As we prepare to celebrate 100 years since our arrival in Greece and 138 years of existence, the Anatolia community continues to be a paragon of perseverance, resilience, and adaptability. We are engaging in a strategic realignment that will center on academic excellence, student well-being, and educational accessibility.
With both society and education in a transitional period of growth and readjustment—exemplified by shifts in the economy, environmental turmoil, and technological innovations in artificial intelligence—Anatolia College is uniquely positioned to prepare its students to flourish. The 2022–2023 report outlines a renewed focus on people and the environment amid a constantly evolving social landscape.
As we prepare to celebrate 100 years since our arrival in Greece and 138 years of existence, the Anatolia community continues to be a paragon of perseverance, resilience, and adaptability. We are engaging in a strategic realignment that will center on academic excellence, student well-being, and educational accessibility. There are positive signs that Greece is emerging from the economic downturn of the financial crisis, which is reflected in our school’s performance.
Anatolia College has experienced growth in all programs over the last several years, from the Elementary and High Schools to Pinewood to the American College of Thessaloniki, and this wide-ranging growth has prompted us to reassess our educational, social, and environmental footprints.
The principle that educational excellence is contingent on student well-being has reshaped our approach to teaching and learning in recent years. We continue to foster a community that allows each student to thrive by providing psychological resources, financial aid, and social-emotional education.
Our endowment enables us to serve over 3,000 students across all divisions, including approximately 900 scholarship students, representing over 28% of the student population. The international environment of our campus prepares our students to better understand other cultures and the world around them and energizes our community. In fact, over 40 nationalities across Europe, the Americas, and Asia are represented in the American College of Thessaloniki (ACT) and Pinewood student bodies.
As we proceed toward the end of the 2018-2025 developmental phase, we continue to invest in new approaches to education. We cultivate a dynamic approach to education with special initiatives such as the Kassandra Center for Educational Excellence, which provides educators with the resources to explore innovative teaching and learning approaches and strengthen best practices.
While adapting to broad societal shifts, we have continued to nurture our community. Through the support of devoted Trustees, alumni, friends, and donors, we have continued to invest in our people, infrastructure, and programs for the next generation.
I welcome you to read this report and learn about Anatolia’s impact on the educational landscape in Greece and the wider region. Join us as we work toward empowering our students to meet the challenges of an ever-changing, globalized world.
Dr. Panos
Vlachos
President of Anatolia
College
chair’s message
OUR PREDECESSORS NEVER LOST THEIR FAITH IN, OR FOCUS ON, THEIR PRIMARY MISSION OF EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE. WE ARE THE INHERITORS OF THEIR GREAT LEGACY OF DETERMINATION, SACRIFICE, ADAPTABILITY, AND RESILIENCE THAT HAS BEEN PART OF OUR HISTORY.
Anatolia College will celebrate an important milestone in its history in 2024. In 1924, Anatolia reopened in Thessaloniki after relocating from Asia Minor. From a modest beginning in Northern Greece, our school has persevered and proven resilient in the face of unimaginable hardships in the region. The enduring spirit of our leaders, faculty, and students over our first hundred years in Greece is remarkable and something that we, today’s Anatolia family, should revere, celebrate, and learn from.
Our predecessors never lost their faith in, or focus on, their primary mission of educational excellence. We are the inheritors of their great legacy of determination, sacrifice, adaptability, and resilience that has been part of our history. As the leading educational institution we are today, we can find strength and inspiration from our past and face the uncertainties of the future with confidence. Please join me, our board, and the entire Anatolia family in celebration of our centennial: 100 years of Anatolia College in Thessaloniki.
As Greece continues to recover from the economic crisis and pandemic, we remain prepared for the future. The most recent year’s performance featured record enrollments, the return of study abroad students, and the continuation of construction projects that will benefit the Anatolia community for generations to come. As a result, we continued to experience strong financial performance, which enabled us to increase our investment in faculty and staff as well as allow a greater number of students to enroll through expanded financial aid. On account of this, we are also closing in on our goal of giving some degree of financial assistance to 30% of our students.
A significant addition to our educational facilities will be completed over the next year, and these new buildings will serve our students for decades to come. The vision of our President and the support of our Board of Trustees and you, our donors, have made this advancement possible. Anatolia is thriving, and I hope you will join us all in a feeling of accomplishment for what has been achieved.
As I mentioned last year, great educational institutions continuously innovate and focus on new opportunities to enhance the academic experiences of their students and families. We have made exceptional accomplishments in recent years, but we must look to the future with the confidence of the premier educational institution that we are. More support will be needed. Naturally, none of our progress would have been possible without the dedicated backing of our board and expanding donor base. Thank you for your generosity in promoting our educational mission of excellence.
For the Board of Trustees,
Albert H. (Chip) Elfner, III Chair, Board of Trustees
For the last 100 years, Anatolia College has fostered a profound presence in Thessaloniki. As we look to celebrate our centennial in the city beginning in 2024, one unparallel theme comes to the forefront: “the morning cometh.” No matter the struggles the city of Thessaloniki has faced, Anatolia remained steadfast in its commitment to its students and families to provide a learning environment grounded in excellence, innovation, altruism, and personal development.
Anatolia has stayed faithful to the fundamental principles of its mission with an acute focus on adapting to the challenges of an ever-changing landscape. New initiatives undertaken with the guidance of dedicated Trustees and adherence to our long-term strategic plan have propelled continued advancements in our teaching paradigms and a commitment to the well-being of our students and community.
The dedication of our faculty and staff has been the primary catalyst for Anatola to flourish and remain one of the top schools in Greece.
As Thessaloniki continues to grow and develop, Anatolia College remains a vital component of this growth. To that end, funds have been raised and invested to provide the necessary resources to allow Antolia to shine and remain the beacon of educational excellence in the region.
message from the vice president of institutional advancement
This past year has been no exception; funds raised in YE2023 totaled approximately $1.6 million in support of scholarships, development programs, and special initiatives such as the Center for Talented Youth Greece, English on the Mountains and STEAMing the Future. These funds originate from two continents and are sourced by the continued strong support of our Trustees, alumni, and friends.
Our donors all believe in the transformational power of education and its critical role in a growing and vibrant society. Year in and year out, our collective community values and supports the timeless ideals that have defined Anatolia College since its founding in 1886 in Merzifon. Over the last ten years, our community has contributed over $37.5 million in support of our school.
On behalf of the entire family of Anatolia College, I sincerely thank our donors for the faith they place in our institution as a worthy vehicle for their philanthropic aspirations.
Peter Chresanthakes Vice President of Institutional Advancement
about anatolia college
Anatolia College is an educational nonprofit institution with a history extending over 130 years, with modern, well-equipped buildings sitting on an expansive campus in Thessaloniki, Greece.
Anatolia provides students with a strong academic foundation and prepares them for the challenges of professional life and beyond as one of the very few institutions in the world that offers education spanning from pre-K all the way to graduate studies, through its various academic divisions. More specifically, today Anatolia College comprises:
• Anatolia Elementary School, serving primary education from pre-K to grade 6
• Anatolia High School, which consists of two Middle and two High Schools, alongside the IBDP program that prepares students for university study worldwide
• Pinewood American International School, which serves as a bridge with the international community and offers primary and secondary education (from pre-K to grade 12) in an exclusively English-speaking environment
• ACT, its US-NECHE accredited and EU validated tertiary division, an institution of higher learning offering Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in a variety of fields, alongside an Entrepreneurship Hub and a Lifelong Learning Center
• CTΥ Greece (Center for Talented Youth), which provides enhanced educational opportunities to bright students from Greece and the Southeastern European region, and is the result of the strategic partnership of Anatolia College, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation and Johns Hopkins University
As an integrated academic community, we are committed to developing students’ talents through innovative educational approaches and open inquiry within a culture of academic excellence. We instill a heightened sense of social responsibility, in an environment that nurtures ethical, creative and physical development. Anatolia College was incorporated in 1886 by American missionaries on its first campus in Merzifon, Asia Minor. At that time, it principally enrolled Greek and Armenian students. The school took its name from Anatolia, the region where it was established.
