Hellenic Canadian Congress of BC announced as new Staellinika partner

The Stavros Niarchos Foundation Centre for Hellenic Studies at Simon Fraser University, and the General Secretariat for Public Diplomacy and Greeks Abroad of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Hellenic Republic, with the support of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF), are pleased to announce their partnership with the Hellenic Canadian Congress of BC for the Staellinika initiative.

Staellinika, an online platform and suite of apps developed by the SNF New Media Lab at the SNF Centre for Hellenic Studies and distributed globally in partnership with the Greek Government, has sought to provide individuals ranging from preschool-aged children to young adults with an innovative and engaging product designed to re-connect Greeks around the world with their heritage language and culture.

The Hellenic Canadian Congress of BC encourages and promotes the retention and development of Hellenism in British Columbia and within the multicultural context of Canada. It is also a member of the national Canadian Hellenic Congress which is an umbrella organization representing Canada and the 350,000 Greeks across Canada, and is a participatory member of the World Council of Hellenes Abroad (SAE).

Serving as the link between individuals, communities, associations and societies and governments, including non-governmental bodies for BC’s Greek diaspora, the Congress is strategically positioned to engage with young learners looking to learn more about their heritage and culture. 

This collaboration will enable Staellinika to reach a larger population of the Greek diaspora in BC at a time when young Greeks are experiencing closures of Greek schools and other after-school programs as a result of the global pandemic.

The new partnership marks a natural progression in the long-standing relationship between the Congress and Simon Fraser University.

It is thanks to the Congress that in 1996, funds were raised from the Hellenic Community of Vancouver and through matching funds from the Province of British Columbia to establish the Hellenic Canadian Congress of BC Chair in Hellenic Studies to aid in the promotion of research and teaching in Greek language, literature, history and culture in ancient, medieval and modern times. The Congress has continued to play a pivotal role in the promotion of Hellenic Studies at Simon Fraser University by sponsoring student scholarships. More recently, the Congress has supported the SNF Centre for Hellenic Studies in launching a new workshop series, “What is Byzantium?” for young Greek learners in BC.

The Staellinika platform (staellinika.com) and suite of applications consists of a series of language and culture courses, which targets learners of different age groups. These courses include Beginners Greek for Ages 4+, Beginners Greek for Ages 6+, Beginners Greek for Ages 9+, Beginners Greek for Teens and Adults (Ages 13+) and Greek Mythology. The mobile apps are available for iOS and Android devices (phones and tablets). 

Learn more about Staellinika at staellinika.com or download the apps now staellinika.com/apps.

For more information about the SNF Centre for Hellenic Studies and its programs, please visit our Media page.

You can visit the Staellinika website for more information. The SNF New Media Lab has for years been at the forefront of educational technologies, and you can learn about their current and past projects on the Lab page, elsewhere on our website.