AmericAn FArm School

True Education... is Transforming

True Education...

A t the American Farm School,

there is a shared conviction

that true education is transforming.

That there exists a common set

of compelling experiences that defines

an educational institution for its

students and that contributes

to shaping them into the

individuals they become.

This set of experiences stems from a

learn by doing approach to education

and sustained, personal interaction

among teachers, students and peers

in an environment that fosters

collaboration and mutual endeavor.

...is Transforming

T his dynamic community of learners shares another bond:

a focus on applied life sciences. The School encourages

discovery, engagement and inquiry in the areas of agriculture,

food systems, the environment and other disciplines related

to our sustainable future.

With its ethos of service, innovative approaches to education,

enterprising graduates, and more than a century of contribution

to the region, the American Farm School continues to be a catalyst

for beneficial change.

The First 100 Years

A fter 30 years of service in the Balkans, enlightened American educator

Dr. John Henry House with his wife, Susan Adeline, founded the

American Farm School in 1904 on the outskirts of Thessaloniki The first

students were boys orphaned in one of the many uprisings marking the

collapse of the Ottoman Empire in Europe.

Dr. House was known as a practical idealist, dedicated to “educating the

whole individual: the head, the hands, the heart.” Hands-on 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, over time, aid in the economic development of Greece.

Modest donations of funds and equipment from a loyal circle of supporters

in the United States 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 to postwar efforts to reconstruct

Greek agriculture and agricultural education. During the second half of the

20th century the School was led by Bruce M. Lansdale, an American teacher,

engineer and philhellene who shared with his wife, Tad, a remarkable ability

to communicate with and inspire people in all walks of life. Milestones of

the time included coeducation; short courses and technical advice for

farmers in the region, incorporation of information technology across

the campus and educational farm, and “training of trainers” programs for

international groups.

“I believe in a permanent agriculture, a soil that grows richer, rather than poorer, from year to year. I believe that tillers of the soil are stewards of the land and will be held accountable for the faithful performance of their trust.”

Faced with growing demand for

higher education, the American

Farm School established the Perrotis

College of Agriculture, Environment

and Life Sciences in 1996, through

a gift from Mrs. Aliki Perroti.

The English language curriculum

serves an international student body

with innovative specializations leading

to a Bachelor of Science (Hons)

degree that is recognized worldwide.

The American Farm School today

is taking agriculture and life sciences

education into the 21st century,

while remaining true to its roots

and century-long tradition

of hands-on learning.

Dr. John Henry HouseAmerican Farm School Creed, 1910

“I support the American Farm School becauseits ideals have inspired me to reach my full potential.”

Demetrios Vlachos American Farm School Class of 1954

Owner, V & P Nurseries, Phoenix, Arizona Pioneer in Xeriscape Technology

“The American Farm School is a fine example of people to people approach to mutual aid.”

Dwight D. Eisenhower, President of the United States, 1958

D istinctive features of the

American Farm School

education have their origins in

nineteenth century American thinking

about the need to cultivate

well-rounded individuals with

initiative and problem-solving

abilities. From institutions such as

the Penn School and the Hampton

and Tuskegee Institutes, the founders

of the American Farm School embraced an educational philosophy

of practical, skills-based training complementing strong grounding in

theoretical subjects that has equal relevance today. Another aspect is

the focus on individual development. By creating an environment that

encourages leadership, personal ethics, innovative thinking and the ability

to work cooperatively, the School helps students form values that will guide

them throughout their lives.

U.S. land grant universities are a model for the School in using agricultural

extension methods to transfer knowledge and skills; and the examples

of eco-schools and universities in America that promote comprehensive

science teaching beginning at the primary level guide the School as it

evolves and strengthens its curriculum.

The American character of the School is enhanced by the work of recent U.S.

college graduates who live in the campus dormitories and promote English

language learning. They are mentors and coaches for the School’s athletics

program, inspiring students to take on new physical and competitive

challenges and to give their personal best. And they encourage students to

pursue their interest in summer study abroad programs and further studies

at U.S. colleges and universities.