The name Anatolia, which refers to the east and the rising sun, captures the spirit of its founders who believed that even in the most difficult of times, the dawn of a new day brings forth a new beginning. After war brought change to the region, the school was forced to close. It reopened in 1924 in Thessaloniki. In 1934, Anatolia established itself on the site where it sits today in the northeast suburb of Thessaloniki known as Pylea.
3,748
Elementary School, High School & IB Diploma Program, ACT, Pinewood, CTY Greece, Study Abroad students
4,679
Anatolia College’s ancillary programs (MSU, Bridge - Bilingual, After school)
5,618
Total Study Abroad Students from 1997 - Spring 2023
15,944
$4,511,000
Total Anatolia College Institutional Scholarships & Financial Aid awarded this year
$21,620,000
Total Anatolia Institutional Scholarships & Financial Aid awarded for the last 5 years
Total amount of scholarships for four years of studies (Including Pinewood students)
4,770
Anatolia College Students Scholarships & Financial Aid recipients for the last 5 years 28% percentage of Anatolia College regular students currently receiving Scholarship & Financial Aid
Since 2017 over 3,800 educators from public and private schools all over Greece and Cyprus attended free professional development programs offered by Anatolia College - Kassandra Center for Educational Excellence, CTY Greece, MYP. SCHOLARSHIPS
$56,546
Average scholarship per student
TEACH THE TEACHERS
Kassandra Center for Educational Excellence
Opens Doors to a New Educational Era
The Kassandra Center for Educational Excellence (KCEE) heralds a new era in Anatolia’s educational journey. This stunning center, fully funded by noted philanthropists Telis and Sandra Mistakidis, is the result of the largest single-donor gift in our institution’s history. The Mistakidis’ belief in the power of education to transform individuals and, collectively, society was the guiding factor in their decision to fund the KCEE. The KCEE reinforces Anatolia’s mission to provide transformative educational experiences that have a lasting impact on Greek society. Here, our faculty, staff, and campus community encourage our youth to be lifelong learners, instilling in them a thirst for knowledge and a desire to use their skills for the greater good. The state-of-the-art facilities - used for teaching, training, events, and cultural programs - will allow us to extend our educational resources to students and young people in the broader Thessaloniki area and beyond.
The Kassandra Center for Educational Excellence/ IBDP building is a unique combination of old and new: the historic Compton Hall, fully renovated and joined to a new and modern educational building that together form a harmonious, environmentally sustainable, and architecturally stunning physical space.
FACTS & FIGURES :
Overall size: 3,807.75 m2
• 5 Laboratories
• 3 Soundproofed rooms
• Office space for administration, teachers, and group heads
• 2 Dedicated art labs
• 19 Classrooms
• 1 Performing Arts Center
More than a building, the Kassandra Center for Educational Excellence (KCEE) is the physical embodiment of a concept: that students and educators from the whole region - today’s and for generations to come - must be trained as creative and resilient thinkers with compassion and curiosity as the hallmarks of their character, and of their approach to life and learning. The KCEE will allow our faculty, staff, and campus community to encourage our youth to be lifelong learners, instilling them with a thirst for knowledge and a desire to use their skills for the greater good.
The KCEE has been designed to foster a sense of inquisitiveness for all our High School students, and the Center is arranged with three main criteria in mind. We want to holistically improve our students’ physical, social-emotional, and academic well-being. In practice, this means increased mobility and flexibility in the physical space, from orthopedic chairs and standing desks to a fully equipped canteen with healthy choices and abundant natural light and airflow throughout the building. Generous common-use areas provide opportunities for socializing and group study, and a learning hub with comfortable seating invites students to seek extra help from teachers when needed.
This stunning Center, fully funded by noted philanthropists Telis and Sandra Mistakidis, is the result of the largest single-donor gift in our institution’s history.
The classrooms promote various teaching approaches by allowing as much flexibility as possible within each room. For example, all desks and student chairs are easily moved and stackable so teachers can quickly adapt their environment according to their lesson needs. Moveable walls allow rooms to enlarge or shrink, providing various options from large gatherings to more intimate discussion settings. All rooms feature dedicated cupboards where teachers can stock their learning materials.
Considering that emotional and academic well-being are interrelated, the new building provides a home for our newly expanded psychological and learning support services. Anatolia’s team of dedicated professionals offers a full suite of diagnostic and treatment options and training and information sessions for family members, teachers, and the community.
The premises set a new standard for education. We are moving towards a model where the school will issue every teacher a laptop to encourage rapid adoption and use of learning technologies. Similarly, we will implement a “bring your own device” policy for students who prefer their own laptops or tablets, supplemented by our current mobile units containing 45 laptops for
“Education is a priority. This is probably one of the most important elements in a person’s life. Good education is the most basic foundation in one’s life. The same child would turn into a different person in their adult life depending on the quality of their education.
Telis & Sandra Mistakidis Anatolia College Benefactors
student use. The fully equipped science labs can support all levels of chemistry, biology, and physics lab instruction, and a future maker space already features a high-capacity 3D printer. Finally, the KCEE/IBDP building has a state-of-the-art auditorium with complete capabilities for all events to encourage our students to explore and engage with the performing arts.
KCEE ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS
The Kassandra Center for Educational Excellence (KCEE) supported the 2022 September Professional Development Program for Anatolia’s entire teaching faculty with the participation of over 300 kindergarten, Elementary, High School, ACT, and Pinewood educators. For the interactive teaching seminar “The Process of Science and Tools for Teaching Science,” the KCEE collaborated with the world-class and awarded Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics in Canada.
On the 22nd of October 2022, the ΚCEE hosted its first open conference, “21st Century Skills and Wellbeing in Education,” for 170 primary, secondary, and tertiary education educators, researchers, university students, and policymakers across Northern Greece. The conference’s keynote speaker was Andreas Schleicher, Director for Education and Skills and Special Advisor on Education Policy to the Secretary-General at the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in Paris.
In February 2023, the Center organized the open free training conference “Creative Writing and Education: Inspiration - Creation - Learning” for 200 teachers, school psychologists, students, researchers, and education executives for public and private schools across Northern Greece and Athens. The keynote speaker was Emily Hauser, Professor of Classics at the University of Exeter.
In March and April 2023, the KCEE supported training workshops for secondary education teachers. The Anatolia High School faculty shared with their peers from public schools the best teaching practices and methods adopted in the Anatolia College classes.
Andreas Schleicher
“21st Century Skills and Wellbeing in Education” conference
“Creative Writing” conference
Training Workshops
Open Amphitheater
Fostering Well-being
Anatolia College has come to appreciate that psychological health is inseparable from overall well-being and has developed a strategic plan to address the multifaceted components of personal and social cohesion. Following the COVID pandemic, mental health has emerged as a focal point in our efforts to support our students, faculty, staff, and parents as we navigate a world of increasing complexity and challenge. In this effort, we have defined our vision: to develop a school community in which students feel safe, learn, grow, and develop their strengths while building the necessary skills that will allow them to become impactful in a changing and competitive world. At the same time, the principles of respect for diversity, equity, justice, and inclusion are embraced inside and outside the classroom.
Anatolia Elementary School has introduced Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), a school-wide systems approach aimed at teaching students appropriate behavior and supporting them to sustain that behavior, increasing academic performance and safety.
At the youngest level, our efforts have concentrated on evaluating and monitoring students with high-risk characteristics to identify possible learning difficulties. Specific steps include weekly monitoring of children and family meetings to understand the overall development issues. Anatolia staff also conduct surveys to detect possible speech and language disorders in Kindergarten, an essential preventive action that can yield positive results in many cases. Parents and students attend follow-up and monitoring sessions. Any child deemed at risk is also informed of available resources from the Ministry of Education school health authorities. Overall, our staff conducted 185 hours with 120 students and 223 meetings with 161 parents
Anatolia Kindergarten
At the Elementary School, we have a dedicated school psychologist who focuses on several areas: prevention of mental health decline; intervention to cover whole class and small groups targeting issues that emerged during the school year; counseling and teacher support; and presentations for parents with live talks and webinars. Institutionally, our psychologist participated in the well-being committee, contributing to goal setting and planning for our midterm and long-term well-being plan.
