Brief description of the organisation/initiative
The first Greek NGO that develops resilience in children and adolescents through innovative educational programs and promoting education. Through an innovative model which is based on Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) and Peer-to-Peer education, Openous creates innovative educational programs that aim to develop the ten life skills: self-confidence/self-esteem, emotional intelligence, empathy, coping skills, mindfulness, communication, and interpersonal relationship skills and stress management, critical and creative thinking and problem-solving.
In addition, Openous creates educational programs related to topics that are not part of compulsory education but are an integral part of human education and enhance resilience in combination with life skills. Such topics are a) gender equality and gender stereotypes, b) sex education, c) physical care, d) respect for diversity, and e) environmental awareness. Moreover, the aim is to inform the public and do research on resilience to set policy proposals for the adaptation of resilience as a socially innovative key advantage for education. Openous motto is: Let’s teach our children to get up more times than they fall!
Challenge overview
Every enterprise all over the world had to face many challenges after the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. As it concerns newborn enterprises, just like Openous, which were established just before the pandemic at the end of 2019, these challenges were even bigger. First, as an educational organisation, Openous had to adapt all educational programs to be implemented remotely. Secondly, the business plan had to be adapted from the beginning to respond strategically and financially to the new conditions. Finally, Openous had to find new ways of financing itself because all these changes had the potential to lead to the closure of the operation.
Establishment of the organisation/initiative/enterprise
The initiative started having in mind that resilience is a key “tool” for achieving a good quality of life. Formal education curricula do not focus on and do not foster the important knowledge and skills each needs nowadays. Openous seeks to fill in this gap while providing innovative education programs.
Management structure and governance
Openous is a non-profit organisation. Nikoleta Rekatsina, a young and experienced educator, is the founder and CEO. Nikos Matsankos is a co-founder of the organisation.
Principles of work, objectives and activities
Leading principles of the organisation are participation, empowerment, trust, equality, education, and respect. The main activities are implementing projects which address people of all backgrounds. The main objective is to inform, empower and educate 5000 children and young people from all over Greece, on issues related to resilience and its development, in the next three years.
Target groups
The target group of Openous is a very wide one. The activities are tailored mainly to children, adolescents, their families, and educators.
Innovation
The innovation of this initiative lies in the following four facts:
- It is the first Greek NGO about resilience in children
- It is the educational model and the holistic approach it follows
- The organisation cares about the education of people of all backgrounds, understanding the importance of educating them to have a better society
- Openous provides innovative education programs based on Social-Emotional Learning (SEL)
Key partners
The organisation is independent but it has a lot of partners, which differ according to the project. Some of the partners are: “Women on top”, “Sociality”, and the University of Roehampton. Moreover, Openous also has several supporters, such as a Norwich fund and several Greek ones.
Impact and Evaluation
A society of resilient people is a society that can achieve anything: this is the strength and the positive impact of the organisation. So far, through its activities, Openous team has educated more than 200 children and has informed and educated about 300 parents and teachers on issues related to the socio-emotional empowerment of children and young people.
Recommendations
Openous gives three important recommendations:
- Be constantly educated and informed, individually and as a team.
- Examine constantly the needs of the target group in the country/cultural context.
- Be well prepared for any possible issues that could arise in the social sector.
Lessons Learned
In a world that constantly changes, while none knows what will happen and the future is unknown, resilience is one of the best life skills children can develop. Two years of the Covid-19 pandemic have proved it all the way. Today’s resilient children are mentally and physically balanced adults and citizens of tomorrow.
References
The Openous website.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.