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In the minds of many children, summer and school are two mutually exclusive concepts. But hardly any of them would refuse to attend a summer school, where, in addition to theoretical lessons, they would have the chance to visit some of the most famous archaeological sites in the world and get acquainted with the ancient history, philosophy and culture of the place they originated from, and of course, to enjoy the scorching Greek summer.

For about 190 children from different countries of Europe and worldwide, as well as from regions remote from Athens, this has already become possible within the programme "Plato’s Academy - Development of Knowledge and Innovative Ideas," which is organised by the University of Athens in collaboration with the Alexandros S. Onassis Cultural Foundation and the Greek World foundation.

Similarly to the students in Plato’s Academy, which was a spiritual centre of ancient Athens and shaped the philosophical and scientific thinking at the time, the participants in the programme today participate in an educational tour from ancient times until now.

"The lessons were held in several thematic fields: philosophy and archaeology, art and culture, literature and technology. Our main task was to present to the students anything of value from that time until now, “ said the coordinator of the programme funded by the Onassis Foundation, Natasha Florou.

The students were accompanied by teachers from each participating school and were taught by local teachers as well. They communicated in English, and in some cases, French.

By means of methods using images, sound and speech, the students became familiar with: the basic principles shared by the philosophers before Socrates, the main ideas of Socrates and Plato, and some of the main aspects of Aristotle’s philosophy.

The students were also introduced to Greek literature through direct contact with contemporary artists who recited their works before them, by watching theatre performances or listening to music excerpts.

An important part of the programme, especially for students from other countries, was their acquaintance with modern Athens and Greece and the everyday life and thinking of the Greeks. Thanks to the programme, the students visited the Acropolis, the Academy of Plato and other ancient sites in Athens and its surroundings such as the Temple of Poseidon at Sounion, Ancient Olympia, Epidaurus, Mycenae, Delphi and many museums.

The programme coordinator defined it as a total success. "The 190 students, who participated in it during the three years of its existence, have already created communities and interact with each other. There are even children who participated in the programme in 2012 and 2014, who came on holiday to Greece this year and joined the group by covering their own expenses", said Natasha Florou for GRReporter.

With this year's course, which ended on 27 July, the programme completed a three-year period, but the Onassis Foundation is determined to continue it. You can see photos of Plato’s Academy in Athens in our photo report.