Across the High School and IBDP, our team of professionals focuses on providing diagnostic and support services for students with learning disabilities and those facing psychological challenges. Students with suspected learning disabilities are given a complete evaluation followed by a report guiding teachers, aides, and parents. Specialized learning plans are developed by a learning support specialist to meet each student’s needs.
For psychological support, students contact the school’s psychologists on their initiative or after being referred by their parent, teacher, or the respective director. Many of the students’ requests concern their professional orientation and improving their school performance.
Our team applies a mixed approach of individual diagnostics and counseling coupled with informational sessions and programs that can address these issues at a broader group level, including parents.
These sessions cover topics ranging from self-awareness/self-esteem, body image, inter-family communication, adolescence, and Internet use. We have also instituted various testing protocols (personality, skills, etc.) that can aid our students in identifying potential career pathways, along with enhancing the Career Day services and visits from professionals who talk about their jobs.
Anatolia Elementary School
Finally, a key component of our well-being intervention strategy revolves around a peer-based approach. A group of Well-being Ambassadors - students who have received training in peer-to-peer support methods - works to spread awareness amongst the student body, while two clubs, the Building Ourselves Club and the Mindfulness Club, provide informal peer settings for students to build self-acceptance, or recognize and reduce stress.
Pinewood American International School offered multiple tiers of support to all students from K-12. These range from the school-wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports reinforcement through seminars, group meetings, handbooks and counseling, an anti-bullying pledge and campaign, and grade- and age-specific services around psychological and learning challenges. All students diagnosed with Learning Disabilities receive an International Individualized Learning Program (updated at the beginning and end of each year), and reports are sent to parents three times yearly. Full support is provided to accommodate student needs, from exam support (extra time/different locations, scribers, laptops, etc.) to 1:1 and group support, aiming for better educational and social/emotional integration, to Shadow Teachers who provide aid directly in the classroom. The school also offers a full range of support to families and teachers to holistically address the need for better emotional, developmental, psychological, and pedagogical well-being.
The well-being of the ACT community is supported through joint initiatives of the International Programs Office (IPO) and Student Services Office. At ACT, the Medical Doctor provided over 250 consultations throughout the school year, and the Counseling Office held 190 individual and small-group therapy sessions. The counseling services provide ACT students with a safe environment in which they receive the appropriate support and guidance to cope with the stressors and challenges of college life. ACT organized group counseling sessions, wellness initiatives, staff training & development, Wellness Week, a Bullying Awareness Campaign, a Mental Health Awareness Month, “Finding ways to enjoy life,” and Pride Month.
Equally important are the initiatives undertaken by the Human Resource Department that introduced comprehensive employment policies, offered each employee additional health insurance coverage, and conducted an employment satisfaction survey, allowing employees to provide valuable feedback.
Furthermore, as part of our long-term planning, we prioritized addressing our employees’ financial well-being. To this end, we set the following objectives: First, to increase the annual gross salaries of employees by at least 12% by June 2026. Secondly, to focus on those of the lower earnings quartile to ensure more equity amongst our employees; and thirdly, to maintain and further enhance our supplemental benefits.
HAPPY, HEALTHY AND PRODUCTIVE: A pathway to fulfillment in life
CTY Greece hosted in May 2023 an open session for parents and educators. Dr. Tracy Cross, Professor of Psychology and Gifted Education and Director of the Center for Gifted Education, and Dr. Jennifer Riedl Cross, Research Associate Professor and Director of Research at the William and Mary Center for Gifted Education, visited Anatolia College. They provided clues to what parents can do to ensure they put their children on a positive pathway as they develop their talents. They also described internal and external influences and how these can be leveraged to promote children’s well-being.
Pinewood American International School
Dr. Tracy Cross
CTY Greece teaser event, Orestiada - Thrace
Focus on Thrace and Eastern Macedonia
One of the most critical gifts in a person’s life is education. It is not just a tool for their later professional career but a path that will help them better understand themselves and the world around them.
Anatolia College is doing outstanding work in this regard, leaving a solid and positive mark on the local community of Thessaloniki and Greece.
As a person who has always believed in the importance of equal opportunities, I am proud that through ALUMIL and our collaboration with Anatolia in the context of our Group’s Corporate Social Responsibility activities, children belonging to vulnerable social groups are given the chance to be educated, broaden their horizons and become skillful individuals for the society of the future.
Georgios Mylonas President & CEO of ALUMIL S.A. Anatolia College Donor
English on the Mountains
STEAMing the Future
Anatolia’s mission to support youth and expand educational resources to underserved areas drives many of our actions, and our institution has worked hard to build and nurture relationships with communities in urban and rural areas alike. From the Northern Thrace villages (a mountainous region in northeastern Greece) to the bustling city of Xanthi, Anatolia has spearheaded various initiatives that have a material impact on the scholastic achievements and future performance of children from grades 1-12.
English on the Mountains (EotM), our flagship program, began in 2014 as a free, two-week experiment in bringing Summertime English-language instruction to 35 children in the village of Kentavros. This year, enrollment reached 270 students, taught by thirteen teachers. Six full scholarships to attend Anatolia High School (including tuition, room & board) have gone to EotM students. For the 2023-24 school year, we will add another scholarship for six-year study, and we offer an additional two-year scholarship for the Lyceum Program, grades 11-12. Alums, trustees, companies and foundations support the Scholarship Program for students of Northern Thrace villages.
STEAMing the Future, a three-year program supported by the Bodossakis Foundation, is designed to increase high school students’ digital skills and critical thinking. A combination of virtual and in-person lessons deliver various content in science, technology, engineering, arts, and math subjects, combined with lectures and discussions regarding current affairs and career prospects. In 2022, the first cohort served 35 students between the ages of 14-18 who participated in in-person courses delivered in Xanthi Tech Lab, while 268 participated in the online courses.
CTY Greece consistently connects with students from Thrace through open days and workshops held in key cities within the region, such as Alexandroupoli and Orestiada. To date, over 48 exceptionally talented young students in grades 4-11 participated in the center’s programs, with 37 of them being awarded scholarships. These students joined their counterparts from across Greece and Cyprus, contributing to a diverse and enriching educational experience during the three-week summer program.
ACT (American College of Thessaloniki) has a long history of promoting efforts that boost diplomacy and international engagement. In September 2022, ACT co-hosted the 1st Kavala Summer School on Reconciliation and Social Cohesion. Joined by our partners at the Jena Centre for Reconciliation Studies (JCRS) at Friedrich Schiller University, the Foreign Affairs Institute, the MOHA Research Center, and Balkan Strategies International Synergies (BSIS), the program featured several prominent speakers and 18 students. The presence of students from varying religious, ethnic, and national backgrounds was a critical factor in building a climate of trust and understanding from the start of the five-day program.
Study Abroad Students in Thessaloniki
Supporting Thessaloniki’s Growing International Profile
As Thessaloniki rapidly returns to its historic routes as a destination of international businesses and activities, Anatolia plays a vital role in this effort as it continues to provide a focal point for excellence in education. Beyond world-class teaching, our institution offers various training programs including Semesters Abroad, Model United Nations conferences, summer programs, and academic conferences. All these activities showcase Anatolia’s focus on international mindedness and represent a collective effort to encourage students to think globally as citizens of the world.
Pinewood shows exponential growth in recruitment numbers. This demonstrates a high demand from Greek and International students for study abroad opportunities and the Primary Years Program, Middle Years Program, and IBDP curriculum, considering that all Pinewood graduates earn an American High School Diploma accredited by the Middle States Association. As the only American International School in Thessaloniki, Pinewood provides essential educational services to the global community, and especially to international professionals working for multinational/ European organizations in Thessaloniki.
