CONGRATULATIONS!
You have been accepted to participate in Living Greek in Greece High School. We are very much looking forward to helping develop your knowledge of Ancient Greek, and to spending some time getting to know you in the Land of the Muses this summer.
PLANNING YOUR TRIP TO GREECE
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
Participants should plan to arrive in Athens on July 16th and depart on July 30th.
Traveling Independently
Students traveling independently should make arrangements to arrive at Elefthérios Venizélos Athens International Airport on July 16, 2023 between 7am and 5pm. An Institute staff member will meet each student after he or she clears customs, and will accompany him or her to our housing. Please indicate your flight information on our travel form to facilitate pick up at the airport. Students whose flights depart after 10am on departure day, July 30th, will also be chaperoned to the airport. Students whose flights depart earlier than 10am will need to arrive at the airport independently, though Paideia can help them book a taxi.
N.B. Most airlines offer chaperoning services for unaccompanied minors on international flights. For more information on obtaining a chaperone to accompany you through customs, please contact your airline.
Paideia Chaperoned Flight
The Paideia Institute will book a staff member as a chaperone on a flight to and from Athens via New York's John F. Kennedy Airport. Students may book their own ticket on the chaperoned flight, but this is optional and must be booked by the student. Paideia does not book student flights. The information for the group flight is below. If you would like to travel on the group flight, please indicate this on the travel form below and book your ticket for the following flights. You will receive information by email about where to meet the chaperones.
LGiGHS Group Flight information
- JFK to Athens: Delta Flight DL 202, departing Saturday, July 15th at 3:10pm
- Athens to JFK: Delta Flight DL 213, departing Sunday, July 30th at 3:30pm
In-Person Drop Off and Programming for Families
Families may also drop their children off in Athens in person on July 16th. Specific dropoff information will be provided later in the spring. If you will be in Europe before the program, please consider joining us in Rome for Roman Holiday, a weeklong program in Rome for parents, board members, and institute donors.
For Students Coming from Living Latin in Rome
Students who enroll in both Living Latin in Rome and Living Greek in Greece will travel from Rome to Athens on a Paideia Chaperoned Flight listed below. Please book a seat for your child on this flight if your child plans to enroll in both programs.
- Rome to Athens: Aegean Flight A3 651, Sunday, departing July 16th at 10:30am
WHAT TO PACK
The atmosphere of the program is relaxed and informal, and Greece is hot in July. Cool summer clothing is essential. Bring a bathing suit and a beach towel, a hat, plenty of sunscreen, and sunglasses. Linens are provided, but you should bring your own beach towel. We will change hotels several times, so please try to avoid overpacking.
We recommend a good hat (a broad-brimmed one is preferable to a baseball cap), plenty of sunscreen, and a good pair of UV-protective sunglasses. Most importantly, please bring a refillable water bottle. It's very easy to get dehydrated during a Greek summer.
Please pack appropriate attire. While shorts and t-shirts are fine on most days, some of our site visits include trips to churches, where visitors must wear clothing that fully covers knees and shoulders to be allowed entrance (e.g. trousers or long skirts and shirts with sleeves). Some visitors bring a light shawl that can be thrown over the shoulders or tied around the waist as needed. Students will not be permitted to wear t-shirts with offensive statements or inappropriately short or tight-fitting clothing.
Bring good, strong shoes. We will be walking regularly and frequently as we learn about Greece. Much of this walking will be on cobblestones, but will also include dusty walkways, uneven flagstones, and low stone walls when visiting archaeological sites. Your feet will thank you if you do this walking in sturdy sneakers or cross trainers.
Spending money. In our experience, the amount of spending money that students typically spend on souvenirs and other extras rarely goes above 100-150 euros. The easiest way to get euros is to take them out of an ATM or to bring them with you. Museum gift shops will accept credit cards as well. Please remember to inform your bank that you’ll be traveling to avoid any issues with account locks for unrecognized transactions.
INFORMATION ABOUT LIFE IN THE PROGRAM
ACADEMIC INFORMATION
Books And Course Materials
The course organizers will provide you with a packet with all necessary readings and assignments. We ask that all participants have access to an Ancient Greek dictionary, and grammar book. The following editions by James Morwood are both affordable and portable:
We also recommend Logeion which offers free access to a digital version of the Liddell Scott and Jones’ authoritative Greek Lexicon.
Academic Preparation
While we do not expect participants to have had any prior experience with Greek, we do request that students familiarize themselves with the Ancient Greek alphabet before arriving. This online resource will be sufficient.
Students will be grouped by experience with Greek, so those who have already learned some Greek will also be challenged in the program. If you already know some Greek and want to make progress before the program, we recommend that you memorize as many words as possible from the Dickinson College Core Greek Vocabulary list. Challenge yourself by trying to memorize all 1000 words!
