The 2025 Paideia High School Essay Contest

In Medias Res |

Win a trip to Greece this summer!

Living Greek in Greece students exploring the Blue Caves on the Greek island of Zakynthos.

The Paideia Institute is pleased to announce its eighth annual high school essay contest. We will publish the winning essay here on In Medias Res, and the winner will receive a full scholarship to our Living Greek in Greece High School summer program. The prompt for this year's contest is:

Why does The Odyssey, and the story of the return home, still matter? We invite you to offer your own interpretations of either The Odyssey itself, specific episodes from The Odyssey, or themes that the poem introduces (the structure of the family/oikos, nostalgia, fidelity, disguise, lying, masks, to name a few). You should also feel free to write about Odyssean themes in other cultural works, both ancient and modern. The best essays, however, will ground themselves in the thoughts of Homer and the ancient Greeks. Think of your essay as an advertisement for why knowing this fundamental work of Greco-Roman culture is still worth our time.

Tips:

  • Your current ability and knowledge of Ancient Greek doesn't matter. Write about what you know.
  • Feel free to include examples, where appropriate, from any Greek literature, history or art that you can link to The Odyssey. Literature in translation is fine!
  • Try not just to tell your reader why The Odyssey matters, but show it, from your analysis and interpretations of whatever Odyssey-inspired material interests you. You could explore why The Odyssey is valuable politically, historically, aesthetically, personally etc. It's up to you!

Essay submissions are due on Monday, February 17th, 2025 and should not exceed 800 words. Please include your first and last name, grade level, and email address at the top of your essay. Essays should be emailed to [email protected] in PDF format with the subject line "2025 High School Essay Contest Submission." Submissions that do not meet these requirements will not be considered. For more information about Living Greek in Greece High School, please visit the program overview page. Please note that the essay contest prize scholarship does not include airfare to and from Greece. High school freshmen through graduating seniors are eligible to participate in the essay contest.

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In Medias Res

In Medias Res is the online magazine for lovers of Latin and Greek, published by the Paideia Institute.

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