NU.in Students
Heritage Greece Program
The 2022-2023 Academic Year placed ACT firmly in the spotlight of internationalization, with a record number of study-abroad students (more than 450) from more than 20 major educational partners in the United States. Most of these students come to us from Northeastern University via the NU.in Program. For many of these students, the Fall semester is their first chance to live in a country outside the United States, and they take full advantage of the rich cultural and social opportunities that Thessaloniki is known for.
These programs generate 80,000 overnight stays in local hotels while contributing over seven million dollars to the local economy. In addition to our visiting students, some regular ACT students have taken the opportunity to broaden their academic horizons by participating in the ACT Study Abroad Program and are currently studying at Suffolk University in Boston, USA, and Chonnam National University in South Korea.
ACT hosted several notable events this past year, focusing on investigating and bridging the various factors that affect society today. In July 2022, we launched the Heritage Greece Program, a two-week cultural and educational immersion odyssey for accomplished college Greek American students. The program hosted 24 college-age participants from the US and Canada.
Pinewood - The American International School
Anatolia Alumnus and Trustee Dr. Yannis Assael is a Staff Research Scientist at Google DeepMind and one of MIT’s European Innovators Under 35. He was instrumental in organizing and bringing the 2023 Mediterranean Machine Learning (M2L) Summer School to campus at the end of August. The six-day program featured lectures and laboratories taught by local and international AI experts, with state-of-theart content and code made accessible to all 180 participants - primarily advanced Master and Doctoral students, academics, and practitioners worldwide. The M2L Summer Schools goals - promoting diversity and inclusion in the field of AI research, boosting networking and knowledge transfer among young researchers, and supporting dialogue and collaboration - all resonate with Anatolia’s mission, mainly as it serves to facilitate the exchange of perspectives and promote educational excellence and equality.
The perspectives of the Mediterranean and the abundance of opportunities that can be offered to the global ecosystem of technological innovation were the subject of the open discussion organized on Thursday, August 31, 2023, in the context of the summer school. The panelists were Konstantinos Kyranakis, Deputy Minister of Digital Governance; Dimitris Gerogiannis, CEO, AEGEAN Airlines; Vassilios Vassalos, Director of AI, AISERA; Federico Neri, AI Director, Deloitte Italy; Katerina Tzouvara, Gen AI Ambassador & Customer Engineer Public Sector, Google Greece, and Thanos Stavropoulos, Technology & Innovation Senior Manager, Pfizer CDI.
M2L Students
Looking forward, Anatolia College has won the bid to host the 2024 European Council for High Ability (ECHA) conference next year in late August. The 19th ECHA2024 International Conference will be co-organized by the Center for Talented Youth (CTY) Greece and the European Council of ECHA. This large-scale event will feature 15 parallel rooms, hosting 300 meetings and 500 participants from 30 countries worldwide. Representing more than 2,000 members in more than 60 countries worldwide, ECHA is the largest scientific society in the field in Europe and one of the largest internationally. ECHA2024 will cement Greece’s place in this global community and highlight Thessaloniki and Anatolia’s role at the epicenter of educational transformation, helping to advance the study and development of potential excellence in people.
The Kassandra Center for Educational Excellence also provides the platform for disseminating best practices to the broader educational community through research and collaboration with leading regional and global partners. The Center broadened this dialogue by inviting notable speakers from abroad, such as Andreas Schleicher of the OECD and award winning classicist Dr.Emily Hauser, Senior Lecturer in Classics at the University of Exeter.
Dr. Yannis Assael
M2L Panelists
Anatolia Elementary School • Albert & Aliki Modiano Library
Exploring Anatolia College Libraries
Our libraries are more than repositories of books; they are dynamic, vibrant centers of learning that contribute to the holistic development of our students and our community. They promote leadership, innovation, critical thinking, and creativity, as well as humanistic values such as caring, empathy, tolerance, respect for diversity, and a commitment to ethical conduct. Our libraries work in line with the values of Anatolia College. They have been the pillars of the education provided by our institution since 1886.
The leadership team of Anatolia recognizes the indispensable role of our libraries and ensures sufficient resources for acquisitions, technology upgrades, expert staffing, and space maintenance. This enables our libraries to thrive and serve as vital assets in our institution.
Libraries are the active centers of intellectual growth, scholarship, and enrichment for our students and teachers. They are pivotal in developing meaningful learning experiences of Information Literacy embedded in the curricula. They teach students to critically
ACT • Bissell Library
Pinewood Library
evaluate sources, ensuring they can discern credible facts from unreliable information. They encourage students to become enthusiastic readers, critical thinkers, skillful researchers, curators, and ethical users and creators of information in all formats, as well as lifelong learners.
Our librarians actively participate in professional networks and stay engaged with information science developments. In our libraries, not only do they adapt to global developments but also align with the institutional goals to plan accordingly. For their planning, they use robust shared guidelines, standards, and frameworks provided by US and UK professional bodies such as the American Library Association (ALA) and the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP), and develop policies and procedures to offer excellent services and sustain our accreditations.
In addition to services and resources, our academic and school libraries organize and support educational programs and events, acting as a bridge with departments, students, and audiences. These events include clubs, invited speakers, painting exhibitions, music concerts, and more.
Anatolia High School • Eleftheriadis Library
• Access to information and digital resources, such as subscription-based databases and academic journals (not available freely online but via our websites);
• Information Literacy Teaching and Research Assistance to guide students in finding relevant, trustworthy sources, evaluate their credibility, discourage plagiarism, and combat the spread of false information (fake news);
• Learning Spaces for collaborative and individual study, such as group discussion or solo areas, foster an inclusive environment for group projects,
peer learning, and personal reflection for our students, teachers, alums, and the broader community;
• Collaboration with all departments, divisions, and teachers to serve all student groups;
• Well-being collections and services;
• Advice, collections, and guides on the subjects taught as well as Teaching and Learning, Writing, study and other skills, Digital humanities, Open Access, Faculty development collections, Digital Information needs, AI, Well-being, Citizenship, Climate literacy, and more.
Dr. Evi Tramantza, Director of Anatolia College Libraries and Archives, holds a PhD from the University of Sheffield. She was the Chair of the Coordinating Committee of the AMICAL Consortium (American International Liberal Arts Institutions) between Sep 2019- Sep 2021. She was elected Chair of the Global Council and the EMEA Council of the OCLC - Online Computer Library Center in 2023. The Global Council brings forward worldwide library viewpoints, guiding the OCLC cooperative with their informed perspectives representing the 16,000 member libraries in more than 100 countries. She has recently been interviewed by the American Library Association magazine “International Leads.”
Dr. Tramantza, supported by our knowledgeable librarians, aspires for our libraries to become the most forward-thinking learning centers in the region. They foster strong people’s values and empower our students, staff, and community to thrive in their studies, work, and life with their work and services. They aspire to be respected as a critical component in building the future of the institution. They also aspire to further build on Anatolia College history and legacy of constant development, high standards, and excellence in providing educational services.