The Dimitris & Aliki Perrotis Library, with its print and online resources and

year-round schedule of events and activities, is a rich font of American

culture. Faculty and library staff open new perspectives for students into

the depth and diversity of America’s literature, history and political debate,

as well as its visual arts, music, theater and dance.

American Values

The Scholarship Program for deserving students from families of limited means is a central aspect of the American Farm School’s mission and among its most critically important funding needs. The breadth and longevity of the program make it unique in the region, and have earned the School the admiration and support of the Greek people.

“Planning, studying and working hard can improve people’s lives. I congratulate the American Farm School for all you are doing to make your country a better place.”

Lyndon Baines Johnson Vice President of the United States, 1962

During a visit to the American Farm School

T he American Farm School’s

historic secondary school

offers contemporary academic

instruction in science and the

humanities, and practical skills

instruction in ecologically

sound agriculture and food

technology methods. English

language proficiency, information

technology and business

management concepts are

essential elements of the curriculum. The educational farm and science

laboratories give students research and hands-on work experience

in horticulture, landscaping, livestock management and food processing

and service.

Since its founding, the School has provided scholarship assistance to its

students while asking families to contribute to the cost of room and board.

Promising young people from modest backgrounds are given access

to an education that empowers them to better their lives and those

of their communities.

Unique for Greece, the majority of students come from all parts of

the country, and live on campus in contemporary residence quarters.

They benefit from a full range of extracurricular classes, clubs, student

government, athletics and service opportunities that helps in educating

the “whole individual” as envisioned by the School’s founders, and prepares

them for lifelong participation in community life.

Graduates of the American Farm School’s secondary school, many of whom

pursue higher education to further their engagement with life sciences,

contribute dynamically to the local and regional economies and go on to

serve as leaders in the country’s food, agriculture and environment sectors.

The Secondary School

Perrotis College of Agriculture

P errotis College of Agriculture, Environment and Life Sciences educates

students from Greece, southeastern Europe and beyond to become

leaders for sustainable development. The rigorous academic program,

taught in English, leads to an internationally recognized Bachelor of Science

(Hons) degree. Students prepare for careers of the future by majoring in

such areas as Precision Agriculture, Xeriscape Technology, International

Agribusiness, Food Science and Technology, and Environmental Systems

Management, or qualify for further study in a chosen field.

The Scholarship Program ensures that more students who meet the

College’s academic standards will have the opportunity to receive this

education without regard to their socioeconomic background. Those

who receive financial aid contribute volunteer work hours in departments

throughout the campus and educational farm.

The Sustainability Fund provides a flexible source of support for new educational initiatives in sustainable agriculture and natural resource management.

Environment and Life Sciences

Most Perrotis College students live on campus. The newly-built Aliki

Perroti Student Residence is one of Greece’s leading examples of green

architecture, incorporating principles of bioclimatic design that save energy,

conserve natural resourses, and minimize maintenance costs.

The College welcomes students from U.S. colleges and universities

for year-long, semester or summer term accredited coursework,

as well as unique educational and cultural experiences such as homestays

in Greek villages and an array of community service opportunities.

Continuing the tradition of adult education that began shortly after the

American Farm School was founded, the College today offers short courses,

seminars, workshops and practical skills laboratories to urban and rural

adults to transfer expertise in the areas of entrepreneurship, gardening with

heirloom vegetables and flowers, artisinal cheesemaking, preparation and

preservation of traditional food, viticulture, apiculture and a host of other

topics relevant to sustainable living.

“Giving to the American Farm School is my way of furthering education and helping Greece. It exemplifies the qualities I value: practical skills, entrepreneurship and commitment to community.”

Mrs. Aliki Perroti, Philanthropist

“We came to teachBut we have ended up learning.We came to change,But we have ended up being changed.We came to bring a new lifeTo the people of GreeceBut it is they who have brought a new life to us.”

