Request for applications–Exchange Program Grant
Thanks to the generosity of Mr. Harry Wilks, the Vergilian Society is pleased to be able to offer one or two seed grants for 2015-2017, to bring a group of secondary students to the Harry Wilks Study Center at the Villa Vergiliana in Cuma, Italy.
The grants will cover room and board at the Harry Wilks Study Center at the Villa Vergiliana in Cuma, outside Naples, for a teacher and group of students for a week of summer study in Italy. The administrative staff of the villa will assist in arranging visits to a selection of Greek and Roman sites in the Naples area (including Pompeii); Rome is easily accessible as well, should the group wish to extend their stay. The sites to be visited can be customized according to the interests of each group, with the understanding that the focus will be the ancient Greek and Roman world.
Grants will be in the amount of $3,750 for a group of twelve students or less, $5,500 for thirteen through eighteen students, and $7,500 for nineteen or more. These seed grants are not intended to cover full expenses, but instead to start the process by which the group will end up at the villa. The expectation is that the successful applicant will raise the air fare and tour costs within Italy through a combination of parental contribution and fundraising activities. The teacher or the teacher’s school must be a member of the Vergilian Society in order to apply for the grant.
The Vergilian Society welcomes applications from the full range of secondary school teachers interested in the language and culture of antiquity, including but not restricted to history, social sciences, philosophy, theology, studio art, architecture and art history as well as Latin or Greek. While some preference may be given to a teacher taking a Latin class and/or to a group from a school that will be making its first visit to the villa, any secondary teacher with a serious interest in the ancient world is encouraged to apply. Successful applicants and their schools will be expected to join the Vergilian Society if they are not already members.
Application forms can be downloaded from the Vergilian Society website here. Applications will be accepted, and decisions rendered, on a rolling basis. Applicants are encouraged to begin early and to work with the second vice president for secondary schools, James Lowe at jlowe@jburroughs.org, in preparing their paperwork. The application form should be sent electronically to the president of the Vergilian Society, Richard Thomas at rthomas@fas.harvard.edu.