Anatolia Elementary School • Albert & Aliki Modiano Library
BY THE NUMBERS
ACT Bissell Library Collection:
• Over 30,000 print books
• Over 230,000 ebooks
• More than 10,300 Journal titles
• 45 research databases
• Webpage and subject guides: 29,481 views
• Date count: Busiest day 1,797 people visit gate count
• 72 information literacy teaching sessions
• 61 events hosted in 2022 – 2023
Anatolia High School Eleftheriades Library
• Books: 35,702
• Periodicals: 27
• Website views: 18,000
• Database sessions: 3,000
• Gate Count: 695 avg/day
• Borrowing sessions: 25
• 54 hours of Information Literacy lessons for all MYP & DP students
Anatolia Elementary School/ Albert and Aliki Modiano Library
• 6,890 items borrowed (Elementary and Kindergarten)
• 766 monthly checkouts
• Kindergarten borrowing sessions: 28
• Elementary borrowing sessions: 95
• Information literacy sessions: 51 466 students in 18 classes –(1st Grade – 6th)
• 5,409 total items in the collection
Pinewood EY & Elementary Library
• 2,609 items borrowed
• 6,770 student visits
• 209 read-aloud sessions
• 52 stories read to students
• 292 monthly checkouts
• 7,347 items in the collection
Dr. Evi Tramantza
Transforming Greek Education
Lidl Hellas Head of Corporate Communications & Responsibility Vasiliki Adamidou, participated in CTY Greece Media Event “Patient Zero” in July 2023
Fostering Trasformative Learning Classrooms
Anatolia College plays a transformative role in the Greek educational landscape. Our innovative approach to teaching, learning, and living emphasizes the development and implementation of best practices - from our core curricula to the adjunct programs we offer and the outreach we do to educators across the public and private scholastic spectrum.
Our Kassandra Center for Educational Excellence serves as the locus of these efforts, providing the physical and pedagogical structure underscoring these efforts.
Our flagship program, CTY Greece, has closed a decade of ground-breaking education focused on helping young people with high academic potential flourish, bringing their abilities to the forefront while also providing educators with the knowledge and tools necessary to realize the full extent of their gifts. From testing and outreach to weekend events, the CTY Greece team has worked tirelessly to spread the word and recruit students from all over Greece and Cyprus.
These efforts have the dual purpose of finding and boosting the participation of students from rural and less-developed areas, along with educating parents and teachers about the particular needs and resources required to allow them to develop their talents. Anatolia College has shown tremendous success in obtaining increasing scholarships for these students to ensure that as many children as possible can benefit from this life-changing experience. Since the beginning of CTY Greece in 2013, 1,600 students have received scholarships to attend the summer programs, equivalent to more than 52% in all program years, thanks to the assistance provided by Anatolia’s community of donors and supporters.
The College’s emphasis on STEAM education began over a decade ago and has advanced to form the bedrock of our curriculum from grades K-12. Our laboratories and classroom facilities have been enriched with the modern technology and equipment necessary to spur our students to engage in a wide variety of hands-on research and inquiry. This fosters an environment that breeds further curiosity and a joy of discovery amongst their peers, from advanced math and science topics to an appreciation for the role of arts and humanities in daily life.
Our teacher training initiatives ensure that Anatolia’s commitment to professional development is a priority for our faculty and educators nationwide. Events at the Kassandra Center for Educational Excellence - open to the public - have focused on new methods and tools for teaching students with disparate needs and spotting and dealing with student well-being issues. Conferences and trainings offered through the CTY Greece outreach activities provide access to the strength and breadth of Anatolia’s resources and extend our reach beyond the confines of our campus. Our faculty also participate in many European Union Erasmus+ projects each year, thus widening their professional networks across the continent and bringing innovative ideas and methods from other countries to implement here at home.
Anatolia is dedicated to leveraging our resources, tools, and technology to create new learning environments where students can excel and grow. Our Lifelong Learning Center at ACT offered 14 programs this past year, enrolling more than 200 participants. Since its launch in Spring 2018, LLC has offered 54 programs, serving 793 participants, successfully weathering and adapting to the new hybrid learning paradigm brought on by the pandemic. Growing its visibility, LLC has sustained high rates of program recommendation (4.5/5.0 scale) and participant repeat enrollment (15%). Some of our most popular upskilling programs include the Diploma in Digital & Social Media Marketing, Management Mindset, Leadership Beyond Management, Conflict & Negotiation, Eshops, Airbnb & Experiences, and Business Strategy: Competition Demystified.
Anatolia has substantially upgraded our IT profile throughout all campus levels thanks to our Comprehensive Campaign’s success. Classrooms are equipped with learning technology, including dedicated computing and projection devices with fast and secure access to the internet. Our faculty are encouraged to incorporate computer-based tools and methods into their lessons, engaging students with various learning technologies, such as Kahoot. The school uses an industry-standard Moodle platform to support teacher-student communication and assignments. Every year, we offer faculty development sessions to all levels of our teaching staff to increase the awareness and adoption of the latest forms of classroom technology.
ACT Lifelong Learning Center
“Supporting education has always been one of the core principles of BETA, and it continues to be a central focus of our corporate social responsibility.
We hold Anatolia College in high regard as a dependable and trustworthy institution that offers a solid academic foundation to students from diverse backgrounds, enabling them to pursue ambitious, inspired, and creative life paths. We are privileged to have the opportunity to contribute to Anatolia’s mission, which closely aligns with our values and principles.
Sam Saltiel, CCO BETA CAE Systems
Anatolia College Donor
Pinewood takes a “lab school” approach to technology and AI in education, mainly through the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) approach, and integrates the technology into the learning process. Pinewood’s Elementary STEAM program incorporates 3D printing, robotics, and engineering into projects aligned with the IB PYP framework. The program has been successful, with students earning awards in open technologies and 3D printing competitions. Pinewood also has ongoing projects in their cutting-edge Design Studio, includ-
ing 3D printed assistive devices and environmentally friendly robots. Pinewood uses special platforms/applications for students with dyslexia that convert text into verbal instructions, Khanmigo as an AI-powered learning guide, digital portfolios for students to showcase their work, data analytics tools for teachers to assess student performance, and the flipped classroom approach used in the Middle and High School.
Pinewood “Bring Your Own Device”
Anna Papageorgiou STEM Center
Achievement
Skepsis Team, iGEM
Pinewood 3D Printing
Anatolia’s Class of 2023 shines bright!
Each year, our students prove that our institution provides more than just academic preparation. The holistic nature of Anatolia education includes multiple opportunities for young people to grow and mature into well-rounded, excellence-seeking adults.
Anatolia High School Seniors placed exceptionally well on the national Panhellenic exams, winning 129 places in top-rated departments in the nation’s universities and technical schools. Several candidates made it to the top 10 of their schools, including many scholarship students at Anatolia College.
This year, 35 students from the Anatolia Lyceum, IB Diploma Program and Pinewood matriculated in US universities. The total financial aid, over four years of study, offered Anatolia and Pinewood students who matriculated in US higher institutions in Fall 2023 was over $7.23 million. Twenty eight students have accepted places to study at UK and European Universities.
Extracurricular activities allow our students to put the knowledge they gain in the classroom to practical use and often provide a path to distinction. Fifteen IBDP students formed the Skepsis Team to enter the iGEM World Synthetic Biology Competition and took home a bronze medal in the final event held in Paris. Competing amongst more than 7,400 students, our Anatolians impressed the jury with their entry, an enzyme-based filter capable of transforming nitrates (NO3-) into nitrites (NO2-), as a solution to the hypertrophic problems facing the Thermaikos region of the Mediterranean Sea.
A combined effort from Anatolia and the 2ⁿd General High School of Xanthi brought Team AEOLOS to the world finals of the F1 in Schools competition, held this year in Singapore. This prestigious STEM program is recognized worldwide as a catalyst for teaching and inspiring young people to pursue careers in science and engineering by designing and constructing cutting-edge racing models. Our students combined their efforts to reach the world finals following their success in the Greek National event - where the Anatolian Racers took first prize, and the GForceXanthi team arrived in fourth place.
Aeolos Team, F1 in Schools
Pinewood students Alexandros Mentesidis and Marios Katzigas received the Student Entrepreneurship Award during the “Genuine Innovative Youth Awards 2023” for their business idea called ‘Sleek,’ an intelligent bin that aims to remove all the hassle and inconvenience of dealing with rubbish.
A Pinewood team of 6th graders earned the prestigious Distinction Award at the 2023 5th Panhellenic Open Technologies in Education Competition. With funding provided by the Onassis Foundation following the initial evaluation round, they transformed their visionary treehouse settlement project into a tangible reality that combines the application of various technologies. 3rd-graders created bee hotels that combined 3D printing with clay, working with their Classroom, STEAM, and Art teachers. This project won 1st place, competing with 30 teams, in the Elementary Division of the National 3D Printing Competition organized by Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Our 7th graders’ Product Design project, a 3D printed map of monuments of Thessaloniki, also won 1st place in the Secondary Division of the National 3D Printing Competition, competing with 14 teams.