“My parents, Marie and Pierre Curie, won the Nobel Prize (1903) My mother a second one (1911) My sister, Irene, as well (1935) And my husband, Henry R. Labouisse, was Director when UNICEF won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1965. My Nobel Prize is the American Farm School.”

Bruce and Tad Lansdaleon their retirement from the American Farm School in 1990

Eve Curie Labouisse (1904-2008)Trustee of the American Farm School

A Sense of Place

G enerations of students, teachers

and friends experience a deep

feeling of belonging to a community

on the residential campus of the

American Farm School. In this intimate

setting, young people of diverse

backgrounds come to discover

common values, pursue shared

dreams, and feel part of the collective

identity of the institution.

The Early Childhood Environmental Education Fund supports the School’s efforts to introduce lifelong respect for the natural world and responsible engagement with the environment.

T o educate new generations of healthy,

creative young people who will develop

harmonious relationships with the earth and

with one another, environmental education

based on experiential learning needs to begin

during the very earliest years of life.

Such experiences play a crucial role

in shaping lasting attitudes, values and

patterns of behavior.

Early childhood educators demonstrate that positive interactions with

nature are an important part of healthy development, and such interactions

enhance learning over the span of a lifetime. Children who are close to

nature relate to it as a source of wonder and joy, and are better prepared for

responsible global citizenship as they mature. And for many children, this

will likely be their first chance to make a direct, physical connection between

food and the earth – and to begin to understand how their food choices

affect their health and the health of their families and communities.

The American Farm School, with its long history of experiential learning and

sustainable living, its dedicated teaching and technical staff, and its array

of outdoor classrooms and living laboratories of gardens, farm animals and

natural landscapes, has the capacity to address environmental education

at every level.

This newest educational initiative begins with preschool, will progress

through an elementary school, and eventually to a junior high school

that will bridge to the historic secondary school and Perrotis College of

Agriculture, Environment and Life Sciences.

By creating a model program of environmental education through

experiential learning, and by offering teacher training to educators from

other schools in Greece and southeastern Europe, the School is fulfilling the

most time-honored aspect of its mission: influencing learners of all ages to

become “stewards of the land.”

Experiencing Nature at an Early Age

“My goal in life is to unravel some of the medical mysteries of human diseases. The American Farm School gave me the opportunity to pursue the career of my dreams as a researcher in pharmacology.”

Marianthi KarampoukoukiAmerican Farm School Class of 2006

Mount Holyoke College, BSc in Biology & Ancient Greek StudiesImperial College, London

Masters of Research in Experimental Physiology and Drug Discovery

Teaching Science

T he pace of change in agricultural and life sciences is rapidly

accelerating. Applied research is urgently needed to find answers

to questions that threaten the health of world populations and the planet.

Students need more and better science instruction and resources to join in

the effort to determine those answers.

Science faculty and technical staff have career experience in agricultural

enterprises and the food industry. With local and regional industry partners,

teachers and students undertake studies such as the viability of restoring

Greece’s traditional sesame crop to commercial cultivation; using paper

byproducts as soil substrates for garden and field crops; and high density

cultivation of olive trees for producing highest quality Greek olive oil.

Long-term cooperation in training and research with the USDA’s Agricultural

Research Service, and with Arizona State University, University of Georgia,

Iowa State University, Virginia Tech and other U.S. land grant universities,

fosters the exchange of scientific know-how while providing learning

opportunities for resident and visiting students and faculty.

But far more is needed. Provided that laboratories are enhanced and

scientific equipment is updated and increased, the educational farm

offers vast potential for applied research. Students can master research

skills, by using organic methods to reestablish endangered indigenous

vegetable varieties, for example, or by testing ways to integrate information

technology into food production and processing to reduce harmful

environmental impact; or by raising local crops to manufacture biorenewable

materials for clothing, packaging and fuel, or by growing food as medicine

to combat disease.

