News & events

The Milos Mining Museum organized and successfully implemented an educational program titled “Our own Aphrodite ” on 29 and 30 September and 1 October.
The idea of the educational program was based on the literary work by Sofia Gialouraki titled Venus de Milo is Crying, written for the Milos Mining Museum on 2010.
140 pupils (fourth to sixth grade) participated in the program from the schools of Adamantas, Triovasalos and Pollonia and was addressed in the framework of celebrations for the bicentennial anniversary of the discovery of Venus de Milo on the island of Milos on 8 April 1820, and it was organized under the aegis and with the financial support of the Ministry of Culture and Sports

I am Homo Oryctus! No, I’m not a mineral, but inside me are chemical elements found in many minerals! Come and discover them through puzzles and play! Where are they to be found? What functions of our organisms and which eating habits  these elements are involved in? Are you ready for the discovery of Homo Oryctus? (pupils from the 4th Grade of the Elementary School up to the 3^rd Grade of High School – 2 hours duration)

Every second, 21 elements join together to create about 15,000 unique organisms. 21 elements, the perfect biochemical compound. A live game of balance between truth and lie … the only keys to help you find out what the ultimate recipe of creation is, are puzzles and your sharp mind! Will you make it before time runs out?

(adult groups of up to 7 people, 60′ duration)

In March and in April 2014, Milos Mining Museum (MMM) organized the educational program «Milos obsidian: tracing Prehistory» for the Milos Elementary School 5^th grade pupils as well as those of the 1^st grade of Milos high school. The program lasted 2 hours and took place at the Zapheiris Vaos Obsidian Exhibition wing of MMM, which complemented the museum’s permanent exhibitions in 2011. The program attended by a total of 50 pupils and their instructors aimed at educating them on the origin, processing, and uses of this invaluable rock for the prehistoric humans, through educational brochures and games, in a particularly simple and interactive way.

The program «Milos obsidian: tracing Prehistory» was designed and created by Ms. Korina Gavala of the Technotropia-Culture company. Ms. Gavala presented the program to the 25 Milos Elementary School 5^th-graders initially in February, with the participation of Ms. Tania Koletsios, who then undertook the materialization of the program in the Milos pupil community.

Within the framework of this “experiential” program, the children had the opportunity to enrich their knowledge on volcanic activity and rocks, as well as on obsidian sources, deposits, and carving techniques.

The program was incorporated into the Museum’s activities organized on a yearly basis with the participation of teachers and museum educators.

The program’s texts are based on the printed material of the MMM Zapheiris Vaos Obsidian Exhibition, scientifically edited by Dr. Antikleia Moundrea-Agraphioti.

Miloterranean promotes Milos into a destination of alternative and experiential tourism through 7 selected routes where nature, history and, above all, geology interwoven. The island’s unique geology is the common origin of the island’s two main economic pillars, tourism and mining, since it endows it with rare landscapes and valuable minerals, sources of prosperity from Neolithic times until the present day. The seven routes were signposted on Milos, and were also highlighted through concise descriptive text-guides and precise maps, inviting the visitor to experience Milos’ exceptional beauty up close. Aim of Miloterranean is to place Milos among unique international destinations through innovative ways of attracting tourist interest.

Milos elementary schools and high schools have included the Miloterranean Geo Experience in their educational activities on an annual bases.

The educational activity “From Millstone to Bread” was organized on March 11, 2013, for the second consecutive year at the Milos Mining Museum. 50 pupils from the 3rd grade of the Primary Schools of Milos and Adamas, accompanied by their teachers, took part in two consecutive rounds of the program. Ms Mini Radou, an educator specialized in museum activities, designed and realized the program this year, as well.

Myths and theatrical plays were in the core of the program, with the small children performing enthusiastically. Through their participation in musical and theatrical events, they learned how the millstone contributed to the island’s economic development and its usefulness in human life. They also had the opportunity to grind wheat in the two millstones offered for the program’s needs by Mmes Anastassia Vikeli and Anthoussa Psatha-Marouditsi, who, along with Mrs Argyro Kamakari-Xydous also got voluntarily involved in the organization of the program.

Upon leaving, the ΜΜΜ’s small friends took with them a pouch of ground wheat as well as a treat from the “sweetest bread of their life”, since they knew by now how much time and work is needed for a slice of bread to reach their table.

The program “From Millstone to Bread” is now part of the Milos Mining Museum’s educational activities organized every year, with the participation of the pupils at the island’s elementary schools and volunteers from the local community.

Milos, 22 May 2012 – The Milos Mining Museum (MMM) participated in this year’s International Museum Day by organizing an educational program for schoolchildren entitled “From Millstone to Bread”. The program was carried out twice that day, with the participation of 54 pupils of the 3rd grade at the Primary Schools of Milos and Adamas as well as all pupils enrolled at the single-class elementary school of Pollonia, accompanied by their teachers.