Social action and awareness is a longstanding tradition at Anatolia, and now more than ever, our students are building momentum toward positive environmental change. This past year, Anatolians won awards and distinctions in several national competitions, including Bravo Schools (for “Cooperative Action - Teaching Volunteerism”), the Open Innovation Social Hackathon, where our team won the Junior Award for an app designed for citizen action and inclusion, and the 1st place in the Greek Social Innovation competition (designed a Board Game for the visually impaired). Four separate Anatolian teams won medals in various categories at the Fourth Annual Hellenic Young Naturalists Tournament.
“Hellas Casper,” the Anatolia College team, won the bronze medal at the 11th International Young Naturalists’ Tournament (IYNT) in Almaty, Kazakhstan, from August 21 to 27, 2023. The science competition combines science with rhetoric, debate, and argumentation and attracts the interest of students aged 12 to 16 worldwide.
Social Hackathon
Greek Social Innovation
Anatolia’s longstanding commitment to the power of performing arts is demonstrated in our celebrated theater programs - the English-language Drama Club and the Greek Theater Club. This year, Anatolia received the Best Amateur Theater Company award, offered for the first time at the 11th Thessaloniki Theater Awards, in recognition of the quality and breadth of our productions.
Finally, our student-athletes proved that physical development is essential to any education, teaching the value of teamwork, fair play, and healthy competition. Our students proved their prowess in a myriad of sports, bringing home distinctions in national and international events, including the Aegean Tournament (men’s and women’s team entries in basketball, soccer, and volleyball) and the International Belgrade Sports Tournament (ACT Men’s Basketball team), among many others.
Anatolia College is a beacon of excellence in education that the Papageorgiou Public Benefit & Charitable Foundation is proud to support. It is not just a school but a nurturing ground for future leaders, innovators, and change-makers. As donors, our unwavering commitment lies in supporting Anatolia’s resolute dedication to academic rigor and the holistic development of every student.
Our goal is to ensure that Anatolia’s legacy endures for decades, cultivating the success of countless students ahead.
Our decision to endorse Anatolia is rooted in our belief that education is the cornerstone of progress. We are inspired by Anatolia’s dedication to nurturing well-rounded individuals who are academically proficient and socially responsible.
In collaboration with Anatolia, we commit to making significant strides towards their goals, enriching the educational journey for all students. Together, we are building a legacy of distinction and are excited about the transformative impact we can achieve in the years to come.
George Papageorgiou President of Papageorgiou Public Benefit & Charitable Foundation
Many of our faculty and staff are respected scholars in their fields and are active in publishing, speaking, and serving in leadership positions along with their academic duties. This past year has several notable achievements to announce:
Dr. Christos Aliprantis served as a career fellow in Philhellenism at the Center of Hellenic Studies of Harvard University and, with funding from the Humboldt Foundation, served as a postdoctoral researcher at Ruhr University Bochum, Germany. Dr. Aliprantis also received research grants from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (Tsagadas Trust) and New Europe College in Bucharest, Romania.
Dr. Maria Kyriakidou managed the EU-funded project INGAME and started working on the new Erasmus + project “Blooming the Future.” Dr. Kyriakidou also joined the research teams for two European Cooperation in Science and Technology projects: “Platform Work Inclusion Living Lab and Transnational Family Dynamics in Europe”.
Dr. Vassiliki Vergouli is the recipient of a research residency at the University of Bonn in the framework of the project The Philosophy of Non-Being on the History of Negative Ontology. The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation funds the research.
Dr. Aimiliza Stefanidou joined an EU-funded research project co-hosted by the Papanikolaou Hospital & the Medical School of Aristotle University. Dr. Stefanidou also participates in two European Cooperation in Science and Technology projects on multisectoral responses to child abuse and neglect in Europe and Mental Health Research.
In April 2023, Anatolia College President Dr. Panos Vlachos was elected President of the Association of American International Colleges and Universities (AAICU) for the 2023 to 2025 term.
AAICU is an association of independent, accredited, not-for-profit higher education institutions that are located outside the United States and based on the American educational model. The association allows leading international institutions to share best practices, exchange perspectives on recent developments, and promote broader cultural exchange and academic excellence through open dialogue with similar institutions worldwide.
Through his work with the Center of Ecumenical, Missiological, and Environmental Studies (CEMES), Dr. Nikos Dimitriadis is the recipient of an EU research grant on the Protection and Security of Places of Worship.
“Continue your God-pleasing work!”
With those words, a warm handshake, and a smile, His Holiness Pope Francis greeted ACT’s Dr. Nikolaos Dimitriadis, Professor of World Religions and President of the Center of Ecumenical, Missiological and Environmental Studies (CEMES), in a private audience at the Vatican.
NOTABLE EVENTS
The 2022-23 academic year allowed a total return to organized events, and Anatolia hosted several hybrid and in-person gatherings.
Workshop’ Security, Energy, and the Environment in the Eastern Mediterranean’
ACT’s Dukakis Center supported the Division of Humanities and Social Sciences in the workshop on ‘Security, Energy, and the Environment in the Eastern Mediterranean,’ held in February 2023 at the Bissell Library. The keynote speaker was Dr. Aristotle Tziampiris, Professor of International Relations and Chair at the Department of International and European Studies of the University of Piraeus and Anatolia High School Alumnus of Class 1988.
Politics and New Technologies Masterclass
ACT’s Division of Humanities and Social Sciences and the Department of Political Science at the University of Belgrade co-organized a masterclass on “Politics and New Technologies” at the Hyatt Hotel in Belgrade in March 2023 as a follow-up event to the 2019 partnership agreement between the two institutions. ACT Adjunct Professor Dr. Christos Aliprantis and University of Belgrade Assistant Professor Dr. Ivana Damnjanovic reflected on how technology has decisively affected and will further shape democracy in the 21st century.
Energy Workshop
How to Become a Business Angel
ACT’s Entrepreneurship Hub, along with the One Stop Liaison Office (Central Macedonia Region) and the Center for Business and Cultural Development, co-sponsored an event at Bissell Library covering the concept and processes of Angel Investing, and the position and prospects of Business Angels in the Greek ecosystem of innovation and entrepreneurship. Executives from the three promoters were joined by members of Genesis Ventures, a new investment fund that co-invests with angel investors.
ACT’s Tourism and Hospitality Program Puts a Focus on Industry
ACT joined the Rhodes’ Association of Hotel Managers to present a free training seminar on “Basic Finance for Hotel Managers” for hotel managers and senior executives, aiming to assist them in improving their knowledge and skills to better respond to intense competition and a challenging tourism environment. The seminar was offered within the framework of ACT’s academic programs in Tourism and Hospitality and provided educational material adapted to the needs of modern hotel management.
6th Tourism of Tomorrow Conference
At the 6th Tourism of Tomorrow Conference, speakers focused on redefining their industry regarding personnel management to regain its status as an attractive career option. The conference titled “Human Resources: The Next Challenge” took place in March 2023 at the Hyatt Regency Thessaloniki. The event was organized by ACT’s Tourism & Hospitality Program, with air transport sponsorship from AEGEAN Airlines.
Hans-Lukas Kieser, Professor of Late Ottoman History at the Universities of Zurich and Newcastle (Australia), was the invited speaker to the Dukakis Center lecture held at the Bissell Library where he highlighted the proceedings and outcomes of the Lausanne Conference and Treaty of 1922-23, offering a startling new interpretation of the far-reaching implications of the treaty for interwar Europe.
The Dukakis Center hosted also a lecture featuring Alex Papadopoulos, Professor of Urban and Political Geography, DePaul University, Chicago (and Anatolia College Class of 1980), and Triantafyllos Petridis, Director at the 3rd Secondary School in Athens, alternated in English and Greek with material from their jointly published book Hellenic Statecraft and the Geopolitics of Difference (Routledge, 2022).
