yΦaiNΩ Company
Art High School of Gerakas / the "yΦaiNΩ" Company
The Company
yΦaiNΩ is a contemporary, ethical and eco wise company committed to providing fashion products and services which stand out for their Unique Greek Style, Elegance & Quality.
Products/Services
Clothes, Accessories and e-services
The Story stems from our desire to create modern, timeless, well-made clothes and accessories, whose style, techniques and aesthetics are inspired by Greek folk tradition and craftsmanship.
The Purpose
Acting responsibly towards our Planet and with a Sense of Moral Integrity, our purpose is to preserve and promote local traditions, stories and the art of weaving.
The Meaning
In Greek, yΦaiNΩ (υφαίνω) means weave; to us it means:
• combining the past and the future, voicing old traditional stories, myths and symbols, making them meaningful, to create our own stories in the future”
• “regularly and honestly interacting with our customers and suppliers to strengthen brand loyalty”
• “always interweaving curiosity with passion, the warp with the weft, to make our dreams come true”
The Philosophy is reflected in sir Ken Robinson’s phrase: “Curiosity is the engine of our achievements”
The Vision of yΦaiNΩ is to establish our brand internationally and to be the Leader in the Traditional Fashion Industry.”
The Team
We are an inspired and enthusiastic team of young people who create exceptional, handmade clothes and accessories, exclusively for you, tailored to your style and personality. Our team consists of 20 multi-skilled and talented students who specialize in Fine, Visual and Performing Arts, Fashion Design, and Business. We are constantly willing to learn new things so as to broaden the area of our interests.
Reasons to join WEAR.I.G.S.
The main Reasons for yΦaiNΩ to participate in the formation of the WEAR.I.G.S. Joint Venture are:
• To expand our brand and reputation, enter new markets, and broaden our distribution network to other European countries, thus promoting our cultural identity in Traditional Fashion Design. Additionally, we aim to raise awareness of issues related to the protection and preservation of European Cultural Heritage.
• To leverage the expertise and talents of others, enriching our knowledge and skills in Creative Entrepreneurship within the Fashion Design Industry and the broader field of Cultural and Creative Industries.
Art High School of Gerakas
About Us
Kallitehniko Gymnasio me Lykeiakes taxeis Geraka (or Art High School of Gerakas) is an engaged community of people dedicated to the arts, culture and science, aiming to achieve excellence and the highest level of academic success. The school is committed to providing a challenging and supportive learning environment where each student can reach their full potential and teachers can gain plenty of opportunities for lifelong learning and professional development.
Our Mission
The great responsibility of the School is to prepare proactive young people who have the right not only to envision their future but also to succeed in their chosen future career. So, the Mission of the School is to encourage and support the students’ interest in the arts; to reinforce their talents and transferable skills development; to prepare them for successful careers related to the Performing and Visual Arts in the ever-changing world; and finally, to strengthen their resources so as to have a fulfilling and meaningful life. With respect to tradition, while having a contemporary and innovative educational orientation, the school provides students with intellectually informed, hands-on instruction in the practice of the Arts and the Sciences.
Our Vision
The Vision of our Art High School community is the development of future leaders and innovators in the Arts and Science, who, through their creativity, aesthetics and expression, will contribute to economic growth, positive mental health and personal flourish, as well as to societal cohesion and wellbeing, making communities safer and stronger.
Our Location and Facilities
The Art High School of Gerakas is a public school which provides a 6 year program of studies in secondary education. It is located in Gerakas, a northeastern suburb of Athens whose history originates in ancient times. Evidence of its history can be found in the ruins of the ancient temple of goddess Pallinidos Athena that lie on Androutsou Street. Moreover, findings from the 5th century BC around the area of Stavros testify to the colonization of the wider area. The school facilities include 2 fully equipped Visual Arts classrooms, 1 theater hall, 2 dance studios, 1 Science lab, 1 ICT and multimedia lab, 1 basketball court, 1 teaching staff office and 2 offices for the principal and the vice-principals.
Our History and Curriculum
The Art High School of Gerakas was established in 2004 and is the first educational institution created with the aim to promote the Arts in Greek schools. It specializes in the Fine and Visual Arts of Drawing, Painting, Sculpture, Cinematography, the Performing Arts of Dance and Drama while providing General Education in subjects such as Science, Mathematics, Ancient and Modern Greek Language, ICT, Foreign Languages, Music, Economics, P.E. etc.
It comprises a Junior & Senior High school and at present about 350 students attend the classes of the 6 year study program. The implemented educational programs are embedded in the digital era and are linked to the wider sector of Cultural and Creative Industries (CCI), promoting creativity, innovation & entrepreneurship. The school has European orientation (Comenius, eTwinning, Erasmus+ projects) too, providing opportunities for learning and personal fulfillment.
The school's motivation to join this project of the Erasmus+ Program focuses on the satisfaction of high school students' passion for design; their interest in the Greek and European Traditional Apparel; their need to identify self-employability opportunities in the subsectors of the Cultural and Creative Industries at international level. The project of the Erasmus+ program is indirectly associated with the Visual Arts and Entrepreneurship curriculum because Fashion Design, Traditional Apparel and Entrepreneurship education are introduced mainly in the “Skills Laboratories 21+” and in the framework of the Entrepreneurship-Career Education-Occupational Awareness Program or the Virtual Company of Junior Achievement GR Program.
Participating teachers’ Resumes:
Maria Chatzi is a Music Instructor who has specialized in Music and Creative Entrepreneurship and Career Counseling in the Cultural and Creative Industries. She holds M.A. in Music and M.Sc in Administration and Management in Education (Thesis: Promoting Arts Entrepreneurship in Music and Art High Schools). She is extremely passionate about Entrepreneurship Education in the Arts, counseling and supporting her students to identify their career orientation and develop it. She is experienced in the entrepreneurial project "Virtual Company" of Junior Achievement GR and she has been awarded. In 2016, the school's Virtual Company "United States of Balkans Radio" (USB Radio) was ranked among the top 10 virtual companies of the Year and was awarded the title of the Best Cultural Company of the Year.
Elpida Panonidou is a Fine Arts Instructor, experienced in costume design and creation. She has presented her work in performances on the school premises and elsewhere. Highlights of her work include the exhibition of the school's traditional costumes, made out of recyclable materials, at the South Korea Museum of Technology and a plethora of other costume creations and presentations at the Athens Festival and at the Ancient Theater of Syracuse.
Paraskevi Florou is an English Language Instructor and holds an M.A. in Applied Linguistics. She is an awarded e-Twinner, experienced in European projects and international cooperation. Her interests include Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) and Educational Technology and its use in the Foreign Language Classroom. In this context, she has designed and created a lot of innovative teaching activities and materials and has been certified in the use of ICT in the classroom.
All three teachers have permanent posts in the school and are not expected to transfer in the next 3 years. They have excellent project management and dissemination skills acquired through experience in various EU funded projects and they will jointly manage the finances of the project.
Information about the Art High School of Gerakas:
Address: Heraclias & Skiathou, 15344
Telephone: +302106616130
e-mail: mail@gym-kall-gerak.att.sch.gr
Website: http://gym-kall-gerak.att.sch.gr/new
Map: Art High School of Gerakas
Principal: Ms Vassiliki Karampetsou