A new initiative was launched in the US that aims to bring the Greek language and culture to American schools.
The Advanced Placement (AP) Greek Language and Culture Initiative, launched by the Archimedean Academy and Dimitris Timpilis, Adjunct Professor at the University of Miami, aims to give Greek its rightful place alongside other world languages in America’s most rigorous high school curricula.
The College Board is already offering AP French, German, Italian, and Spanish Language & Culture.
“Greek is the foundation of Western literature, philosophy, science, and democracy. Yet despite this profound legacy, students across the US and the world currently have no opportunity to pursue AP-level Greek studies,” Timpilis said.
This initiative aims to change that, he adds. “With sufficient support, we can convince the College Board to establish an AP Greek course that would allow students to engage not only with classics but with excellent modern texts, showcase their achievement on college applications, and potentially earn university credits.”
The Archimedean Academy shows the way for the Greek language in the US
The initiative is also led by the Archimedean Academy in Miami, recognizing that AP Greek would bring elite language education to top high schools nationwide.
The Archimedean Academy is a public school that aims to initiate young minds into the art of thinking through the teaching of Mathematics, the Greek Language, and Philosophy. It has consistently ranked among the top-performing public and private schools in the county, the State of Florida, and the nation.
Until recently, only about 5 percent of students had some Greek heritage. The rest have a diverse background, including Latinos, East Asians, and Africans.
Students would enhance their portfolios with a Greek course
Dimitris Timpilis explains that College Board certification would mean students could attain and certify above-average understanding of Modern Greek Language and Culture through a standardized course and examination.
A successful exam would offer university course credit at a first-year college level, opening doors to advanced literary studies and deeper academic exploration.
“In an increasingly competitive college admissions landscape, students who pass an AP Greek course would enhance their application portfolios with an unusual and intellectually rigorous world-language credential,” Timpilis says.
There is also a petition at apgreek.org aiming to show the College Board that America’s students deserve access to AP Greek.
Related: UNESCO Ratifies February 9 as World Greek Language Day
