American Farm School

The American Farm School ("Thessalonica Agricultural and Industrial Institute") is an independent, nonprofit educational institution located in Thessaloniki, Greece. The School was founded in 1904 by American missionary John Henry House to serve the rural population of Greece and the Balkans. The current major educational divisions include the Secondary School, the Dimitris Perrotis College of Agricultural Studies, the department of Lifelong Learning, and the Greek Summer program.http://www.americanfarmschool.org/amerfarm/html/about.htm] The School's mission is "to educate men and women, especially those from Greece and the Balkans, to become professionally accomplished in the latest aspects of agriculture and the life sciences." [http://www.americanfarmschool.org/UserFiles/File/Mission%20Statement%20March%202%202006.pdf]

History

John Henry House with his wife, Susan Adeline Beers House, founded the American Farm School in 1904, on 50 acres of barren land near Thessaloniki. The couple had been missionaries in the Balkan region for 30 years. The first students were boys orphaned in one of the many uprisings marking the collapse of the Ottoman Empire in Europe. [ [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,883458-2,00.html Farm School - TIME ] ]

House's mission was to "educate the whole individual: the head, the hands, the heart." [http://www.qub.ac.uk/afs/news/2004/An%20American%20Summer%20in%20Greece.htm] Practical training in field and garden crops, vineyards and orchards, livestock and silkworm production, and in industrial skills such as carpentry, masonry and blacksmithing, equipped American Farm School graduates to succeed in farming and -- in time --to aid in the economic development of rural Greece. Modest donations of funds and equipment from a small circle of supporters in the U.S. helped the institution to survive through its early years, as it bore witness to two Balkan Wars, World War I and the massive resettlement in Greece of refugees from Asia Minor. The 1930s, a period of expanding academic facilities and bringing the latest agricultural innovations to Greece, gave way to World War II and Occupation; to the ensuing civil war (and the kidnapping by guerillas of the entire senior class); and to the constant efforts during the postwar decades to improve the quality of agricultural education the School offered to the rural population.

With its innovative approaches to agriculture -- and after more than one hundred years of uninterrupted operation in its host country -- the American Farm School a significant institution in its region.

Schools and programs

The Secondary School offers girls and boys from every rural region of Greece an accredited general high school education with a practical focus on a full range of agricultural subjects. During the special afternoon practical programs all students acquire practical skills that will assist them in whatever agriculture-related or other careers they pursue. The students live in campus dormitories and follow an extracurricular program that reinforces strong traditions in Greek culture. All students receive full tuition scholarships and contribute only a portion of their boarding costs.

The Dimitris Perrotis College of Agricultural Studies, founded in 1996 through a major gift of Mrs. Aliki Perroti in memory of her husband, develops leaders for the global agriculture and food industry. The English-language curriculum leads to the awarding of the BSc degree, which is validated by the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff, in International Agribusiness and Agro-Environmental Systems Management.

The American Farm School has been a leader in the rural development of Greece throughout the twentieth century. Today a formal department of Lifelong Learning offers short courses, seminars, workshops and conferences to transfer to adult learners the vital knowledge and skills needed for sustainable rural development. [ [http://www.afs.edu.gr American Farm School ] ]

The Greek Summer program, started in 1970, is an intercultural exchange program for U.S. and international teenagers. The program is oriented toward community service, as students live with host families in a small Greek village and undertake a project to meet the village's evolving needs. Participants also explore ancient sights of Greece and climb Mount Olympus. [http://www.greeksummer.org/greeksummer/html/program.htm]

Other facts and info

*"The Sower" is the American Farm School's official newsletter.

References

* [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,883458-1,00.html Time Magazine] . Retrieved May 7, 2007
* "Stewards of the Land", Marder, Brenda L. (2004). Mercer University Press, Macon, Georgia ISBN 0-86554-844-7

External links

* [http://www.afs.edu.gr/American Farm School Official Site]
* [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,883458,00.html Time Magazine article on John Henry House, 1935]
* [http://www.www.afs.edu.gr/greeksummer Greek Summer Official Site]