About ELC

History

elc
History History

There’s so much joy to be found in education

—whether you’re teaching, learning, or simply watching others grow and thrive. 

When Christos Anifadis founded ELC in 1986, he was driven by what brought him the most joy, working with children!  He quickly realized that when children were encouraged to use English with confidence, they not only learned faster but also enjoyed the process. Shaped by his years in the UK, he aspired to create something different and more modern, a new kind of learning experience, centered around joy and discovery.

He dreamed of a dedicated team—teachers and administrators—spending quality time with students, creating a place where everyone could share, learn, and grow together. And so, the story of Christos’s school began.

Originally, the school’s logo featured an owl, but in 1991, it was replaced by a lion—symbolizing strength, courage, and leadership. These values remain at the heart of ELC-Anifadis. And our very first motto? ELC… the heart of teaching.

ELC soon earned a strong reputation as a place where students develop excellent English skills and achieve outstanding exam results while feeling happy and at ease.

Today, ELC Anifadis is one of the finest language schools in Greece, a lively community with three distinct buildings and a dedicated, experienced team. In addition to exceptional academic results, we provide a wide range of educational services tailored to the diverse needs of our students and their families.

1986

Christos founds the first ELC Anifadis School

2006

We open a new branch in Avlida, the Vathi HUB

2008

A dream come true; we move to purpose-built, privately owned premises

2011

Our first official partnership with Hellenic American Union

2014

We gain UCAS status as a certified UCAS centre and advisors for UK university applications

2015

We become a Certified Cambridge Exam Preparation Center, and we partner with the French Institute

2015

We launch Greece's first TED-Ed Club

2016

🏆 We win the most prestigious award for Language Schools in Europe and rank among the top 16 Cambridge Exam Centers worldwide

2017

🏆 We win the Education Business Award for Community Engagement

2017

We open the ELC Juniors HUB — a school dedicated entirely to our young and very young learners. 

A pioneering concept — the 1st in Greece —  that many schools have since adopted

2018

We introduce the Finnish education model MoominLSand KiDE Science steam programme

2018

Five of our students are selected to participate in the TED-Ed Global Weekend in New York

2019

ELC Anifadis School becomes one of the founding members of the Educational Leadership Association

2020

We gain the official status of IELTS Registration Center

2022

🏆 A year with many awards for ELC Anifadis: ELT News Best Foreign Language School in Greece and two from Education Business Award for …. respectively…..

2024

Since the introduction of the Cambridge loyalty programme, ELC Anifadis has been awarded the GOLD Preparation Centre award

ELC ELC

We’re proud of how far we’ve come, but we’re eager to go further, and keep enjoying ourselves along the way.