With support from the Achieve programme, Eleonora has transformed her approach to school, replacing isolation and withdrawal with focus and engagement.

Returning to school in Crete after missing a year while abroad with family, sixteen-year-old Eleonora struggled to settle back in. Her best friend had left and Eleonora was a year behind in her studies. Lonely and discouraged, she lost all interest in being at school and started skipping classes.

The Achieve programme has empowered Eleonora to build new connections and re-engage with learning. After a difficult re-entry, Eleonora has transformed her attitude to school, applying herself with newfound focus, commitment and ambition.

‘In previous years, I didn’t really go to school to learn; I just went to see my friends. I didn’t take it seriously. This year, though, I feel like I’ve actually learned things,’ Eleonora explains.

‘I made an active effort to be part of groups and to participate in class without getting distracted.’

From isolation to connection

The Achieve programme, delivered in Greece through our partner The Tipping Point (TTP), works with students aged 12-16, including those, like Eleonora, who have begun to disengage from school.

‘This year started off pretty rough. I didn’t want to be at school at all because my best friend, who I’d been close with in previous years, left, and I was on my own. I had completely withdrawn and wasn’t talking to anyone,’ Eleonora recalls.

Led by specially trained teachers within schools, Achieve offers practical, activity-based learning in small groups, helping young people develop the core skills and confidence they need to thrive in the classroom, and in later life. Modules cover content ranging from stress management and presentation skills to teamwork, communication and career planning.

Eleonora was initially reluctant to engage with the programme, but the hands-on activities gradually won her over, and working with others in small groups saw her forge new connections as well as build new skills.

‘At first, I didn’t even want to join the programme because I didn’t have any connection with the other kids,’ she explains.

‘Over time, through the programme, when we split into groups, I started working with classmates I’d never really spoken to before.’

Confidence and contribution

Along with building her confidence around working with classmates, the programme also saw Eleonora become more comfortable expressing her views, presenting her ideas and joining in with discussions and activities.

‘What I liked about the programme were the classroom activities and getting to present them afterward,’ Eleonora explains. ‘Growing up, I never really had the chance to do things like that, and I wasn’t interested in participating anyway. But through this programme, I started thinking about things on a deeper level, like how I communicate with my classmates.’

As she has started to concentrate and contribute more in class, Eleonora’s whole approach to learning has transformed, and her newfound commitment is paying dividends. The more she has proactively engaged with her schooling, the more she has got out of it. ‘I feel that school was much more interesting this year,’ she reflects.

And as Eleonora has found her voice, the benefits have spread far beyond the classroom, enabling her to speak up and stand her ground with peers, as well as hold her own in lessons. ‘I now feel much more comfortable expressing my views,’ Eleonora explains.

‘I’ve managed to start presenting my ideas and I’m proud of that, not just in class, but with my circle of friends outside of school, too.’