Sharing Stories: Integrating Service Learning into a Classical Studies Curriculum


Gretchen E. Meyers

Rollins College

While Classical Studies is considered to be a cornerstone in the foundations of a liberal education, as a classicist I have often wondered how to bring my ancient discipline into the modern world of community engagement and service learning. Certainly the values embodied in the study of the ancient world, including humanistic inquiry, self-expression and multiculturalism, correspond well to a liberal arts college’s goal of educating students for global citizenship and responsible leadership. However, I was mired in the practical details. What kind of service learning is available to a classicist? While teaching an upper-level Classical Studies seminar on the myth and archaeology of the Trojan War, I was struck with my opportunity. Through visiting with at-risk third and fourth graders from a local elementary school, my students embarked on a journey into the processes of storytelling and myth-making that included consideration of composition, audience reception and the relationship between words and visual representation. In this presentation I will demonstrate how together with my students, I integrated and implemented a successful service learning project into my curriculum that jointly fulfilled the goals of the course, as well as promoted the human connection and community building created by storytelling. I will also explore possible avenues for such involvement in other classical literature and mythology courses.

(20 minutes; Digital Projector Required)