You will also get more out of the program if you have a basic background in Ancient Greek history, culture and mythology. To bone up before the program, we recommend the following books:
- The Greeks: History, Culture, and Society by Ian Morris and Barry Powell
- Mythology by Edith Hamilton
STUDENT LIFE
Housing, Facilities, And Food
During the first week of the program, students and teachers live together and attend classes in the center of Athens at the Heritage Hill Hotel. Some classes will also be held in the MBC Business Center across the street from the hotel.
During the second week of the program, we will travel to some of the most important archaeological sites in Greece, including Corinth, Nafplio, Epidaurus, Olympia, and Delphi. While traveling, students will be housed in shared double or triple hotel rooms. A more detailed itinerary with hotel names and contact information will be provided to families upon enrollment.
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be provided daily for the duration fo the program, either at the program hotels or in local restaurants.
No overnight guests are allowed in Institute housing. If friends or family visit, please arrange for them to stay elsewhere.
Housing is available from July 16th to the 30th. If you plan on arriving in or leaving Athens before or after these dates, you will need to arrange your own accommodation.
If you have any specific housing needs, we will do our best to accommodate them. Please write to [email protected] with any considerations. Dietary restrictions will, of course, be respected as well.
Health, Well Being, And Insurance
Medical care in Greece is first-rate and, should the need arise, the Paideia Institute can call a physician for a house call or bring a student to a doctor or hospital. All participants must have their own health insurance covering them internationally during the full duration of their time in Greece. If you do not have health insurance that covers you while in Greece, the Student Travel Protection plan available below provides adequate coverage.
If you are taking medication, be sure to bring enough for your entire stay. There are well-stocked pharmacies in Greece, but not all drugs are readily accessible without a prescription, and it is better to bring one’s own supplies.
If you have a medical condition that could affect your ability to participate, we strongly urge you to share that condition with us ahead of time. This way, in the event of a medical issue, we can more quickly and efficiently arrange for your care. All such information will be held in the strictest confidence.
Staying In Touch
Non-urgent messages to the Institute’s main phone number (609) 429-0734 will be returned within 48 hours, and emails to [email protected] will be responded to more quickly. After enrollment, a phone number will be provided so that, in the case of true emergencies, a member of the LGiGHS staff may be reached at any time, day or night. Please remember that Greece is 7 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time. Please try to avoid calling after 11pm Greek time except in emergencies.
We invite all admitted students and their parents also to join the Living Greek in Greece High School 2023 Facebook Group, which will provide a handy way for admitted students to be in touch pre-departure, and for parents to glimpse some of the fun while we are in Greece. The housing facilities are equipped with wireless internet.
Supervision, Behavior And Exploring
Paideia Institute instructors live together with students and serve as dorm monitors. As stated in the Code of Conduct, students are not permitted out alone at any time. During designated free time, students are permitted to explore certain areas of the places we visit for a set period of time (usually about an hour) in groups of 3 or more. A lights-out policy of 11pm is in place for the duration of the program.
PAYMENT, FORMS, AND POLICIES
POLICIES
CANCELLATION POLICY AND TRAVEL INSURANCE
Once paid, the $500 deposit is non-refundable. Participants who withdraw from the program after the balance deadline will be given a credit for the amount of the balance (but not the deposit).There is no refund for students who withdraw after the start of the program.
A Student Travel Protection Plan is available for this program through Travel Guard. For coverage information and to purchase this insurance prior to final trip payment, please visit this link. Please contact Travel Guard at 866-385-4839 with any questions.
CODE OF CONDUCT
All program participants agree to abide by the Paideia Institute’s Code of Conduct. Violations of the Code of Conduct may result in disciplinary action, including removal from activities or, in serious cases, early dismissal from the program. No refunds will be given for expulsion from the program for disciplinary reasons.
COVID-19 POLICY
Please familiarize yourself with Paideia’s COVID-19 Policy for Travel Programs. You will need to sign a waiver agreeing to comply with this policy during enrollment.
FORMS
ENROLLMENT FORM
Please enroll in Living Greek in Greece High School by clicking the button below by April 1, 2023.
TRAVEL INFORMATION FORM
As soon as you have made your travel arrangements, please send us your arrival information using the button below.
PAYMENT
PAYMENT DEADLINES
Non-refundable Deposit ($500) and enrollment form: April 1st, 2023
Remaining Balance ($4500): May 1st, 2023
PAYMENT BY CREDIT CARD OR ACH TRANSFER
Please pay the deposit and balance below by the deadlines indicated above. Please note that payment by credit card includes a 3% convenience fee.