To mark World Animal Day on October 4, we would like to highlight a series of animal welfare initiatives at Athens College. From raising awareness to actively caring for and supporting animals in need, these initiatives help our students learn to coexist with animals through knowledge, respect, and responsibility.

Fostering respect for animals begins in the early years of school. At Psychico College Elementary School, Ms. Anna Stefanidou, a Technology and Design teacher at the Junior High School and an educator specializing in animal-mediated education, delivered a presentation titled “The Language of Dogs – Calming Signals”. Starting with the question “Can dogs speak?”, the children learned about “calming signals”, such as yawning, licking their noses, or turning their heads, which dogs use to communicate discomfort. By comparing these behaviors with everyday situations, they recognized that things that annoy them, such as being hugged tightly or being interrupted while eating or sleeping, can also make dogs uncomfortable. Finally, they learned how to approach dogs appropriately: calmly and from the side, without leaning over them, and by allowing them to smell us first. Ms. Stefanidou is certified in animal-mediated education by the Institut Français de Zoothérapie, and is also a positive-reinforcement dog trainer.

Last year, as part of the Community Engagement component of the MYP, students of Psychico College Junior High School Grade 1 visited Donkeysland, the farm of the Hellenic Donkey Center. They learned about the work carried out at the farm, saw how mistreated or abandoned donkeys are cared for, and reflected on our responsibility toward animals.

This reflection turned into action on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, when students in classes a5, a7, and b6 organized the first animal welfare bake sale at Psychico College Junior High School. The students handled every stage of the initiative: they made and sold coupons to their classmates, prepared homemade treats, set up the space, sold the treats, and tidied up at the end. Alongside the treats, they also sold jewelry and 3D donkey models produced using the School’s 3D printers. The proceeds went towards the care of Areti, a young donkey at Donkeysland, as well as to ANIMA – Hellenic Wildlife Care Association. The bake sale was organized with the support of teachers Ms. Peli Alivizatou and Ms. Anna Stefanidou.

We also collaborate with ANIMA to care for wild animals found on our campus. When animals in need of help have been found at the Psychico campus, they have been transported to ANIMA for specialized care.  A fox with fractures received treatment for two months before being rehabilitated in the forest, with proceeds from the Bake Sale symbolically covering the cost of its care. A hedgehog received treatment for mange and was released back into the wild, while a turtle was also transported for treatment. Through these real-life cases, students learned what to do when they encounter a wild animal in need of help and why treatment should be provided by a specialized organization.

In collaboration with the Municipality of Filothei-Psychiko and ZO.FI.PSY (Animal Welfare Association for the Protection of Stray Animals of the Municipality of Filothei-Psychiko), we also care for the cats living on the Psychico campus. We arrange for cats to be neutered, provide veterinary care, and work to find homes for animals that are suitable for adoption.

Awareness of animal welfare now has a steady place in everyday school life. Psychico College Junior High School participates in the Volunteer Animal Welfare Network of schools in the Municipality of Filothei-Psychiko, as part of which two Animal Welfare Corners have been created. These corners feature adoption notices from the Municipality’s Department of Care for Stray Animals, informational materials on neutering and responsible adoption, ANIMA materials on wildlife protection, and student creations and initiatives. Ms. Anna Stefanidou serves as the educational coordinator between Psychico College Junior High School, the Municipality of Filothei-Psychiko, and ZO.FI.PSY, and is also responsible for creating and managing the Animal Welfare Corners.

The animal welfare initiatives of Psychico College Elementary and Junior High School were presented on May 15, 2026, at the event “Generation of Kindness – for Well-being, Education, and Social Cohesion,” organized by the Region of Attica and the Special Secretariat for the Protection of Pet Animals at the Ministry of Interior. Ms. Tania Kostarellou represented the Elementary School, while Ms. Anna Stefanidou represented the Junior High School.

The initiatives continue this year, as part of MYP Community Engagement. The bake sale will become an annual event, while educational visits and collaborations with Donkeysland, ANIMA, the Municipality of Filothei-Psychiko, and ZO.FI.PSY will continue.

Because animal welfare is not simply about loving animals; it is about fostering knowledge, responsibility, and, above all, action.