Hi, I am Ilektra Koutsiviti.
I am a mother of two children, born in 2009 and 2019, and an educator who has worked within public schooling while also engaging deeply with alternative education in Greece.
Growing up abroad shaped my perspective. Working inside the system, and later navigating it as a parent, refined it. Over the years, we have also opened our land and our home through Joyce 'n' Fun, hosting families and travelers from Greece and abroad.
Living alongside different educational paths, questions, and cultures has expanded my understanding even further.
What I offer here is not theory. It is grounded insight built through experience, practice, community, and real conversations with families walking their own unique journeys.
This space is for those seeking clarity, belonging, and thoughtful guidance rather than quick answers.
Ways I Guide Families
Families arrive at different moments in their journey.
Some are looking for orientation and trustworthy information. Some need concrete, practical support. Others are exploring new possibilities and want clarity before making decisions.
Beyond answers, many are also looking for something deeper: a sense of belonging, community, and reassurance that they are not navigating this alone.
Below are the ways I guide families, meeting you where you are, with clarity, grounded support, and no pressure.
Guidance for Expat Families Navigating Greek School
I guide expat families who don’t speak Greek through Greek school, starting from everyday homework moments, translating language, expectations, documents, and school culture into something parents can understand, navigate, and respond to with confidence.
A non-formal, eco-based hub where children and adults learn through shared life, nature, and everyday practices.
A living example of community-based education in practice rooted in shared life, sustainable ways of living, nature, creativity, and community, offering space to connect, exchange, and explore learning beyond conventional schooling
Trainings, workshops, gatherings, and pop-up experiences for traveling and worldschooling families, educators, and youth workers.
These initiatives are developed through frameworks such as Erasmus+ as well as community art programs and agile learning approaches and are shaped by collaboration with a wide and diverse pool of trainers, mentors, and facilitators from across Europe and beyond.
If you are trying to understand what education in Greece really looks like, beyond opinions and online forums, this is where we begin. I help you see the landscape clearly, so you can make informed and calm decisions for your family.
My story
I did not grow up in Greece, and I did not experience the Greek school system as a child.
I came to understand it later, first as a teacher inside Greek public schools, and then as a mother navigating it with my own children.
Since 2007, I have lived within the system while remaining closely connected to alternative education communities in Greece and across Europe. I have seen education from both sides, in classrooms and around the kitchen table, in meetings and in the quiet moments of parental doubt.
At the same time, community became a central part of my life.
Since 2011, I have been hosting travelers and families from around the world. In 2021, we created our nature based hub, a space where connection is practiced daily through shared meals, conversations under olive trees, and children growing alongside one another.
Education and community have never been separate for me. Both are about belonging.
Growing up in a multicultural family, studying languages, and working for over twenty years as a translator shaped how I listen and clarify what feels complex or unfamiliar.
Today, I guide families navigating new systems, cultures, and communities, not from theory, but from lived experience inside and outside.
What I offer... and what I don’t
What I bring
Long standing experience building and hosting community across cultures and countries.
A nature based hub where belonging is practiced daily, not idealized.
Deep roots in alternative education communities across Europe.
Lived experience inside Greek public schools.
The perspective of both educator and parent.
Clarity shaped by practice, not abstraction.
Calm presence in the middle of complexity.
Respect for children, families, and teachers, even when systems feel difficult.
Belonging not as a concept, but as something that can be built.
What I do not claim
I am not a legal expert
I do not provide guarantees
I do not sell shortcuts or loopholes
I do not promise that “everything will work out”
What I offer instead is understanding, perspective, and support,
so families can make informed and conscious decisions.
Who this page is for
This page is for you if:
You are raising a child in Greece and feel lost between conflicting advice and unclear schooling options, while also wanting your family to feel at home.
You are relocating, worldschooling, or building a life across borders, and you want more than logistics. You want belonging.
You are trying to understand a new educational culture without being told what you should do.
You are considering a move to Greece and want clarity before stepping into a new system and a new community.
You want to support your child’s learning without turning daily life into conflict.
You want your child not only to succeed academically, but to feel connected and steady.
You can face complexity honestly, without needing comforting illusions.
This page is not for you if:
You are looking for guarantees
You want someone else to decide for you
You are searching for shortcuts around responsibility
You need certainty more than clarity
This page is meant to offer clarity and context, whether you are already living in Greece, considering a move, or finding your footing across systems and cultures.
A note on responsibility
Everything shared here is grounded in lived experience and professional observation.
It is not intended to replace legal advice or institutional guidance.
Families are encouraged to verify information, ask questions, and move at their own pace.
Clarity takes time, and that time is part of the process.