A Greek mathematician won 3rd place in the “Junior Achievement Europe Teacher of the Year 2024” competition, among 110,000 teachers from Europe. She is the mathematician of the American Agricultural School Lyceum, Giota Hatzopoulou.

The mathematician of the American Agricultural School and mother of two children Giota Hatzopoulou could not believe it when she heard her name being awarded in the international competition in the “Junior Achievement Europe Teacher of the Year 2024” competition.

Hatzopoulou: “The award is a recognition of the work I have been doing for 14 years”

Ms. Hatzopoulou won third place, among 110,000 teachers from all over Europe. Speaking to the press, she initially stated, “I am very happy because our efforts have been recognized at the European level. My efforts, the children’s efforts and all the help I have had for so many years at the American Agricultural School. This award is a recognition of the work I have been doing for 14 years, supporting entrepreneurship in high schools.”

Ms. Hatzopoulou, who uses the programs of Junior Achievement Europe, the entrepreneurship organization in schools, and follows their educational programs, was the Greek teacher who was selected for her work in order to represent Greece in the Teacher of the Year 2024 competition.

“Each country nominated the best teacher to this organization. We submitted my candidacy file, presenting my work to the organization all these years in the field of entrepreneurship and it reached Europe and was evaluated. And I came third at the European level.”

Her eyes are now set on the school year

As Ms. Hatzopoulou said, this award made her very happy, but now her goal is to continue her work at school.

“I am now interested in the success of this year’s virtual business that we support with my students. This year we will work on a micro-aquarium and describe how artificial corals can restore normal development in the seabed. That is, with the observed coral extinction, how can we combat this extinction by placing artificial corals?”

Greece’s first award at Junior Achievement Europe

Junior Achievement Europe is the entrepreneurship education organization and it is the first time that a teacher from Greece has been awarded! Ms. Hatzopoulou has participated as a teacher/mentor in a total of eleven Greek student entrepreneurship competitions, managing to obtain distinctions in four of them.

“Each competition is a unique test. The ‘bond’ with the members of the student team, their dreams, their approach to the problems of the planet, the solutions they propose, is a tremendous palette of emotions and experiences. I have collaborated perfectly with the students of the eleven virtual businesses that participated in the entrepreneurship competition. I have learned a lot from them,” said the teacher, who is now also a graduate master trainer in artificial intelligence (AI) issues in the agri-food sector.

Junior Achievement Greece Praises Hatzopoulou

According to the announcement by Junior Achievement Greece, her selection was made by a committee of distinguished representatives of UPS, the European Commission, the OECD, the European Training Foundation and the Lifelong Learning Platform, highlighting her exceptional contribution among a multitude of worthy candidates from all over Europe.

“Her contribution to the work of Junior Achievement Greece and our vision for the education of youth is invaluable,” the announcement states. With her creative approach to teaching mathematics and beyond, Ms. Hatzopoulou has managed to inspire her students and encourage them to develop their entrepreneurial skills.

The Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Nikos Tachiaos, passed through the entrance of the Thessaloniki Courthouse shortly after 12.30.

Dating back to 1400 BC and discovered in 1917, the Mycenaean tomb in Georgiko-Xinoneri, Karditsa, is one of the few Mycenaean burial monuments found and excavated in Thessaly. Currently it is protected and promoted by the Ministry of Culture through a series of projects aimed at enhancing the site and facilitating access for all visitors.

A new testimony that gives another dimension to the case of Irini Mourtzoukou and the child deaths in Amaliada was broadcast on Thursday night, with a person, who allegedly testified in the context of the investigation conducted by the Homicide Department, claiming that he saw the 24-year-old together with little Panagiotis and his mother, in a video call from an intermediary in a circuit of illegal adoptions-sales of children.

This person told OPEN channel that “I witnessed the illegal sale of Panagiotis. I saw Panagiotis’ mother, who I do not know, and Irini Mourtzoukou holding Panagiotis.” According to the same testimony, Panagiotis was at the time “less than 6 months old. I saw his mother holding him and Mourtzoukou right next to him."

The person who is an intermediary in a circuit of illegal adoptions-sales of children, told him ""sit down and I'll show you" and I see a mother with a child and a person who I initially thought was the big brother but it was Mourtzoukou. I asked "what's the matter?" and he replied "let's go for adoption for a couple". The couple was from Peloponnese, he had told me that they were quite well-known due to their position".

According to the same testimony, the "sale" did not proceed "because the couple's pediatrician diagnosed a problem with the child's eyes. He told me then (the intermediary) "it doesn't matter, there is another couple who is giving a larger amount of around 50,000-60,000 euros".

"He told me afterwards that they would take it and give it somewhere else" concluded the person who made statements to OPEN in his testimony.

What Mourtzoukou says

Before this testimony, Irini Mourtzoukou was asked if she had ever attempted to sell her two infants who ultimately passed away.

"My children were born naturally. This man should come on camera and tell me" initially said the 24-year-old who, when asked again if she had attempted to sell her second child, replied angrily "what are you saying? I would give birth to a child to sell it, am I crazy? Are you okay?"

Finally, when asked if she had made an appointment to sell Panagiotakis, Irini Mourtzoukou was categorical: "Never."