Who we are

ALTERA VITA is a Social Cooperative Enterprise of Collective and Social Benefits (SCE) based in Syros and the action area of ​​the Prefecture of Cyclades.

The Cooperative was founded with the aim of responding with professionalism and expertise to the needs of care and empowerment expressed by people and communities. The approach of ALTERA VITA is based on participation, active citizenship, and reciprocity. The goal is the activation and the networking of the social and economic resources of the territories, promoting sustainable development and well-being of the communities.

In many projects, ALTERA VITA plays the role of activator of social resources and facilitator in the involvement of local civil networks. For the creation of welfare systems and services focused on the needs of the person, ALTERA VITA promotes co-projecting and networking of best practices.


Meet the team!

Purpose

The purpose of  KΟINSEP CYCLADES- ALTERA VITA  is to pursue the collective benefits and to serve more general social interests. In particular, the aim of the Social Cooperative is to produce local products and to provide services to meet the needs of collectivity, especially given the economic hardship that our country is experiencing.

Specifically, the objectives of the Cooperative are specialized in the following activities:

The provision of specialized services to third parties in order to meet the needs of collectivity and the solidarity economy, through culture, the environment, education, the use of local products, utilities, health benefits, prevention and health promotion, the preservation of traditional activities and professions, tourism and extroversion, pursuing aims that promote local and collective interest, promote employment, empowerment of social cohesion and the strengthening of local or regional sustainable development.

Principles

ALTERA VITA is a scientific research centre that implements education and awareness programs, working with volunteers in the areas of Environment and Culture and Social Intervention programs at the community level.

ALTERA VITA provides training to specialists who offer services in mental health and other health professionals, educators, managers etc., as well as parents and couples. The training framework of ALTERA VITA is based on the principles and applications of the Systemic – Dialectic Epistemology.

The main goal of training is the development of “the whole person” –Anthropos. The process of the training focuses throughout on the professional and personal development and the differentiation of the trainee.

During training, participants do not remain passive listeners but, rather actively participate in the process of learning by sharing personal experiences and emotions and interacting with other trainees and instructors in small groups and large group tasks.

ALTERA VITA. organizes domestic and transnational training sessions on a wide range of topics. To this end, it collaborates with a network of experienced trainers and experts in various fields. Experts with special knowledge, experience and training in their subject offer the opportunity for trainees to follow a flexible program from wherever they are, with only limited access to the internet,  to increasing social and professional changes in areas such as the social economy, Health Promotion, Organic Farming, Environment and Sustainable Development, the Arts and Culture, Pedagogy, Psychology, new technologies.

It is a place where artists, groups, young people, animators and citizens share their experiences, their techniques, their views on theatre, music, culture and the environment. It is a space of ideas and different perspectives, in which people with common values ​​and goals meet.

Our main goals are:
– Encourage and facilitate (inter)national mobility of youth
– Expand and improve social cooperation and volunteering projects with other associations.
– Enhance values of tolerance, human dignity, solidarity, empathy, cooperation, social justice and social integration.
– Promote a healthy and ecological lifestyle, and a sustainable development protecting the environment.

The leaders of our organization have earned each other’s trust over the years in various events, projects and other activities during a lot of years of experience in working with Youth, motivation, management, administration, project work, realization of different ideas and events and etc.

Our members represented Greece in various international events. Each of them has a different useful experience which, we are sure, is contributing to our success and good results, of course, can be useful in your project as well. We have an active network of persons in our region and especially in the Cyclades. They are always ready to share their experience and good practices in every project, help to involve young people into workshops, discussions and all project programs.

 Team leader / President / founder

Miltos Sakellariou, the President of the KOINSEP CYCLADES studied Biology in Greece at the University of Patras and made research at the Institute of Ethology “La Montagne des Singes” in France. He has completed postgraduate studies in Counseling Psychology at the Middlesex University, specializing in Addictions and Family Therapy. He has specialized in Systemic – Dialectic Psychosocial Approach and Team Process Work, as well as in the animation of young people from AKMA. He has worked at the Athens School of Medicine, Laboratory of Experimental Pharmacology. The object was the study of the operation of the Central Nervous System (CNS) in terms of Behavior and Biochemistry, pharmacodynamics of drug groups used in psychiatry, and drugs leading to drug abuse. He has been working in hospitals, schools, in Greece, in Africa on a voluntary basis with Médecins Sans Frontières. Participation in mission with Médecins sans Frontières in northern Uganda.

He had worked as Prevention Counsellor in Addictions, with advisory groups of parents, teachers and teenagers at the “Cyclades Prevention Center of Drugs abuses’’ Public Entity-Ministry of Health.  In 2002, he created and undertook the training and co-ordination of the mixed (parents-teen-educators) theatrical group of FEREKIDIS till now. The theatrical group with drama therapy and teamwork techniques wrote scenarios that were present to the Apollo Theater of Syros and were also presented at the International Youth Theater Festival in Grenoble, France.

