which means anyone within this age range is welcome to come in. In our space, you can come and connect with others, make yourself a drink, have lunch, play board or PlayStation games, visit our library to read a book or to find a quiet place to do your homework and have access to WiFi and laptops. You can also join our workshops and activities that give an opportunity to learn something new, or develop a new skill. Check out our monthly program for more information on what is coming up.

We also provide facilities for showering and laundry, and specialised support in areas such as mental health, housing, legal aid, education, and employability. You can find more information about these on the other service pages.

Social service

The Social Service provided by Velos Youth can help you address a wide range of needs and challenges related to your social integration, emotional well-being, education, and overall development.

Specifically, we provide individual one-to-one casework for young refugees and asylum seekers. This involves conducting initial registrations, accommodation applications, and making internal and external referrals to the support and services you may need. We can also assist with legal asylum procedures, health related matters, and address basic needs by providing clothing and other essential items. Additionally, we can conduct a best interest assessment (BIA) for a family reunification application should you wish to join a family member in another European country.

We can also support you with bureaucratic issues which may include navigating administrative procedures, completing necessary forms and applications, and providing guidance and information to help you effectively address bureaucratic challenges.

By providing the above elements into the social service provision, Velos Youth can ensure a comprehensive approach to helping you to settle in Athens, or further afield!

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Shower & laundry facilities

Every young person who visits our space has access to our shower facilities simply by signing their name on our list, and with a 30-minute notice to set the boiler on to ensure there is enough hot water. We also provide clean towels, shampoo, and shower gel and if we have clothing donations available, we can occasionally offer underwear and t-shirts, as well as razors for shaving and a hairdryer for your convenience.

Every young person visiting our space has access to our laundry facilities too. We provide laundry detergent and a dedicated area on the balcony where anyone can easily hang their clothes to dry.

Legal support

We provide various types of legal assistance and support to young asylum seekers, including the preparation for asylum interviews, appeals against negative decisions or age assessment outcomes, filing family reunification applications, and facilitating the renewal of IDs and travel documents. Legal counselling can also be provided for any issue that has to do with labour, social security and in general young people and refugee rights in Greek society. You can also reach out to Velos for information about the monthly legal workshops which cover a variety of topics.

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English classes

English classes are held at Velos Youth five days a week and are delivered by a professional English teacher. A certificate of attendance is offered upon completion of 80 hours of lessons which can be shown to a prospective employer. Preparation and training for internationally recognised language certificates (Michigan and Cambridge University) are also supported, in specially designed group levels.

Registrations daily.

Why not sign up today?

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Hot food

We are very happy to work together with the Saffron Kitchen Project and to offer 35 portions of hot, fresh meals every day at our day center. This partnership allows young people in our center to have a tasty and healthy meal when they visit us. There is a variety of recipes and the use of ingredients reflecting diverse backgrounds contribute in the most meaningful way to the overall sense of care that we try to provide. The menu is printed and displayed in our space so that everyone can see what meals are available during the week and our lunchtime is from 13:30 to 14:30.


Single donations are put to use in accordance with the season, the young person’s needs and the stage of their journey they are at. It is important for a young person to feel safe by having decent clothing, a reliable means of communication, and access to a range of services.


We make sure that is the case, thanks to your help.