Inclusive Education Practices in Greece

During her five-month Fulbright Teacher Exchange in 2019, Greek educator Marina Goula focused on inclusive education for students with special needs. As a result of their shared experiences at Syracuse University and in local schools, Marina and Filipino participant Florence Santiago Gallemit created a professional development workshop to educate teachers on inclusive education in their respective home countries. Both educators reflected on the strong need for teacher training tools to help create more inclusive learning environments. "We prepared a five-hour long professional development workshop for teachers of primary and secondary education, introducing them to inclusive education, hoping our education systems will offer equal opportunities for all and guarantee success for all students." 

Since returning to Greece, Marina has assumed a new position at a high school where she teaches English and leads the monitoring and evaluation team that measures educational inclusiveness. She attributes her career growth to the knowledge and skills gained during her Fulbright program. "Being a Fulbright Teacher for four and a half months in Syracuse was an unforgettable experience that helped me change my perception of the world and return to my country with much more knowledge than I had anticipated." Marina hopes to be a leading force in making inclusive education a priority in Greece’s education system and plans to implement her professional development workshop widely.

Marina Goula is an alum of the 2019 Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Program for International Teachers, hosted at Syracuse University in New York.