The Myconian Collection hospitality group has finished the complete construction of a fully functional, eco-friendly and tech-forward secondary school in the island’s Ano Mera village, and donated it to the local community, in active support of the Greek island’s youth.
As Mykonos natives and owing to their great love for the island, the Myconian Collection – a family business from its inception – continues to demonstrate its CSR sensibilities to their island with actions. This year, this has included the complete construction from scratch of a fully functional Gymnasio – secondary school in Ano Mera – complete with classrooms, workshops, sports courts, yard, staff accommodation, and recreation and multi-purpose spaces.
Specifically, the new Gymnasio high school serves students between the ages 12 and 15 – the first leg of secondary education in Greece – from its location in Ano Mera, the second biggest settlement on Mykonos Island.
The ambitious project by the Daktylides family set the goal of providing a fully functional, disability-friendly building consisting of 13 spacious and bright classrooms making use of cutting-edge smart tech, each of which can accommodate up to 20 students. In total, the new facilities already serve 200 students and dozens of teachers. Eco-friendly and designed with the particular demands of the community of Mykonos firmly in mind, the new school is fully in line with sustainability considerations and innovative energy-saving technologies, as well as fully integrated with the traditional architecture of Mykonos. It adopts several technological breakthroughs and features tech and information science workshops, natural sciences laboratories, basketball courts, as well as a large, multipurpose space for assembly and events, among others. Moreover, the facilities include accommodation for teaching staff, with 18 homes built to this end alongside the school – a useful, practical feature providing peace of mind and convenience for educators.
Mykonos Mayor Mr Konstantinos Koukas said about the Myconian Collection-donated new school: “These are unique facilities that create a unique environment for the hundreds of students and dozens of educators it will host. But, more than anything, it constitutes a special example of social contribution and proof of the results good collaboration between local authorities and individuals who truly love Mykonos can have.”
Speaking about the Gymnasio the Myconian Collection has constructed for the local community, Daktylides family aligned management’s love for the island with that of the guests as well as the locals who will benefit from the new school: “We all have at least one thing in common: our love for Mykonos; its light and its truth, its sea and tradition, its history and its unique spirit. Mykonos inspires us and we continue to take care of it as much as we can, with everything from donations like this one to beach cleaning and more. To us, Mykonos is more than a place. We believe that much of our success is because of this very real, very genuine connection to this land. It’s a source of endless inspiration which, even after all this time, still brings new experiences, ideas and opportunities. This is why every passing year we discover new ways of communicating our love to it.”