Barbara Athanasoulas

If you’re a young Greek-Canadian who isn’t considering the Heritage Greece program, what are you waiting for?  

Maybe you’re waiting to hear from an alum, maybe you don’t know what the program entails, or maybe you haven’t heard of it at all. You might just be waiting for this article—an overview of Heritage Greece by this author (an alum of the program and volunteer with the Hellenic Heritage Foundation’s History Committee) in conversation with Nick Torkos—a member of the HHF board and organiser of the Canadian involvement in Heritage Greece. 

What is Heritage Greece? 

Heritage Greece is a diving board into the depths of Greek culture, history, and language for North Americans of the diaspora. The program was established by the American National Hellenic Society (NHS). They reached out to the American College of Greece (ACG) in Athens and together developed a program to send Greek-American students to Greece for a two week cultural experience. The idea is to reorient Greeks of the diaspora with their heritage—no matter how recent or distant. A cohort of exceptional young students are selected to live on campus for a two-week course abroad. As of 2022, the NHS offers a program in both Athens and Thessaloniki, the latter through the American College of Thessaloniki, a division of Anatolia College. 

After the program was established, the NHS reached out to ask if the Hellenic Heritage Foundation had any students interested in the program. This was a perfect opportunity for the HHF to provide the best entry point for young Greeks in Canada to make a lasting, tangible relationship with their culture. The program provides an experience that you can’t garner by “reading a book or a magazine” – the chance to “live in Greece, and experience it first hand.” The HHF sponsors a selection of students who submit applications. Last year the HHF were able to sponsor twenty-two students, when a few years ago it was less than ten. To that end, a great deal of fundraising effort at the HHF is centered on increasing the amount of sponsorships which can be offered, to give more young people a chance to make a personal connection with their heritage and the HHF. 

Students attend classes throughout the week, and engage with culture through travel to museums, holy sites, historic monuments, nature reserves, and modern attractions. Just a few highlights from my cohort of 2022 include the incredible Meteora, the Tombs of Vergina, and the city centre of Thessaloniki. Our field trips illuminated the histories and literature we covered in the classrooms at ACT by bringing us all face-to-face with the remains of past empires and the current life of Greece, where the centuries built upon each other to make the country as it exists today. The face of Greece that many of the diaspora recognise is one that we inherited through our grandparents. Heritage Greece is the chance to meet Greece in all its aspects, and in all its forms. 

Through this program, participants can see what binds Greeks from all over the world in common tradition. One Canadian participant reported to Nick that he felt a great kinship when he noticed that he and other Orthodox Christians on the program from the USA all made the sign of the cross when they passed a church. It is also a chance to see how Greek paths have diverged, especially with immigration in the last century. While practicing my language skills with young Greeks from Thessaloniki, I learned that certain parts of the Greek dialect that I picked up from my grandparents are no longer common in everyday speech! These linguistic quirks of the region and time period to which many young Greeks trace their lineage have been mostly forgotten in Greece, but preserved by diasporic communities. 

Heritage Greece is a starting point not only for reconnecting with Greece—to the participants’ family histories as well as Greece as a modern nation—it is also a chance to build relationships with the diaspora community in Toronto. Heritage Greece is a truly unique form of outreach to the Greek youth in Toronto from the HHF, which hopes to foster further involvement with the scholarship recipients and build a future for the HHF with its youth! The trip itself is two weeks in Greece, but the effects of Heritage Greece is seen in life-long connections to a community network of friends and mentors. It’s a pathway that opens up the community of Greeks not only in Toronto but all over Canada, into the US, and in Greece. 

Heritage Greece is two weeks brimming with adventure, education, and excitement that you will remember for the rest of your life. Heritage Greece was one of the first times I connected with the country outside of visiting with family. During those two weeks I made friendships that have lasted beyond the trip, and gained many fond memories. Now, the connections that began there enable me to participate and contribute to Greek society in Toronto in ways I hadn’t previously considered. 

Other alumni agree—students of 2024’s summer program immediately and excitedly reached out after their return for guidance on how to become more involved in their culture and community in Toronto! The trip energizes young Greeks to make an impact and expand. 

What To Know About Applying 

The HHF is looking for people who have “demonstrated their Hellenism” and can express that involvement in their application. This could mean anything from attending Greek school, dance classes, having some volunteer experience with the HHF, participating with Greek regional associations, participating in Church through altar service and Sunday School, being an active member of your university Hellenic Students Association, or any other way you choose to stay in touch with your roots! The HHF is looking for students who will benefit most from the program, and who will want to participate and make an impact with their community when they come home. Heritage Greece is a personal way for young Greeks to interact with their culture, and a chance for the HHF to invest in the future of Greeks in Canada. 

To be eligible to apply you must be currently enrolled in an Undergraduate or Graduate postsecondary program; be a Canadian of Hellenic descent; be 18-26 years of age; and have GPA of 3.0 or higher (B average or higher in Canada). “Hellenic Descent” (as outlined on the HHF Heritage Greece webpage) is defined as having one or more parents, grandparents, or great grandparents born in Greece or Cyprus. 

After being offered a scholarship, students will have support from the HHF leading up to the program, and a connection to the foundation when they return. None of the participants returned with regrets—any nervousness about taking on such a huge experience was well worth the adventure and lasting relationship with their community. 

For more information visit: Heritage Greece Program – HHF and Heritage Greece – NHS 

Should you require more information or additional details, please contact us at [email protected].