The municipality of Gortyna at southern Crete has initiated a pioneering program to teach elementary school students the qualities and advantages of olives and olive oil. The “Discovering the world of olives” initiative includes visits to the archaeological site of Gortyna and its perennial olive trees, and the Olive Museum at Gergeri.
The children get a hands-on experience with the olive culture by making aromatic olive oil and olive oil soap, and participating in theatrical acts and conjectural activities. Agriculturists teach the children how to calculate the age of olive trees and how to prune the trees properly to make them flourish.
The program aims at educating the young students to value and cherish olives trees and olive oil, and acquaint them with the benefits of the Mediterranean diet. So far, more than 800 students have participated in the program which began in March and will conclude next month.
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