Mathitiada is an educational event which assembles Junior High School students from all prefectures of Greece and abroad in a common place every two years in May. It has been running every 2 years since 2002.
This year Mathitiada will be held from May 15-19, 2020.
It is a simulation of the Olympic Games for students who do not have to be athletes. For five days they take part in all the Olympic and Paralympic sports as well as in several cultural, environmental and scientific activities.
Each school has a tourist kiosk to display its country, and included guided tours of the archaeological sites in the area. The students reside in the “Student Village”, which is similar to the Olympic village.
The main purpose of Mathitiada is to activate students so that they struggle and this way they are turned from passive recipients into protagonists. Via sports and culture and through personal experience Mathitiada aims at helping children overcome their fear of whatever is new and accept the different.
The program includes the following:
Opening –Closing Ceremonies
The ceremonies begin and end according to the Olympic Games model.
Torch Relay
The torch relay of Mathitiada begins in Proti, Serres, and travels throughout Greece carrying its message. On foot, by fishing boats, rowing boats, bicycles and whatever means of transport available, the torch of Mathitiada has travelled from Alexandroupoli to Igoumenitsa and from Florina to Crete.
Corners of Greece
The delegations have Tourist Stands where the schools present the beauties of their land.
Democracy in practice
Through this activity the students express freely their opinion on issues of their choice.
Culture
38 activities concerning the whole of arts take place in the ‘Cultural Village’. Students participate in cultural workshops, exhibitions and performances.
Science
Activities promoting the value of science take place with students participating in interactive games.
Sports
Students participate in all 35 Olympic Sports (142 finals)
Paralympic Park
16 paralympic sports take place with demonstrations from paralympic champions and with students and visitors’ participation. The purpose of all these is the acceptance of and their familiarization with the different. The activities take place in the especially formed ‘Paralympic Park’, where the students get to know the paralympic sports and ‘play’ in the especially designed educational programs.
Environmental Activities
7 environmental activities take place. Top-ranking activity is the ‘Olive tree Park’, during which the students take care of the olive tree representing their region.
Medal Ceremonies
Nearly 1,000 medals are awarded to the sports winners in every Mathitiada, rewarding the students who tried and achieved to put into action the motto for effort and participation ‘free from the fear of failure and the pressure of win’. All participants are given Certificates of Participation.
For more information on how to apply, contact ‘Mathitiada’.
Terms of participation:
- High schools from all over Greece have the right to participate.
- Greek schools abroad, Greek departments, as well as Greek associations abroad, attended by Greek students between the ages of 12 to 15, are eligible to participate.
- Applications for participation must be sent to the Organising Committee by fax or e-mail by 07 February 2020.
- There will be a participation cost for each participant will cover all the hosting costs (accommodation, meals, in-house transfers) needed for the matches.
- Students are required to participate in at least one event, which is to promote participation. The maximum number of competitions a student can take is four (4).
