Skip to main content
HomeCulture & Education
Andreas.jpeg

Culture & Education Program

Andreas Batakis, Chair
abatakis@pancretan.org

NYC_3_14.JPG

Cultural and Education Goals

 

To promote and develop social ethnic and cultural relationships and mutuality among all Cretans and their descendants residing in the United States and Canada.

• To promote and develop education through scholarships and otherwise to raise voluntary contribution and funds and to distribute such funds to legally recognized philanthropic institutions and educational, charitable, or cultural purposes.

• To promote throughout the world, and especially in the United States of America, a better and more comprehensive understanding of Crete and its history and culture.

Programs for 2026

Book_Club_Zorba.PNG

PAA/PYA Online Book Club


The Pancretan Association of America Online Book Club continues with it's second book selection, a unique opportunity for members to come together through the shared love of reading and our Cretan heritage.

Members who sign up by May 20, 2026, will receive a complimentary copy of our second selection, Zorba the Greek by Nikos Kazantzakis as a gift from the PAA. Participants will engage in lively discussions while reading the book before joining us for an engaging final online discussion in collaboration with the Kazantzakis Museum in Crete.
 
We encourage all PAA/PYA members to take part in this exciting new initiative—an opportunity to explore the writings of the great Nikos Kazantzakis, celebrate our cultural heritage, and build a vibrant community of readers. Together, we’ll continue to inspire future generations through the enduring spirit of Cretan literature and thought.

PLEASE MAKE SURE TO SIGN UP BY MAY 20TH!  Happy Reading


https://forms.gle/vTy86ybUFe42Ja2a6


REGISTER TODAY FOR BOOK CLUB

Experience the Rich Culture and History of Crete This Summer!

The Pancretan Association of America (PAA) and the Pancretan Youth of America (PYA) explored Crete these past two summers (2024 and 2025) with a variety of exciting programs and events.

  • A Pancretan Endowment Fund reception at the beautiful Flora & Fauna Park
  • Strata around the Old Limani in Chania (July and August)
  • Dance Workshops with Viglatores and Pseloretes Dance Group
  • Two day overnight excursions to villages and philanthropies around Crete
  • Cooking Classes
  • Cultural Programs with Kazantzakis Museum and other cultural organizations
  • 100th Anniversary of Mikis Theodorakis events (2025)
  • Coffee with friends at the KIPO in Chania
  • The Merona Summer Music/Dance Program n the charming village of Merona.
  • Commemorations of the Four Cretan Martyrs (throughout August): special events in Rethymnon and a presentation at Arkadi Monastery in 2024
  • Annual World Council of Cretans Meeting in Reythmnon
  • Collaborative projects at the Venizelion Museum in Chalepa, Crete
  • PAA-sponsored Philanthropies visitations
   

View photos of the events in Crete in 2024: PAA/PYA 2024 Summer Activities in Crete

View Photos of the events in Crete in 2025:  PAA/PYA 2025 Summer Activities in Crete

To view the Arkadi Event on August 18, 2024 Click Here

Complete articles will be available and published in upcoming KPHTH magazine issues.