The last 6 years was the Director of the Youth Counseling Station of the Cyclades Prefecture, Greek Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs. At the same period was Anti-bullying Coordinator, at the Observatory of the Greek Ministry of Education on Violence In School, at the Regional Directorate of Education of the South Aegean.

He has been appointed member and General Secretary of the Board since 2015, of the Child Abuse and Neglect/Juvenile Delinquency Committee of the Court οf Appeal Aegean District, (EPA Syros-Public Entity), providing services as a Social Service, for the prevention and treatment of juvenile delinquency and supervised by the Greek Ministry of Justice.  Actually he participates in the Interdisciplinary Team as Prevention Counsellor in Addictions, of the EPA Syros, consisting of psychiatrist/child psychiatrist, health visitor, psychologists, social workers, Representative of School Community in order to provide effective psychosocial support to minors and their families environment.

He is Chairman of the Board and founding member of the Social Cooperative Enterprise of Cyclades –ALTERA VITA. He has the responsibility, of the application, management, and coordination of the EU ALTERA VITA’S projects.

Project managers/ youth workers/ facilitators

 Lena Karagianni: Educator, teacher of Chemist, a youth worker for years. Facilitator and trainer, non-formal education expert, international and youth mobility. She speaks fluent English and French. She always keens on youth work and youth policy; deals with the Social Cooperative of Cyclades since its founding, and is an active member of the Board, and manages the bureaucratic and administrative part of the Cooperative.

Yannis Daskos:  Founding Member and General Secretary of ALTERA VITA, Teacher of Mathematics, and Physics, coach, student counsellor. He deals with young people and youth policies as well as having expertise in administrative and legal matters. Agricultural manager grows of our plant cultivations of Aromatic plants in our fields.

Leonardos Palaiologos: Work and experience in EU projects since 1995 with ANADRASIS –NGO in Syros. For more than 15 years engaged in youth work in youth participation and human rights education. Is a professional who is in close contact with the sending organization during the whole mobility process. Arrange the insurance required for the mobility travel (tickets, health, and accident).

 Aggeliki Sakellariou:  The last years engaged in youth work in youth participation and human rights education. She has participated in many international activities under the Erasmus + programs as a trainee and an active member of the theatrical team of ALTERA VITA. She works as Facilitator with YE mobility projects, speaks fluent English and has significant social skills. She studies Occupation Therapy at the University of West Attica in Athens and she has a certificate as a trainee finishing the Annual Program (2019-2020) in Special Education, from the Scientific Association for the Promotion of Educational Innovation (E.E.P.E.K.) in collaboration with the University of Thessaly. She also has been attending dance lessons for 14 years and is planning after her university studies to work as a dance-therapist.

Miranda Daskou: Biologist,  youth worker having experience in mobility, with previous contacts with organizations abroad, and having knowledge of institutions and occupational groups in the area, as well as the means to contact them.  She gained experience in Youth Work through local and international projects of non-formal education; she has participated in numerous activities abroad under Erasmus + programs. She speaks fluent English and French. Welcome the participants in the host country and provide personal support to the participant in crisis situations.

Antonia Sakellariou: Electrical and Computer Engineering University of Thessaly. She actively participates in scientific conferences and has presented a research publication. She has participated in the Erasmus + Youth Exchange programs. Active sailing athlete in Nautical Club of Syros for over a decade with much participation in Panhellenic, Regional and Intercollegiate Championships. Through sailing, she has developed a special relationship with the sea ​​and the natural environment and wants to transmit her love for it to the young people. She’s got to help voluntarily organize many sailing races by the Syros Nautical Club. She has the responsibility of our Traditional Sailing School.

Pavlos Aimoniotis: Pavlos is an Electrical and Computer Engineer. He has participated in multiple projects, since his early university years, through research laboratories and activities. He owns a publication of a conference paper and for the past years, he has been working on software technologies for computer systems. He has been involved in learning platforms and technologies and is an electronic learning coordinator with experience in creating e-learning websites in organizations. He has participated in Erasmus + Youth Exchange programs and has been a volunteer at local festivals for multiple years. Responsible for developing the organization’s strategy for using technological resources and discovering and implementing new technologies that yield competitive advantage. Leading all aspects of technology development, according to its strategic direction and growth objectives. Also, responsible for the smooth running of our computer systems within the limits of requirements, specifications, costs and timelines.

With ERASMUS + programmes are involved also in other members of the KOINSEP CYCLADES– ALTERA VITA, Social Workers, Psychologists, teachers,  ICT specialists, and youth workers.

We have the Quality Label from European Solidarity Corps as a Hosting and Sending Organization.