Aristea Kyriakou

Dr. Aristea Kyriakou, co-founder and director of the European Outdoor Education Hub, holds a PhD from the University of Aberdeen in Scotland (on an Onassis Foundation scholarship). She now specializes in post-doctoral outdoor education, an alternative teaching methodology that broadens educational opportunities.

Her academic career began at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki's Department of Primary Education (honors) and continued at the University of Linseping in Sweden, where she earned a postgraduate degree in Outdoor Environmental Education and Outdoor Life. This was followed by a master’s degree in social research, with a focus on school spaces, from the University of Aberdeen in Scotland. The next step was to investigate this practice in the Greek school setting, which resulted in a PhD in Outdoor Education from the University of Aberdeen. The new proposals and applications presented were then implemented during postdoctoral research in Lucerne, Switzerland.

Aristea works on a pan-European and international scale, having worked with hundreds of students, teachers, and schools in Switzerland, Scotland, and Sweden among other countries, as well as developing dozens of educational programs at all levels of education, which led to her appointment as Ambassador of the European Climate Pact.

She now aspires to implement outdoor education systemically in every school in Greece and Europe through the European Outdoor Education Hub.

Aristea intends to expand the programs in order to make direct contributions to civil society, demonstrating the value of her proposal for a more eco-centric education system that has a positive impact on the environment and numerous benefits for school communities.