Paideia High School Essay Contest

1. Introduction
The Paideia Institute for Humanistic Study, a nonprofit educational organization, is committed to fostering the exploration and appreciation of classical humanities, with a particular emphasis on the languages and literature of Latin and Ancient Greek. Annually, they host a high school essay contest, providing an opportunity for students who share a passion for these subjects to showcase their proficiency and understanding of ancient Greek. Moreover, the competition encourages participants to delve into their personal motivations for undertaking the study of Greek and to reflect upon the broader significance of learning the language and culture of ancient Greece.

2. Prompt
The prompt for this year’s contest is:

Why should we study classical Greek? Or ancient Greek culture? We invite you to reflect on both your own personal reasons for embarking on Greek study, as well as more general reasons why the study of ancient Greek language and culture can be valuable. The best essays will give a sense of why Classics, and in particular ancient Greek, matters to you, but also help persuade others to pursue learning about the ancient Greeks. Think of this less as a college application essay, and more of a manifesto, an effort to encourage others to join the happy throng of students of ancient Greece.

3. Word Limit
Essay submissions should not exceed 800 words. 

4. Prizes
The winner will have their essay published in In Medias Res, and they will receive a full scholarship to the Living Greek in Greece High School summer program.