What is one thing that makes a SEED education unique? Our 24-hour learning model which provides us the space and time to immerse our students in distinctive and life-changing experiences. One example is the Niarchos Foundation Greek Classics program, which recently marked its 20th year at The SEED School of Washington, D.C. (SEED DC). This program consists of an elective course on Greek history, mythology, geography, culture, and language and culminates in a 10-day trip to Greece. This year, after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, seven rising juniors and seniors who were excelling in their studies participated in this amazing trip.
Dr. Lamar Bagley, director of school culture at SEED DC leads the Greek Classics program. He has been involved with it for the last ten years, serving as a chaperone, teacher, and coordinator. “The curriculum covers things such as the geography of Greece, what the land looks like, and the different regions. Then in the tour, we travel to different parts of the country, and our students get to see city life, mountains, farmland, and coastal regions. We also study the different periods of Greek history. For example, there's a section about each temple.”
Over the years, Dr. Bagley has strived to make the course more interactive to bring students in and provide context. For example, when studying Greek mythology, students come up with a concept for a movie that adapts a myth, imagining what it would look like in a modern story. They also learn about Greek food, and students try their hand at cooking Greek dishes such as Spanakopita or Baklava. They then prepare the food and give a presentation about how it was made and how it’s important to Greek culture. One of the things Dr. Bagley loved about this year’s group was how adventurous they were in trying new cuisine. “The kids really enjoyed the food, the most of any group in all my years.” While in past years students were skeptical of trying new things, “This group really took risks with trying new dishes and expanding their palate, which was great.”
Much like the class, the trip is designed to be an immersive learning experience. For some in this year’s group of students, it was their first time on a plane. Dr. Bagley finds that this new experience is a great opportunity for students to apply the life skills they practice at SEED. “One of the things I like to instill in my students is the ability to display independence and self-control. These are the social skills that we are striving to teach at SEED. We want them to use these skills when they’re traveling whether it’s at the airport, at a restaurant, or in a temple. And while I’m there to chaperone them, there’s still some independence in that.”
While in Greece, students visited sites such as The Acropolis, The Parthenon, Delphi, and Mt. Parnassus, and they also visited rural and coastal areas. “When the kids are in Greece, while it is an educational trip, we also like to have fun. Near the Acropolis, there's a scavenger hunt, and they figure out the clues and go to each of the different temples within the city and they learn different things. And it's just a different way to navigate, versus a formal tour.”
In addition to seeing the modern and ancient sites of Greece, students visited a farm in the country, and went to an island. They also visited an area of Athens called “the invisible city”, a neglected area of the city where many people experiencing homelessness stay. It sparked conversations about how people who are homeless are treated in the U.S. and Greece, and how they are often overlooked. “After that experience, the students were more cognizant of the people around them. And after we ate out if we had extra food after dinner, I would see the students stop and give people on the street their food. That told me they understood the experience, and it was impactful for them. I think it's important for them—as we are working to create global citizens—to know everything isn't like what we see in the postcards, its more that Santorini.”
Dr. Bagley has seen how this trip inspires students. “Some of our students are already eager to go back to Greece or to find out other ways to travel abroad. Just having a passport opens doors for them in ways they don’t even see yet.” He’s also noticed that the students who participate in the Greek Classics program become more involved with the student body. “They become more eager to become involved in the school. They become a student government leader or football captain or basketball captain.”
At SEED, we strive to open doors for our students to new experiences that spark their interests and broaden their understanding of what they can do and where they can go. Because of The Niarchos Foundation’s commitment to supporting thousands of nonprofits working in areas such as health and education, hundreds of SEED DC scholars have had the opportunity to learn about other cultures through travel. We’re honored to be a partner.
Click here to learn more about The Niarchos Foundation.