About Our Site and Aequora
Our Aequora site is located at MS 45 in The Bronx, NY. It is a school that provides many after-school programs and opportunities to its students, now including Latin.
Aequora is a K-8 program focused on literacy via Latin. At MS 45, we have chosen Aequora because we believe in the benefits of a classical education. Through The Paideia Institute’s Aequora curriculum, our volunteers harness the classical languages’ power to improve literacy, cultural understanding, and equity in education — all while making the ancient Mediterranean world fun and accessible to students of all backgrounds.
Led by independent site coordinators, Aequora envisions Classics as an inclusive, diverse, and socially engaged field. Our textbook, Aequora: Teaching Literacy with Latin, introduces the basics of Latin vocabulary and grammar, Roman culture and mythology, and connections between Latin, English, and Spanish, all through games and activities designed to show students that learning Latin is fun!
How We Teach Aequora
Our site is run every two weeks from 11:00 to 12:00. Our students range from 5th to 8th graders, and no prior experience with Latin is needed! We instruct on Latin vocabulary, engage in conversations about Roman and Greek mythology, and play various games. These activities not only enhance our understanding of the classical tradition but also foster an immersive and dynamic learning experience. At MS 45, we hope to create an environment that fosters a genuine excitement for learning.
The Aequora program is sustained by enthusiastic volunteers all over the country who care about making a difference and want to fight educational inequality through sharing their love of Latin.
Photos
Site Coordinators
Our site coordinators are Nina Zeltser, a student at Hackley School in Tarrytown, NY and Owen O'Toole, a student at Regis High School, in New York City.
Nina Zeltser