Hans-Lukas Kieser
Tree planting
Consciousness, Responsibility, Environment
“
Anatolia College is Greece’s most important non-profit educational organization, offering generations of young people the window to a better future.
There are privileged kids who study in Anatolia and manage to thrive; there are others who choose not to, but there are many who are not privileged, and it is of great importance to offer them the opportunity.
This is what makes Anatolia exceptional. This is what motivates me the most. I will keep helping in this cause as far and as much I can in my entire life!
Thrasyvoulos Th. Makios. ‘00 CEO, Makios Logistics Anatolia College Donor
PROMOTING SOCIAL INCLUSION & EQUITY
Anatolia is committed to providing an equitable and inclusive education to as many deserving young people as possible. From the earliest days, our institution has prided itself on providing scholarships and other forms of aid to ensure that children from families of limited means can benefit from our programs and enroll as matriculating students.
Equity is one of its founding core values of Anatolia, which welcomes students from diverse ethnic, cultural, religious, and social backgrounds.
In the academic year 2022-2023, Anatolia offered full or partial scholarships and financial aid to more than 900 students in its three divisions (Anatolia Elementary, High School, IBDP, Pinewood, ACT) and CTY Greece. The total amount offered was $4.511.000. Anatolia College looks to provide relief to the families and students greatly affected by the financial crisis and enhance the number of new scholarship students. This year, the number of new scholarship students enrolled in 7th Grade is 27, in 10th Grade is 8, and in IB1 is 15. These funds come from a vast array of donors, including our alumnae, trustees, and friends of the institution. Year over year, we seek to increase the number of dedicated scholarships available to students while broadening our reach to areas historically underserved by the educational system.
The CTY Greece program has reached its tenth year, experiencing remarkable growth since its inception in 2013. Over 15,000 children have taken the CTY qualification exams, and nearly 7,000 6th to 11th Grade students have participated in CTY Greece programs (Summer, Online, Weekend, and Daily) and activities. Most telling, more than 1,500 students have received need-based scholarships to the Summer Program. Much of this aid has come from Lidl Hellas and Lidl Cyprus (supporters of the CTY Greece initiative since 2014 and 2015, respectively). The two companies have contributed 423 partial or full scholarships to support students’ attendance at the CTY Greece Summer Program. According to a SRoI (Social Return on Investment) analysis, for the seven years spanning January 1, 2014, to December 31, 2020, every €1 invested produced €3.7 of social returns as the product of CTY Greece’s activities. Half of the participants attend public schools, and 50% come from areas outside Thessaloniki or Athens.
Anna Papageorgiou STEM Center garden
Recognizing that instructors must be better equipped to understand and assist these students, the program has also demonstrated a commitment to supporting educators. More than 2,678 teachers from 200 different schools (Greece & Cyprus) have attended CTY Greece’s free workshops, sponsored by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, to learn about new methods and technologies that can enhance their work with gifted students.
ENCOURAGING SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY, SUSTAINABILITY & ACTION FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
This past year, the Anatolia community has participated in various volunteer actions, including charity drives, beach cleanups, internships, and awareness-raising projects. More than 40 partnerships with NGOs and advocacy groups tackling issues such as health, hun-
ger, child protection, human trafficking, homelessness, environmental destruction, and more benefited from countless hours of dedicated volunteer work, fundraising, and social campaigning.
Climate Change and the associated environmental challenges will pose increasing difficulties and risks for the planet. Anatolia has long encouraged our students, staff, and faculty to take a proactive stance toward protecting and enhancing our physical landscape. From concentrated efforts to reduce plastic use and promote water conservation on our campus to cleanup actions in our local and regional areas, we work hard to foster a sense of responsibility and stewardship throughout our community. The rich flora and historical gardens are essential to our daily lives here on campus. Preserving and enhancing these lush spaces allows us to instill a love of nature and an appreciation of its beauty while reinforcing the imperative to safe-
ACMUN
guard it from harm. The recent new installations and adaptations of our buildings have been conducted to the highest sustainability standards, incorporating bioclimatic design principles and utilizing materials suited to a net-zero approach. This becomes a powerful lesson for students as the STEM principles they learn in theory unfold in practice, in front of their eyes and below their feet.
Taking action for society and the environment outside of campus is also a fundamental part of the Anatolia experience. This year, our high school students took a field trip to the Kalochori lagoon on the outskirts of Thessaloniki in the context of their Geography and Chemistry studies. After collecting water samples, they visited the Central Macedonia Environmental Control & Research Laboratory to analyze their findings.
This visit laid the grounds for further joint actions between the regional authority and our STEM Center, which will now collaborate on the design and development of educational activities that will be made available to all schools in Thessaloniki.
In what is fast becoming an annual tradition, 20 ACT students returned in March 2023 to the National Park of Lake Kerkini to volunteer to protect the Dalmatian and Great White Pelican communities who make their home in the Kerkini wetlands. Overgrazing and destruction have dramatically reduced the number of trees in the area, which limits the branches they usually use to construct their nests. In response, our students collected, transported, and scattered native reeds in areas close to the pelicans’ community to be used as material for building nests.
Kerkini Lagoon
“Studying at Anatolia College helps students develop a strong character, an open mind, and self-confidence. Their participation in the School’s extracurricular activities teaches them team spirit, solidarity, volunteerism, and contribution to their fellow human beings. The delightful environment of the School is another contributing factor. Congratulations to the Scholarship Department of Anatolia College for a job well done.
Eleni Kaggelari-Xenidou, ‘54 Anatolia College Donor
ACSTAC
Anatolia College alums supporting “Schedia”
Anatolia College gardens
On March 24, 2023, a voluntary tree planting occurred in Panorama in the Municipality of Pilea-Hortiatis. More than 30 Junior High School students planted 50 acacia and cypress trees with the support and guidance of the Directorate of Reforestation of Central Macedonia.
Other activities, such as the Anatolia College Model United Nations (ACMUN), volunteering at Papageorgiou Hospital, cooking for homeless individuals, or providing companionship to seniors in care homes, help students achieve a greater understanding of the complex social and cultural issues facing our world today.
This year’s ACMUN saw 430 students from Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, and Poland representing the views and positions of nations all over the globe. Participating in parliamentary-style sessions gives our young diplomats a precious experience in learning, advocating, and defending a position, often one that may not be the same as their personal views.
ACSTAC, the Anatolia College Science and Technology Conference, is another example of a homegrown initiative that we offer to the broader community. The conference brings leading speakers and authorities to present perspectives on the global challenges and solutions posed by the increasingly rapid pace of scientific and technological development. From cosmology to nano-technology, ACSTAC sessions invite participants from Greece and beyond to expand their knowledge and engage with their peers while learning from some of today’s brightest minds.
During the 2022-2023 school year, 329 High School students engaged in voluntary programs across more than 17 different institutions. These initiatives span various sectors, including child welfare, disability support, animal welfare, human rights advocacy, compassion movements, and environmental conservation. Our strong partnerships with various non-profit organizations, hospitals, nursing facilities, and rehabilitation centers enable our students to make a meaningful impact by volunteering their time and skills. These activities instill a sense of empathy, responsibility, and leadership. Summer Internships and Programs have been instrumental in helping our high school students explore career paths, develop leadership skills, and gain practical experience in their chosen fields. This year, 174 students interned with 22 different community partners, gaining valuable insights and contributing to their communities in diverse ways.
Anna Papageorgiou STEM Center
The Anatolia College alums are always willing to contribute to their school’s community. Our alums responded to the invitation of the Anatolia College Alumni Office. They supported “Shedia,” the only Greek street paper sold exclusively on the streets of Athens and Thessaloniki by homeless people. Wearing the red vest and holding up the “raft” next to the seller, they urged passers-by to turn their gaze to the remarkable publishing effort, sending their message against poverty, social exclusion, and the right to a second chance.
