Marilena Moschogiannaki
Founding member of the “Youthtopia” voluntary youth organization
Marilena Moschogiannaki is a doctoral candidate at the Department of Materials Science and Technology of the University of Crete. She has given talks at international academic conferences, is the coordinator of the European “Lead On” educational program, and is an avid supporter of both the social inclusion of young people – particularly those with fewer opportunities – and gender equality.
Alongside her academic interests, she is a founding member of the “Youthtopia” voluntary youth organization, which sprang from long and intense discussions between friends looking to find what they could do to feel closer to their town. Through “Youthtopia”, they’re trying to make the city of Heraklion on Crete more creative, and the young people living there more active and engaged.
The organization is itself actively engaged in European Erasmus+ programs such as Youth in Action, and organizes educational and cultural events that make use of experiential modes of learning. Examples of such events include “Women in Science”, “Youth Participation in Europe”, and “Treasure Hunts for Schoolchildren”, to name just a few, and all seek to energize and entertain young people of all ages. Moschogiannaki herself leads the organization, authors its proposals, and coordinates its European Erasmus+ programs.
“Playing an active part in a voluntary organization – beyond the obvious benefits, such as opportunities to socialize, and to meet fellow students and other young people in our city – sparks an awakening with regard to public affairs and invites a deeper understanding of our own selves. We are made aware of things we may never otherwise have thought about, things that interest us or are fun to do. We get to hone our social and communication skills. And, last but not least, we feel like we belong, as part of an active and engaged team with a sense of purpose. Furthermore, participating in short-duration European programs provides us all – but especially those who’ve never travelled before – with a unique experience: a sense of belonging, within the framework of a well-organized initiative. The development of soft skills, and engagement with non-formal learning by means of experiential activities and workshops, constitutes a way of life and of thinking that we can take forward in our lives. Issues relating to gender equality, the environment (such as climate change and recycling), entrepreneurship, sports, movement, and even music and the arts provide trainers, our programs and their participants with major sources of inspiration. Last but not least, playing an active part in such groups truly acts as a source of inspiration in itself, and we’re happy to be doing it!”
– Marilena Moschogiannaki
