Seventeen rising ninth, tenth, and eleventh graders expanded their learning outside the classroom this summer by traveling to Greece as a part of Rye Country Day’s Global Studies Program.

The nine-day cultural immersion trip provided the opportunity to explore democracy in both ancient and modern Greece, while making connections to democracy at home in the United States. Students met with Greek historians, politicians, activists, and artists, and learned what inspires them to take local action in their home community. Realizing that modern Greeks struggle with many of the same issues as Americans—climate change, civil rights, inflation, wealth and income disparities— helped students understand the importance of being an active participant in government.

Athens, Greece—the birthplace of democracy—was the first stop of the trip, which was coordinated in partnership with Atlas Workshops and chaperoned by RCDS Director of Global Studies Dan Murray, Art Department Chair Monica Tiulescu, and Middle School Social Studies Teacher Charlie Friedman. Guided tours and site visits included the Acropolis and Acropolis Museum, the Panathenaic Stadium (home of the first modern Olympic Games in 1896), the National Archaeological Museum (Athen’s oldest and largest museum), the Museum of Cycladic Art (featuring a bountiful collection of Cycladic sculptures and other Greek artifacts), the excavations of Aristotle's Lyceum and Plato's Academy, and Pnyx Hill (birthplace of democracy and where certain citizens were first able to vote). Following their daily visits, the group participated in evening conversations and reflections on what they saw and learned.

Following Athens, RCDS’s next stop was Delphi, Greece, known as the center of the world in Greek Mythology and the home of The Oracle of Delphi. Students were in awe at the Temple of Apollo (where prophecies were consulted upon by high priestess, Pythia) and the ancient ruins throughout the archaeological site. Later that evening, students journaled about the impact of witnessing pieces of history. One student wrote, “One of the most fascinating artifacts displayed in the museum was a stone that was inscribed with music to be played by a lyre, which was one of the only physical pieces of ancient music ever found in Greece.”

The group made their way back to Athens where they continued exploring and appreciating Greek culture, visiting the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center, Center for Asia Minor Studies, and both the old and new Parliament buildings. Additional highlights included taking a traditional Greek cooking class with professional chefs and creating “Zines”, small magazines used to spread awareness about an idea in a creative way.

On their journey home, the students and chaperones shared thoughts about the trip. The consensus was that it was both a thought-provoking exploration of the history of democracy and a wonderful cultural immersion experience.