High School Study Abroad
Program in Greece and Italy

Reading lists will be posted on your program site in early May. Online pre-departure sessions with your teachers and classmates begin one week prior to departure. These virtual sessions are designed to introduce you to your classmates, teachers, and course work. Our goal is to prepare you to hit the ground running and reduce your workload onsite.

Day 1: On the day of departure, we meet at Toronto's Pearson International Airport. Here, we unite as a group to distribute coursepacks, T-shirts and MEI Journals. After a meet and greet, we board a flight to our first location.

Days 2 — 11: We begin our journey of Western civilization in the ‘Eternal City’. With visits to the Colosseum and the ruins of the Forum, we wander through time and discuss the foundations of the West in the streets of the most excellent open-air museum—Rome. We will witness the physical and literal layers of Rome's history—intermixed with high fashion, luxury cars, and an unparalleled passion for soccer! Whether writing morning notes on the steps of St. Peter's Basilica, debating ideas in the Forum, or sampling the world's best gelato at the Trevi Fountain, in Rome, we witness the ghosts of history come alive at every turn.

Days 11 — 19: Here, with Sorrento's stunning views and the scent of lemon blossoms, students study Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, and reveals why Epicurus' philosophy of the quest for modest pleasures continues to carry favour in this rich and beautiful place. After venturing to the top of the Amalfi coast, we stop in Pompeii and wander through the ruins of one of Italy's most significant archaeological sites.

Days 19 — 23: Voyaging across the Ionian Sea, we arrive on the west coast of Greece and spend a night in Olympia, home to the monumental temple of mighty Zeus and birthplace of the original Olympic games. Here, we have the unique opportunity to lace up and run the original Olympic stadium’s track. We continue our exploration of Greece with a trip through the Peloponnese where we explore the prehistoric mountaintop citadel of Mycenae—from which Agamemnon launched his fateful assault on Troy—before heading on to the seaside town of Tolo. Crystal-clear waters, the freshest calamari, and genuine small-town Greek hospitality make this a favourite stop on our journey across the Mediterranean world. Leaving the coast behind, we then visit Epidaurus. Once the most important centre for healing in the ancient world, it is still home to the acoustically perfect theatre that hosts Greek plays during the summer months.

Days 23 — 28: We resume our odyssey with a visit to Athena’s favourite city—Athens. As the birthplace of Western democracy, philosophy, art, architecture, literature, and history, Athens genuinely does have it all. Our classrooms during our stay are in the Theater of Dionysus, among the ruins of the Temple of Zeus, within the Agora, and high atop the Acropolis, while our evenings are spent exploring the streets and enjoying rooftop dinners in this ancient city.

Days 28 — 35: Continuing our journey back to the origins of ancient Greece and Rome, we sail to Santorini, once believed to be legendary Atlantis. Here, students continue their investigation of ancient myth and explore the formation of a collective understanding of self and culture through examinations of Homer’s epic tales of Achilles and Odysseus. Digging into their course reading list, students also do a comparative study of classical Greek texts with modern interpretations and adaptations. When not debating in lecture, we spend our time wandering the cliffside towns and black sand beaches of this fabled island, concluding our time there with an epic hike along the caldera from Oia to watch the sunset over the capital of Fira.

Departure from Santorini Airport on Day 35

Upon your return, you have time to complete additional research and pull your work together before your final one-on-one online assessment. This week allows you to reflect on your travel experiences and integrate them into the course material. MEI staff have found this style of evaluation enjoyable and the most authentic way for students to demonstrate their knowledge and academic skills.