GRANTS AWARDED FOR 2023-2024

A first year student surprised me last May with a suggestion to visit the Art Institute of Chicago as a field trip, to view their ancient Greek and Roman collections. Latin is a new program at Thea Bowman Leadership Academy in Gary, Indiana, as of last year, and I am new to teaching it.  It has been embraced, however, by students and colleagues with dedication and a sense of fun.  I would like to offer the Art Institute trip to first and second-year Latin students this Fall, in order to help them feel that they are an important part of the wider world of classics, that classics are their cultural heritage, and that they belong in the privileged public spaces of the city.  Students who wish to go would be assigned to research and to present on specific pieces in the collections.

On our travels in Italy this summer my students and I had the opportunity to visit a Roman army training facility just outside Rome. Unlike the “pool noodle” swords we had been using to try to hit our fellow students, this training involved real wooden swords. Basically, it was safer and more equitable than what we had been doing, therefore we want to recreate it at St Timothy’s. The grant funds would be used to purchase posts and then create a set of wooden swords to be used by students this year and in the future. We have our Headmaster’s permission to create our Roman army training field. This form of Roman army training is so much better that what we have used in the past. It does not presuppose any level of skill. You are only competing against yourself and not a superior opponent.

GRANTS AWARDED FOR 2022-2023

Paige Receveur, $100; To support the AZJCL Fall Forum (Masks, Astronomy, and Service) in November 2022 at Arizona State University. At this Forum, students rotated between various stations where they explored different facets of Latin. Presentations were given on Latin in modern media, Hellenistic astronomy, and even a service project for Phoenix Children’s Hospital where AZJCL students made coloring packets. The ETC grant aided with a station about ancient theater masks. Students learned about ancient theater and why the Greeks used masks in their performances. Students then got to create their own skits based on Latin or Greek culture and make their own character masks to add authenticity to their performances. There were 320 students that got the opportunity to participate at Fall Forum in such an amazing opportunity! 

Jenny Lancaster, $175; To provide incentive gifts for students who go above and beyond in the "Semper Discens" challenge–a weekly practice certamen interface on Google Classroom that she and some of the student leaders are working on. The interface focuses on broad categories of focused study for certamen: Mythology, Daily Roman Life, Roman Heroes, etc.  The student leaders make Google Forms and post them weekly on the site. Prizes for high scores include t-shirts with the JCL motto, Roman figurines, and authentic Roman coins.

To see a detailed list of previously awarded grants, please click here.