Graduates of the American Farm School and Perrotis College will be

part of the solution on a range of issues related to food, agriculture and

environmental concerns faced by Greece and its neighbors in the years

ahead. By putting students into the laboratory and in the field to conduct

applied research, the institution prepares young men and women to

contribute knowledge and action in all areas of life sciences, including those

that affect global food supply and the earth’s ecosystem. Just as important

is teaching students of all ages that life sciences are complex activities that

have cultural, ethical and ecological dimensions as well as intellectual and

technical parameters.

“You should look upon your field the same way you look upon your loved one’s face. It will yield the healthy food you want to serve at your family’s table.”

Manolis TrakasAmerican Farm School Class of 1991

Organic Farmer

Farm to Fork

A t the heart of an American

Farm School education is the

institution’s diversified research,

demonstration and training farm.

It functions as a living laboratory

where students of all ages learn how

to bring safe and nutritious food

from farm to fork.

The School introduced fresh pasteurized cow’s milk to Greece in 1935,

by building the country’s first milk pasteurizing and bottling plant.

Applying U.S. dairy breeding and management practices over the years,

the School today has a Holstein Friesian dairy herd that is ranked among

the top 10% in the world. A state of the art educational dairy and milk

processing center facilitates the development of innovative dairy products

in addition to the milk that is prized as the best in Greece.

The poultry division is a site for ongoing nutrition research that,

in partnership with Thessaloniki’s Aristotle University and other international

veterinary and food experts, has led to the commercially successful

American Farm School Omega 3 egg. The same flaxseed which is fed to

hens and results in eggs with high levels of the Omega 3 fatty acid known

to promote cardiovascular health, is also in the diet of fresh American Farm

School turkeys that grace the Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations

of thousands of families around the country.

Students are involved in all stages of livestock management and dairy

processing, as they are in the many aspects of horticulture on the

educational farm. Olive oil is pressed from the harvest of extensive campus

olive groves, and thousands of liters of wine, including the indigenous Greek

red varietal, Xinomavro, are bottled in the campus winery each year.

Durum wheat grown in the School’s fields is used with fresh whole milk and

Omega 3 eggs to make highest quality traditional Greek pasta products.

Students keep bees and raise scores of varieties of vegetables, herbs, and

flowers that contribute to nutritious meals and beautify the surroundings.

Good food, which students are integral to producing, preparing and

presenting, helps to create the vibrant sense of community so apparent

on the residential campus.

T he American Farm School and Perrotis

College promote international living

and encourage sensitive, responsible global

citizenship in the Greek and international

student body, as well as in American

teenagers and university students who

come to the Thessaloniki campus to take

advantage of year-long, semester, and

summer study abroad opportunities.

Greek Summer, in operation since 1970, is designed for high school students

who want to challenge themselves through immersion in another culture.

Over the years, the American Farm School has built a tradition of helping

Greek villagers meet their evolving needs through community service

projects carried out by Greek Summer participants. During Greek Summer,

young Americans undergo their own metamorphosis of thought and spirit

as they live with village families and work to accomplish set goals.

The intensity of the experience leads them to realize new potential within

themselves and each other. Of the nearly 2,000 alumni of Greek Summer,

most consider it one of the pivotal growth experiences of their lives.

“Greek Summer was an odyssey, full of pitfalls and triumphs, and each of us returned home with a little of the reborn hero inside ourselves that Odysseus found on his own journey. ”

William (Luke) Hamel Greek Summer 2010

T hroughout the year, the Perrotis

College Study Abroad Program

offers U.S. students the chance to earn

college credits for courses that are

part of the innovative Perrotis College

curriculum, as well as courses especially

designed for study abroad students

that explore aspects of Greek history,

culture and cuisine. Research and work

internships on the educational farm are

also available, and all students are encouraged to participate in service

learning experiences in rural areas arranged by the Perrotis College staff.

The secondary school also welcomes groups of U.S. teenagers for study

visits and work projects organized during spring or other school year breaks.

Studying in the United States is a goal for many American Farm School

and Perrotis College students. Faculty counsel candidates on pursuing

undergraduate and graduate degrees in the U.S. by connecting them to

summer academic programs focusing on science, English language, and

other subjects that orient them to the American approach to education,

and by helping them to select the college or university that best matches

their aspirations.

