Mentorships
I have been reflecting on how satisfying this process was for me intellectually. My role was to facilitate the curiosity and deep scholastic engagement of my mentee. It is rare for a high school student to pursue this type of self-designed college-level research, examining and synthesizing primary and secondary sources. What I found most inspiring was giving a high school student the chance to make the case for the continued relevance and significance of Classics today.
– Calder Classics Mentor
Summary
Students seeking a sustained and deep academic enrichment opportunity in the Classics should consider our Mentorship Program which connects students with an expert in their niche field of interest to develop and execute a personal passion project. Students come away from this experience with a concrete final presentation, a robust grounding in their unique academic speciality, and an impressive activity to add to their college application story.
Sessions
Initial strategy meeting:
During this first phone call with Timo Calder (Chief Programs Officer and Head of College Consulting), we will explore your academic interests and previous research experience in order to match you with the best possible Mentor.
Sessions
Mentorship:
Students meet with their Mentor during 10 sessions. In the first 2-3 sessions the Student and Mentor meet to clarify the academic angle, talk about research skills, and share primary sources for the Student to read in their chosen subject. In the next 4-8 sessions the Mentor provides further guidance to the Student and together the Student and Mentor track the progress of the research project. The final 2 sessions are dedicated to preparing a polished final presentation and/or academic paper.
Sessions
Final Summary Meeting:
Students will have one more final discussion with Timo Calder to talk about how this experience can be highlighted as a marquee activity in the student’s college application narrative.
Timing
Our Mentorship program is customized and flexible by design since every student’s schedule is different. The Student/Mentor partnership can run at any point during the year, depending on the availability of our Mentors. Many of our students prefer to organize their Mentorship as a DIY summer program, meeting with their Mentors 10 times weekly between early July and early September.
Selected Mentor Areas of Expertise
Egyptian Hieroglyphs - Architecture - Greek Philosophy - Greek Athletics - Greek and Roman Drama - Ancient Music and Dance - Theater and Performance - Reception Studies - Landscape and the Environment - Mythology - The Roman Novel - Augustan Poetry - The Ancient Economy - Race in the Ancient World - Digital Humanities - Material Culture and Numismatics - Long-distance Trade - Feminism
Mentor reflection on an Architecture project:
I. My mentee’s interest centered on three areas: the ancient Arch of Titus in Rome and Roman monuments in general, contemporary monument debates, and the field of ethics. I mapped out possible threads of inquiry, presented these different avenues, then together we brainstormed the various ways these topics could be explored and combined, how we might integrate the ancient material and the modern, and together devised a rough timeline of topics and discussion questions for 10 sessions.
II. Each meeting had a central focus and assigned readings or videos, and discussion questions, to provide structure for our conversation. As the research developed, we adjusted and recalibrated to ensure that the material and analytical approaches were representative of, and responsive to, my mentee’s initial interest. Then, the final two meetings were devoted to discussing the final formal write-up of the research. This included a discussion of possible venues for my mentee to share their research, such as an online student journal, or an end-of-the-year academic symposium at their school.
III. Since the Mentorship project came to a close, I have been reflecting on how satisfying this process was for me intellectually. My role was to facilitate a space to foster the curiosity and deep scholastic engagement of my mentee. It is a rare opportunity for a high school student to pursue this type of self-designed and in-depth college-level research, examining and synthesizing primary and secondary sources. What I found most inspiring was giving a high school student the chance to make the case for the continued relevance and significance of Classics today.
To Ensure the Best Service We Limit the Number of Students Accepted.
Contact us at calderclassics@gmail.com