A Chance For Children of the 1st All-Day Primary School of Dafni
In Athens, on 17.12.2025, thirteen young students of the 1st All-Day Primary School of Dafni, aged 9–10, were taught the program “An Opportunity for Children” with great enthusiasm.
The purpose of the story was to teach children important life lessons, as well as knowledge related to lifeguarding and first aid. The children learned that moral virtues and values of character—such as perseverance, optimism, goodwill, kindness, hope, faith, trust, and self-confidence—along with healthy competition, love and help for one’s fellow human being, and true friendship, which is not based on jealousy, theft, or self-interest, lead to a good and creative life for the individual. Despite the difficulties faced by the hero of the story, he did not give up; he remained upright and authentic until the end, when he was given the opportunity to make real friends. After the completion of the story, the children were taught the recovery position and the CPR procedure.
The children’s behavior was
excellent; they treated the university students with respect and showed great
interest in the story. One difficulty that arose was that the classroom did not
have a projector, so the children watched the presentation of the story on a
small laptop screen. The story and the activities that followed delighted both
the children and the teacher. Thirteen children participated, and all of them
took an active part in the activities accompanying the story. At the end of the
presentation, the teacher thanked us for the program and for the entertainment
we offered to the children. Upon departure, all the children hugged us and
asked questions such as: “Miss, when will you come again?”, “Can you save a
person who is drowning?”, “Miss, are you a lifeguard?”
The teaching was carried out within the framework of undergraduate studies of the School of Physical Education and Sport Science of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, with the support of the National Public Health Organization. The educational material of the project “Safe Greece”, provided by the Hellenic Athletic Lifesaving Association with the support of the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation, was used. Images: Elina-Maria Avramopoulou.
