In Samos, Greece, the #TalkingBuildings methodology has been implemented at the Marathokampos secondary school during the school year 2025-2026, led by Stella Sakellari, a teacher of mathematics and special education.

It was a long-term process in the context of the so-called "educational cluster" (εκπαιδευτικός όμιλος), a special course outside the main curriculum, which being optional allows educators to experiment with more creative and playful formats.

Stella Sakellari learned about the SINCERE's #TalkingBuildings challenge, and decided to make it a central element of her education cluster titled "Talking Buildings: The children give a voice to the buildings of our island" (Ομιλούντα Κτίρια: Τα παιδιά δίνουν φωνή στα κτίρια του τόπου μας).

There are many interesting methodological aspects in this implementation of the #TalkingBuildings concept.

Most importantly, taking advantage of the long-term character and the regular sessions, the final project was built gradually and evolved with the active contribution of the pupils. For example, the selection of their own school as the main building to be given a voice and the selection of different parts of the building by each pupil.

In future posts, we will analyze in more detail this interesting case study and how it can be replicated in more schools in Greece and other countries.

For now, you can watch a short video bringing together the work of the kids and an interview of Stella Sakellari, edited by Panayotis Antoniadis (NetHood).

It is also worth to note that the #TalkingBuildings educational cluster created already a few "waves" around it.

First, the school's newspaper featured a full article on the #TalkingBuildings activity, including two additional texts: 1) the actual history of the Marathokampos school, written by Sofia Papanikita, literature teacher at the school, and 2) the cry for attention and restoration of two abandoned buildings, whose voice is given by Mrs. Stamatina Papastylianou and Mrs. Anna Asimina.

Moreover, the Karlovasi Volunteer Group for Disease Prevention and Health Promotion "Faros", organized a storytelling event at the villages Pagonda and Spatharaioi, inspired by the #TalkingBuildings concept.

In their own words, "The prevention of addiction is not limited to addressing social symptoms. It tackles the root causes: loneliness, broken relationships and a lack of meaningful communication. When the community takes action, prevention becomes about relationships, participation and active engagement."

What we learned from this and other appropriations of the #TalkingBuildings is that although it is not a new idea, the existence of a specific framing connecting different initiatives gives significant motivation and inspiration.

Stay tuned for more examples of #TalkingBuildings in Slovenia, Romania, Austria, and more!