“I can trace the global outlook that continues to guide my life to my interaction with faculty and fellow students at Perrotis College.”

Nderim RudiGjakove, Kosovo

Perrotis College Class of 2004Virginia Tech, MSc in Applied Economics

Advancing Global Citizenship

Envisioning the Future

Agriculture and food systems are under more pressure today than ever

before. Food production must multiply to meet growing demand

of the earth’s population, despite climate change, critical water shortages,

and the need to reduce the energy and environmental footprint

of agricultural practices.

Therefore the heart of the vision for the American Farm School’s future

must be about sustainability, and the importance to society of how food,

fiber, energy and medicines are produced while leaving the planet a better

place than it is today. With sustainability as the ultimate value, the School

is committed to teaching agricultural practices that are ecologically sound,

economically viable and socially responsible.

As it works to improve and expand educational programs for the 21st century

with a greater emphasis on life sciences and a blend of new technology,

delivery methods and partnerships, leadership of the School is also

envisioning how the historic campus can better support the innovative

teaching and research that will attract talented students and faculty

going forward.

Envisioning the Future

President Panos Kanellis, an experienced educator and scientist

with an extensive research background in bio-organic chemistry,

leads a team of fellow teachers and researchers, as well as

administrative and technical professionals, in envisioning the future

of the American Farm School. Dr. Kanellis is directing strategic

initiatives in these major areas:

At this critical juncture in the institution’s history, the American

Farm School reaffirms its determination to meet today’s challenges

by becoming the premier center in southeastern Europe for

contemporary education and research in agriculture, food systems,

environmental studies and other life sciences.

Creating future-oriented curricula

that truly prepare students to be leaders of beneficial change

Attracting students to the excitement of applied research

in cutting-edge fields of agriculture and life sciences

Introducing environmental education at the primary level

through experiential learning

Developing a campus master plan

that will provide for new and renewed facilities

and an enhanced physical environment to support

the School’s educational mission in the decades ahead

Ensuring that more outstanding students

will continue to have access to

the American Farm School and Perrotis College education

regardless of socioeconomic background.

Supporting the American Farm School

T he American Farm School is a private, not-for-profit organization as

described in section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and

is registered in the State of New York as the Thessalonica Agricultural and

Industrial Institute. It is governed by a Board of Trustees of Americans

and Greeks, and is financed in large part through the generosity of private

donors in the United States and Greece.

The people of the United States play a major role in the advancement of the

American Farm School and have done so throughout the institution’s history,

providing educational and agricultural expertise as well as financial support.

The active presence of the American Farm School is felt in cities and

communities across the country through a network of volunteers whose lives

have been touched by the School, as alumni, parents, educational partners,

or simply because individuals believe in the importance of the institution’s

endeavors. The nationally representative Board of Trustees engages the

interest and support of friends of the School, and informs them about its

history, mission and vision for the future.

The Board of Trustees and President Panos Kanellis invite you

to learn more about the American Farm School and Perrotis

College of Agriculture, Environment and Life Sciences, and to

explore the opportunities to support strategic initiatives that will

characterize the institution’s second century of service

and achievement.

“Ambassadors come and go, but the American Farm School, serving Greek and Balkan students for over a century, remains a strong and visible example of what is best about America, and does more for U.S. relations abroad than almost any other kind of investment we could be making in the region.”

R. Nicholas Burns, Former Ambassador of the United States to Greece, 2010

For more information about making a gift to the American Farm School and Perrotis College, please contact the Office of Institutional Advancement.

Office of Institutional Advancement

AMERICAN FARM SCHOOL12 Marinou Antipa Street, P.O. Box 23

Thessaloniki, Greece 55102

T: +30-2310-492-890, F: +30-2310-492-727

info@afs.edu.gr www.afs.edu.gr

U.S. Office

1133 Broadway, Suite 1226

New York, NY 10010

T: 212-463-8434, F: 212-463-8208