Summer 2025 in Greece
Join us for this unique summer learning experience in Greece, designed for students with a sincere interest in the ancient Greek language and a desire to learn how to read great works of ancient Greek literature.
Reading Ancient Greek
Calder Classics invites both beginning and intermediate students entering 10th grade and older to join us in Greece in the summer of 2025 for this intensive Ancient Greek program. Over 10 days, the Classics come alive through the study of ancient Greek, reading of poetry and prose, and exploration of ancient sites. As a backdrop to leaning the ancient language we immerse ourselves deeply in daily Greek life in a spectacular setting on the east coast of the southern Greek peninsula, the Peloponnese.
Based in the "Ano Poli" (Old Town) section of Thessaloniki and immersed in an atmosphere shaped by classical history, students spend their days reviewing Greek grammar and vocabulary and reading the great authors of Greek literature in the original or in translation. We discover Thessaloniki, visit local archeological sites, Mt. Olympus, Aristotle’s tomb, the Greek island of Samothraki, and other nearby places of interest. The evenings feature Greece’s many cultural, leisure and culinary offerings.
Master Greek
Intermediate to Advanced level students dedicate a morning and/or an afternoon session each day to reading ancient Greek authors. Readings are accompanied by grammar lessons, allowing students with intermediate and advanced experience to enjoy portions of the course as a review. We use Greek, An Intensive Course by Hardy Hansen and Gerald M. Quinn, a textbook designed to help students acquire an ability to read and appreciate the great works of Greek literature as quickly as possible.
While emphasizing fundamentals, Reading Ancient Greek immediately begins with the reading of unadapted prose and poetry by such authors as Homer, Herodotus, Plato, Demosthenes, Sophocles and Aristotle. We then analyze texts from both a grammatical and literary perspective, engaging in discussions about the significance of rhetorical devices and meter.
Greek students have an opportunity to advance their skills quickly through the intensive personal attention of Dr. Jeff Ulrich, Professor of Classics at Wellesley College and Johanna Braff, a Greek teacher at The Dalton School. Felicia Kang, a History teacher at Saint Ann's School, will run group symposia on topics related to Greek philosophy, politics and mythology.
Dive into Greece's Culture and History
Throughout the course, we explore historic treasures of northern Greece, including the Thessaloniki National Archaeological Museum, Byzantine monuments, Ottoman ruins and the Royal Tombs at Vergina. Students take in the visual delights of Thessaloniki with their newfound Greek learning, which is guaranteed to enhance their experience and deepen their appreciation of the beautiful ancient history of this wondrous city. Highlights of the trip include a guided hike on Mount Olympus, and a multi-day trip to the spectacular island of Samothraki.
Calder Classics Students Have Joined Us From…
ARIZONA: Veritas Prep CONNECTICUT: Canterbury, Choate, Greenwich Academy, Hotchkiss, Taft CALIFORNIA: The Harker School, Sage Hill School CHINA: High School of RenMin University of China, Second High School Attached to Beijing Normal ILLINOIS: Saint Ignatius College Prep MARYLAND: Mt Hebron, Oldfields, Saint James School MASSACHUSETTS: Berkshire School, Clark School, Concord Academy, The Dexter School, The Faye School, Groton, Middlesex, Milton Academy, Newton North, Philips Andover, Tabor Academy, Winchester High MISSOURI: Liberty High School NEW HAMPSHIRE: Phillips Exeter, Saint Paul's NEW JERSEY: Dwight Englewood, Lawrenceville, Northern Valley Regional, Pingry, Princeton High, Stuart Country Day NEVADA: Sage Ridge School NEW YORK: Brearley, Chapin, Collegiate, Columbia Prep, Dalton, Hackley, Holy Child, Manhattan Friends, Marymount, Nichols School, Packer Collegiate, The Park School, Riverdale, Rye Country Day, Saint Ann's, St. Joseph, St. Joseph-by-the-Sea, Stuyvesant, Spence, Trinity NORTH CAROLINA: Charlotte Country Day, Ravenscroft PENNSYLVANIA: Emmaus, Germantown Friends, Westtown Friends RHODE ISLAND: Portsmouth Abbey, Providence Country Day TEXAS: Saint Mark's WASHINGTON DC: Saint Alban's, Woodrow Wilson... Add your school to the list!
Staff
Jeff Ulrich
Johanna Braff
Felicia Kang
Accommodations
We stay at an atmospheric guest house in the "Ano Poli" section of Thessaloniki with easy access to street markets, tavernas and cafes. The villa has a courtyard, common areas, Wifi, and air-conditioning.
Dates and Fees
June 26-July 5, 2025
The $7,000 tuition includes accommodations, transportation within Greece, museum entries, and instruction. (Students purchase their own textbook.) Breakfast, plus either lunch or dinner, are also included. Depending on our daily schedules students will be on their own for either a lunch or evening dinner break. Any activities outside of planned group events are at the student’s expense. Airfare is not included.
Transportation
Students make their own travel arrangements to Athens, Greece. Those high school students who wish to travel with a chaperone between New York City and Athens should contact a Calder Classics representative during the application process.
Thessaloniki International Airport is approximately 30 minutes from our residence by taxi/car.
Testimonials
" The Calder Classics ancient Greek summer program created the perfect balance of academic studies and cultural activities for our daughter this summer. Highlights included: visiting markets in Thessaloniki, climbing Mount Olympus, visiting ancient ruins, cooking traditional Greek dishes and learning Greek dances. The teachers are experts in their field and their passion for Ancient Greek studies has inspired our daughter to continue her Classical education in college. This is her second summer with Calder Classics and each program has fostered her passion to learn. Thank you Cindy for creating a program that teaches the students to look at the world a little differently." parent, Florence and Thessaloniki student
"Before going to Thessaloniki I had taken one year of Greek, so for me the purpose of this trip was really to reinforce the existing foundations in grammar. But unexpectedly, with all due credit to our professors, Calder Classics has given me so much more: it has given me the tools to be able to read Greek fluently. And I say "tools" instead of "ability" because no, nobody can immediately attain fluency in three weeks. So thanks, teachers. You will both prove to be influential in my progress as a student and a classicist, and my words do no justice to the gratitude welling from the bottom of my heart. I love this program, and will definitely come back someday!" Andre C., student
"It was with slight trepidation that I embarked on my study of Ancient Greek, for unlike my fellow students, I've never studied any ancient language before, not even Latin, but it didn't take long for me to realize that my fears were misplaced. Within the warm embrace of the JV team, I started from my alpha beta gammas and slowly moved up to face the many faces of the complex beast, also known as GRAMMAR. It was surprising to see how much progress we had made, from the illiterate 'this is all Greek to me' phase to the 'this is still Greek but I can translate everything I know about it' phase. ..One thing I really loved was how our activities and studies were scheduled intermittently so that every day we had something to look forward to. Whether it was a shopping trip near Aristotelous Square (with grumpy Aris sulking in his chair), a class on Greek cooking, a visit to an archaeological museum or even just an afternoon hanging out by the seaside, listening to the waves lapping and feeling the sea breeze against your cheek, everything was new and exciting and quite marvelous." Morgan Y., student
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