The Alumni Office also initiated a new Mentorship Program, a career program guided by 25 alums who supported and encouraged high school & IBDP students to develop and realize their potential, broaden their professional horizons, and gain more profound knowledge of various professional disciplines.
Sustainability meets Educational Innovation
The Anna Papageorgiou STEM Center received the Green Brand Awards 2023 in the “Green Education” category. The Center, dedicated to the STE(A)M (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) approach, was distinguished for connecting innovation in the educational process, for sustainable development and the openness of its programs.
Dr. Iro Koliakou, Anna Papageorgiou STEM Center Coordinator
Anatolia Elementary School
Financial Report
message from the vice president for finance & human resources / cfo
Dear Members of the Anatolia Community,
I am pleased to present you financial report of Anatolia College for the fiscal year 2023. This report presents a sound and sustainable financial position that supports our mission and vision for the coming years.
The College demonstrated a strong financial performance in 2023, mainly driven by solid enrollment, the return on our investments portfolio, and the successful fundraising efforts.
Through solid financial planning, we aimed to enhance the school’s infrastructure, curriculum, technology, and staff development. This planning was based on a comprehensive analysis of the school’s current and future needs, as well as best practices in the education sector. College leadership regularly reviews and evaluates the progress and outcomes of the plan.
Our school continued to give emphasis to student excellence and programs, wellbeing, high-end facilities and technology. Consistent with our mission, we continued to invest in quality education that catered to the diverse needs and interests of the students, offering a wide range of academic, co-curricular, and extracurricular programs.
The school also further promoted our students’ wellbeing by allocating more resources, aiming to provide a safe, healthy, and supportive environment for the students to learn and grow. The school continues to upgrade facilities and technology, ensuring that they meet the highest academic standards and expectations by implementing an investment plan of approximately 40m USD.
I would like to thank the Board of Trustees, benefactors, the president and other senior leaders, the faculty and staff for bringing the School in that leading position. I would also like to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of the finance and HR team and all the staff members who contributed to the financial success of the school.
I look forward to working with you in 2024 to continue our journey of excellence. Sincerely,
Pavlos Floros Chief Financial Officer / Vice President for Finance & HR
Anatolia College Financial Highlights*
Fiscal Years ended June 30
FINANCIAL OVERVIEW ENROLLMENT
Anatolia’s consolidated net asset position has increased by 9% from $83.6m in 2022 to $90.9m in 2023. This change in net asset primarily reflects the positive result of our investments portfolio and operational surplus during this period. Anatolia’s operating result has been improved by 18% from $1.2m in 2022 to $1.4m in 2023.
Pinewood International School Bridge - Bilingual MSU 3,901 CTY Summer Program
The College’s financial position and activities are presented according to two classes of Net assets: with donor restriction and without donor restriction.
Net assets with donor restrictions are subject to donor stipulations that expire with the passage of time, can be fulfilled by actions pursuant to the stipulations, or which may be perpetual. In FY 2023, net assets with donor restrictions reached the amount of $54.9m, and have increased by 1% compared to FY 2022.
Net assets without donor restriction, which total $36m in FY 2023, are not subject to donor stipulations restricting their use, but may be designated for specific purposes by the College or may be limited by contractual agreements with outside parties.
Investments portfolio, cash liquidity, and Anatolia’s Property, Land and Equipment reflects a strong asset position of the Institution representing more than 94% of our total assets. Anatolia’s capital investment plan of a total of $40m is progressing with the further completion of two of the major projects. The New Elementary building, as well as, the completion of 2nd phase of the West Hall, epitomizing the fruitful outcome of the Comprehensive campaign and financial performance of previous years.
Deferred income primarily represents students’ deposits for the next academic year, and mainly reflects the timing of the collection of the advance payments for next years placement. Anatolia following a consistent policy managed to reach turion collection rates close to 100%. The “due to banks” balance represents lines of credit used for Anatolia’s operations and capital investment plan.
OPERATING & FUNDRAISING REVENUE
Student income is the main source of income in support of campus educational operations, as it represents more than 95% of total operating revenue.
Contributions revenues remained strong and consistent with prior years, reaching the level of $1.4m mainly representing our annual fund initiative.
Total operating revenues reached the amount of $33m during FY 2023.
Consolidated Fiscal 2023 Fundraising Revenue
OPERATING EXPENSES
Operating expenses amounted to $32.4m in FY 2023 compared to $31.7m in FY2022, representing a 2% increase for the year.
Salaries, wages & employer’s benefits expenses are the main driver of the cost structure, representing 60% operating expenses. General expenses represent 20% of the total. Maintenance costs, energy costs, other housing costs represent 11% of the total.
Consolidated Fiscal 2023 Operating Expenses
CONSOLIDATED FISCAL 2023 OPERATING EXPENSES
Total Operating Expenses $32,445
ENDOWMENT & INVESTMENTS RETURN
Under the College’s current spending plan, 4.5% of the average fair value of qualifying investments over the prior 12 quarters was appropriated by the Board for expenditure in fiscal years 2023 and 2022. For the years ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, this amounted to $2,057 and $1,813, respectively. The actual amount spent for restricted purposes was $1,685 and $1,429. Amounts appropriated that are not spent, due primarily to unmet restrictions, are returned to the appropriate endowment fund.
TOTAL VALUE OF THE ENDOWMENT
The College’s endowment consists of approximately 90 individual funds established for a variety of purposes including both donor-restricted endowment funds and funds designated by the Board of Trustees to function as endowments. $49,910
Total Value of the Endowment
Total Value of the Endowment
Net assets associated with endowment funds, including funds designated by the Board of Trustees to function as endowments, are classified and reported based on the existence or absence of donor-imposed restrictions.
In FY 2023 Anatolia’s endowment provided $1.7m for the support of Anatolia’s programs. The market value increased from $39,964 on June 30, 2022 to $43,264 on June 30, 2023, approximately $33m more than the year before.
The overall investments portfolio as of June 30, 2023 is analyzed based on the investment type classification.
FAIR VALUE OF INVESTMENTS AS OF JUNE 30, 2023
Fair Value of Investments as of June 30, 2023
Fair Value
Donors
Special Recognition
We are truly grateful to Mystakidis Telis & Kassandra ‘84 for their extraordinary financial support
The Charles Tracy Society
($ 50.000 or more)
Behrakis Maria & Drake
Bodossaki Foundation
Doukas Panagiotis
Eurobank Ergasias
Grogan Bissell Kenyon
Kagellari Xenidou Eleni ‘54
Lidl Cyprus
Lidl Hellas
Mylonas Georgios, Alumil AE
Papageorgiou Foundation
Papageorgiou Markos & Alexandra
Zotiades Basil
The George White Society
($ 25.000 - $ 49.999)
Anonymous
Arhodidis Dimosthenis ‘87 & Papacharalambous Maria Ekaterini
Association of Friends of Anatolia College
Bissell William & Caroline
ELVIAL SA
John S. Latsis Public Benefit Foundation
The Minneapolis Foundation, Lindsay Helen ‘64 & Daniel
Trethewey Peggy & Peter
The Ernst & Alice Riggs Society
]($ 10.000 - $ 24.999)
Abadzi Helen ‘69
Anatolia College Alumni Association of Athens
Anatolia College Alumni Association of Thessaloniki
Anonymous
Anonymous
Antoniadis George & Chigas Diana
Aridgides Steve ‘68
Demoulas Madeline Irene
Eduact
Estate and Trust M. Karamechedis
Evangelidis Leonidas ‘53
Florentin Jack ‘66
Gallopoulos Gregory
Hatzopoulos A. SA
Hellas Gold SA
HELLENiQ ENERGY Holdings AE
Intrasoft International SA
Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies
Kafatos Vasilios ‘86, Deloitte Greece Foundation
Kouimtzi Vassi ‘88 & Kouimtzis Athanasios, K.Kouimtzis SA