During this two-hour long program, the children discovered the Milos Millstone, among the Museum’s exhibits, learned its history and evolution, its usefulness as well as its contribution to the island’s economy and its development. Through myths and legends, pictorial interpretations and role-playing within the framework of theatrical and musical events, they became acquainted with the various qualities and types of millstones and their uses. They also had the opportunity to grind wheat, under the supervision of Mmes Anastassia Vikeli and Anthoussa Psatha-Marouditsi, who offered three millstones for the program’s needs and got involved voluntarily in the organization of the program. This way the children discovered through personal experience the close connection of the millstone to human diet and to one of the more important staple foods, bread. The traditional treats, at the end, included the “sweetest bread of their life”, as it was aptly put, since they knew by now how much time and work is needed for a slice of bread to reach their table. Upon leaving, they took with them the product of their toil, a pouch of ground wheat.

The program “From Millstone to Bread” is now part of the Milos Mining Museum’s educational activities organized every year, with the cooperation and participation of the teachers at the island’s elementary schools and volunteers from the local community.

The program was designed and realized by Mini Radou, an educationalist specialized in museums.

On 8 and 11 April 2011, on the occasion of the proclamation by Unesco, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, of 2011 as International Year of Forests, the Milos Mining Museum (MMM) organized an educational reforestation program in the area of Profitis Ilias.

A total of 76 pupils of the fifth and sixth grades of the Milos and Adamas primary schools participated in the reforestation and local vegetation enrichment program. The children planted 550 local plants such as oak trees, schinus shrubs and cypress trees as well as Phoenician junipers, in an enclosed area. The children participated enthusiastically and received small thank you gifts at the end of the program. The pupils were transferred to and from the reforestation area in Profitis Ilias by the MMM in cooperation with the Municipality of Milos.

In order to ensure the successful establishment of the seedlings in their new environment, the MMM in cooperation with S&B Industrial Minerals S.A. that sponsored the program, will irrigate the young plants regularly.

The program was organized and implemented in cooperation with the Municipality of Milos and the Milos Forest Department.

Educational activity brochure (download .pdf file):

Educational program based on the book «Aphrodite of Milos is crying»

The program is addressed to children aged 8 – 12 years.

Educational program for the pupils of the elementary schools of Milos island, Greece

On Wednesday 14/4 and on Thursday 15/4/2010, Mrs. Sophia Yialouraki and her collaborators Lilian Lykos and Katerina Yieorma implemented educational programs at the Milos Mining Museum’s specifically prepared exhibition area (ΜΜΜ). In the educational programs participated 130 children of the three last grades of the elementary schools of Adamas, Milos, and Polonnia.

The programs were based on the educational material of Mrs. Yialouraki’s new book «Aphrodite of Milos is crying», published in the framework of the educational programs implemented at the MMM. Excerpts from the book were presented in a theatrical way by Mrs. Yialouraki and her collaborators with the active participation of the children, who assumed the roles of heroes from the Greek mythology and from Milos ancient history, as those are presented in the book.

The children’s participation was enthusiastic, as they learned beautiful and touching stories of their homeland through the theatrical game and the roles they played, all conveyed to them by Mrs Yialouraki in the simplest and most straightforward way.

When the children returned to their classes, they wrote that they had never participated in such a lively and impressive educational program before, while their teachers thought of the programs as a unique opportunity and wished they would be repeated in the future.

Mrs Yialouraki, a distinguished pedagogue, with studies in archeology, psychology and theatrical game, was born in Egypt and worked as a teacher for many years, while she created her own school in Athens. She is a writer of children’s books. Her book «The Fayum Portraits and the mysterious Ms Julia» was awarded in 2008 the State Children Book Award.

Excerpts from the children’s impressions (download .pdf file):

The educational board game “All Around Us” was designed for children aged 5 and above and is available in greek an in english.
The objective of the game is to educate. Winning is not an end in itself. Simple information can become essential knowledge, which can be applied as widely as possible in our life. Using paper replicas of minerals, question and activity cards, children learn and familiarize themselves during the play with the earth’s minerals, and they discover their multiple applications in everyday life. However, beyond the excitement that new knowledge creates, there is also an “added value” in the activity: the fact that minerals are so valuable, while the earth actually has limited reserves, proves that the need for efficient use and recycling is truly imperative.
The game rules outlined in the enclosed leaflet, are indicative and differ according to age and level of difficulty. The game can also be played in different ways according to the needs and imagination of the players or the teachers who will use it.

The bilingual board game is designed for:

• pre-elementary, elementary and high-school children
• groups – organized visits of schools, educational institutes etc.
• families
• the general public

Design – Editing:
EFPALINOS
www.efpalinos.gr
Sponsor:
S&B Industrial Minerals S.A.