Expanding Classics through the visual and performing arts, in and out of the classroom
By Nina Papathanasopoulou
In my presentation, I will discuss how I reach across disciplinary boundaries to incorporate visual and performing arts in college courses that are usually solely text-based or primarily focused on language; and, further, how the inclusion of the arts made the courses more accessible to students of a greater variety of learning styles, interests, and backgrounds.
Integrating diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds in the Latin classroom, and reconsidering the place of Classics in non-western traditions
By Sonya Wurster
In my presentation, I will discuss the transition from academia to secondary teaching and approaches that have been helpful teaching Latin to students with a diverse range of skills and existing knowledge-levels: 1) modifications to the curriculum to meet individual student needs; 2) the inclusion of cultural content that resonates with girls of color; 3) the incorporation of non-literary material culture in addition to literary sources.
Creating systemic change within existing structures
By Danielle R. Bostick
“Latin is for everyone” is a core value of the American Classical League. In reality, the majority of Latin programs are not for everyone. When I started teaching in my current school, a public high school where 60% of students are of low socioeconomic status and over half are students of color, I inherited a program that was almost all-white and all-affluent. Within a semester, my first-year students reflected the demographics of our diverse school in terms of race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and academic preparation.
Increasing the diversity of graduate students in Classics: The University of Michigan’s Bridge M.A. and Bridge to the Ph.D Programs
By Sara Ahbel-Rappe and Sierra P. Jones
The Bridge to the Ph.D., a two year-old program at the University of Michigan, is designed to increase the diversity of graduate students in Classics and related disciplines. In 2017, 35% of the incoming First Year class at the University of Michigan identified as something other than “white, Caucasian.” Students and faculty in the Classical Studies program are even less diverse, a fact which can discourage students of color from enrolling since it sends the message that the study Greece, Rome, and the Greco-Roman cultural legacy is not for them.