Planning for our 2024 travel programs is underway! As our new course offerings are confirmed we list them in the section above under “Travel Programs Offered in 2o24”.

In the meantime, feel free to browse some of our past offerings below:

Homeric storytelling + creative writing

ESSEX, MASSACHUSETTS!! A unique summer writing program designed for students of mythology and the Classics who are interested in honing and developing their creative writing and storytelling skills.  At the Calder Classics Institute, a bucolic seacoast location north of Boston, the ancient story of Homer’s Iliad along with modern Homeric adaptations come alive for students seeking an interdisciplinary experience with a diverse group of peers.

Creative writing workshop

FLORENCE!! This ten-day workshop based in Florence explores the classical foundation stories and their influence on our modern culture in our Creative Writing Workshop. Through daily writing workshops, readings of ancient and modern literature, and exploration of local sites our students hear the local muses and return home with manuscripts of their own modern myths.

Reading latin + art history,

FLORENCE!! Our students spend ten days in Florence reading and discussing Latin literature in an interactive “salon” style environment. To complement these readings, our resident art historian guides us on a daily exploration of art throughout the city that is thematically related to our Latin texts, including Botticelli’s Primavera and Birth of Venus and Michelangelo’s David.

Reading latin + imperial history

ROME!! During a week in Rome we investigate how the Roman Empire asserted itself physically in the city of Rome in antiquity, and how the ghosts of the ancient empire reappeared in modern history during the 19th and 20th centuries. In particular, we focus on the Emperor Augustus’ massive building program in Rome. We consider how Mussolini and the Fascist regime used Augustus as a model, and in doing so, also asserted their power in the city via a widespread building program. In this session, our discussions focus on the historical context and broader themes of the sites we visit.

Ancient greek and philosophy, july 12 to 26, 2023

THESSALONIKI!! Over the course of a 2-week program in Thessaloniki, we bring the Classics alive through the study of the ancient Greek language and philosophy, the exploration of ancient sites, and immersion in daily Greek life. We reside in two beautiful settings, both in view of Mount Olympus.

The role of classics in us history, july 16-23, 2023

ESSEX, MASSACHUSETTS!!  A residential summer program at the Calder Classics Institute designed for enthusiastic high school students of US History who want to heighten their familiarity with the influences of Greco-Roman writings and ideas on education, government, and society in the US from the foundation of the nation to modern times. In a seacoast setting north of Boston the Classics come alive for accomplished students seeking an interdisciplinary education experience with a diverse group of peers.

Learning to read latin and discovering ancient history, july 27 to august 8, 2023

ROME!! SORRENTO!! Over the course of a two-week program in Rome and in the Bay of Naples the Classics come alive through the study of Latin, exploration of archaeological and modern sites, and immersion in daily Italian life.  We spend the first week within walking distance of the Circus Maximus, the Forum, the Palatine, and the Colosseum. During the second week, we travel to Sorrento where we reside in a location perfectly suited to visit the many ancient sites in the Bay of Naples. Throughout the program, language, art, and scholarship merge fluently in an atmosphere of intellectual freedom and interdisciplinary exchange.

Journeys to the underworld, july 27 to august 3, 2023

TUSCANY!!  Designed for dedicated intermediate to advanced students in either Greek or Latin to join us in the Tuscany countryside. Surrounded by Etruscan ruins and plenty of Greek and Roman remnants, we read ancient texts that explore underworld narratives and prophecies.