by Ann Marie Martinou

Ideagen TV

What Does Participation In A Global Panel Teach Us About The Future Of Education?

by Ann Marie Martinou, Academy Student

Iam simply one of those people that loves to help others, including friends, family, and virtually any person I come across. Hence, community service opportunities have always both intrigued and excited me and for this reason, I have been actively involved in ACS Athens’ Youth to Youth Programme for the past three years. Not only is the experience fulfilling, but it also allows me to help members of my community, which I can subsequently form valuable friendships.

On August 31, 2020, I was contacted by Dr. Pelonis, who informed me that Ideagen TV was presenting a 17 days of sustainability summit and I was invited to participate in it! The summit includes panel discussions on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), inspired by the reputable United Nations initiative. The topic of the panel was “Quality Education,” which directly aligns with SDG 4. Within the next few days, I worked hard to link my experience with the Youth to Youth program to the concept of quality education for all.

Undoubtedly, this theme largely connects to the ACS Athens mission: to provide a holistic education to any student and prompt them to unleash their ultimate potential. This further ties into the vision statement, because an optimal education empowers global citizens to utilize their knowledge in order to create a pathway for themselves and for future generations. Within the next few days, I prepared answers to questions I would be discussing during the panel. For example, “As a result of this project, why do you think quality education for all is important?” When answering such questions, I always have my “why” in mind. What propelled me and continues to motivate me to want to advocate for a holistic education for all?

On September 3rd, I woke up with my heart beating slightly faster than usual. It was the day when the panel would be pre-recorded, and then it would air for thousands of viewers to see. Despite my initial anxiety-inducing thoughts, I was absolutely euphoric. I was looking forward to a discussion about quality education with leaders in their respective fields.

When I entered the call, I was greeted by Dr. Pelonis, Ms. Constantinides, Ornella Muca (an ACS alum), as well as others outside of the ACS community. The discussion was an immensely fruitful experience, and everyone contributed a different, refreshing perspective on the topic.

After the discussion had elapsed, I reflected on what I learned, and noticed a number of themes present within everyone’s input. One of these themes is the understanding that the face of education is rapidly changing, and new strategies must be implemented to upgrade everything we know about education. Another theme is a positive attitude towards change; without this mindset, the implementation of new educational strategies would be an arduous process. However, equipped with this mentality, the reformation of the education system as we know it can be catalysed.

As a student, acquiring this knowledge from my fellow panelists made me realize how, through resilience, the next steps in securing a quality education for all is fully plausible. Nevertheless, this step will take time. With the right goals, passions, mentors, and leaders, anything can be possible, and the path to quality education can be engineered by those who desire it most.