Term 4
Greece and Rome:Empires
9:1 Student to Staff Ratio
Up to $2,500 in Scholarships Available
Why Take this Program?
What People Are Saying
The teachers brought life into every lecture and crafted brilliant connections with each student. My teachers weren’t just instructors — they were my mentors, friends, and family. The students I shared my journey with were the most unique, spontaneous, and beautiful people.
There’s something to be said about being where you learn — it was unfathomable. Just imagine running the same track as the Ancient Olympians. I never knew decadent gelato in Italy, or the breathtaking beaches of Greece would ever teach me some of life’s greatest lessons.
MEI isn’t just about academics, it’s about absorbing new cultures, discovering who you are, building powerful friendships, getting out of your comfort zone, indulging, reflecting, challenging yourself, and embracing freedom. My MEI adventure has left me with many unforgettable moments, lessons and friendships!
Angelika Promny-Tavares
Student, Term 4 Greece and Rome: Empires, 2018
Term 3 Europe: Kingdoms, 2018
Backpackers: Central America, 2017
Program Itinerary
Explore this program’s detailed itinerary for a sense of the journey ahead!
Program Preparation
Foundation Work
Days 1–5: Our online session is designed to connect students with their teachers and classmates, and to help prepare students for their term abroad. Students have access to the course website, where reading lists will be posted and are required to complete all prep work prior to departure to ensure they are ready to hit the ground running overseas.
Departure
Day 6: All of our programs begin at our study-abroad departure hub, Toronto’s Pearson International Airport. A short meeting is held at the Sheraton Gateway Hotel, Terminal 3, to distribute course packs, T-shirts and MEI Journals, and to clarify travel procedures. All students are responsible for making their own travel arrangements to the Sheraton Gateway Hotel. Students making alternate arrangements must contact MEI before March 31.
Florence
Days 7–12: Home of the Renaissance, the Medici, banking, and some of the world’s most beautiful architecture, Florence is the perfect stop to see what a flowering of thought, art, and culture can bring the world. While interspersing our days with visits to the Uffizi, Il Duomo, and the Accademia—home to Michelangelo’s David—students are captivated by some of the most vibrant markets, and some of the most beautiful architecture in Europe. It is no wonder this city has been the favourite of artists, writers, and popes for centuries.
Rome
Days 12–21: In Rome, we walk in the footsteps of the ancients as we follow the journey of Aeneas, one of the few survivors of the tragic sack of Troy, to the glorious city of Rome. This ‘Eternal City’ provides students with a visual and physical reminder of the layers of Rome’s history—all intermixed with high fashion, luxury cars, and delicious espresso bars! Whether writing morning notes on the steps of St. Peter’s Basilica, performing Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar in the Forum or sampling the world’s best gelato at the Trevi Fountain, in Rome, students witness the ghosts of history come alive.
Pompeii and Olympia
Days 21–23: As we travel down the coast of Italy before boarding a ferry to Greece, we stop in Pompeii where students end their investigation into the Roman world by looking at the explosion of Mount Vesuvius in 79 that buried the people of Pompeii in volcanic ash. After leaving Pompeii, students sail the Adriatic Sea aboard an overnight ferry to Greece. Upon our arrival in the Peloponnese, where Agamemnon and Achilles’ armies gathered before attacking Troy, students explore the archaeological ruins of Olympia, home to the first Olympic games. Here, students have the unique opportunity to lace up and run the original Olympic stadium’s track and visit one of the world’s most important archaeological museums.
The Peloponnese
Days 23–29: Continuing further east, students visit ancient Mycenae before arriving in the picturesque beach town of Tolo. This relaxed setting offers students a chance to focus their energy on presentations, group activities and creative writing. Students perform workout routines on the beach and test their limits on a day-long hike through the Lousios Gorge. We then consider Homer’s Iliad and Agamemnon’s return home after ten years of war to face the tragic consequences of his choices as we venture through the fortressed city of Ancient Mycenae.
Athens
Days 29–34: Our journey through the Peloponnese ends with a visit to Athena’s favourite city—Athens. Home to 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 Parthenon, while our evenings are spent exploring the Plaka and enjoying rooftop dinners in this ancient city.
Santorini
Days 34–41: Next, we sail to Santorini, once believed to be legendary Atlantis. Here, students begin our 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. We conclude our time there with an epic hike along the caldera from Oia, to watch the sunset over the capital of Fira.
Mykonos
Days 41–50: Along the picturesque Platis Gialos beach on the island of Mykonos, students focus on academic writing and delve into the analysis of our core texts for English. Master classes in essay writing and small group book chats in funky cafés scattered throughout the island enable students to look critically at the writings of ancient and modern writers while improving their writing skills. Here, students write their final ISUs and exams before celebrating the end of their semester abroad under the bright stars of this magical island. Our adventure concludes with a brief and final stay back on the mainland in Athens.
Departure from Athens Airport Day 50
Florence
Rome
Pompeii
Olympia
The Peloponnese
Athens
Santorini
Mykonos
What’s Included
Fee Breakdown
Program Costs
- Ministry-approved credit(s) upon successful completion of the course(s)
- Custom course pack
- Student Login
- MEI journal
- MEI T-Shirt
- Digital yearbook
Travel Costs
- Hotels and accommodations
- Breakfast and dinner daily
- Entrance fees to all course-specific sites
- Return airfare from Toronto’s Pearson International Airport
- Approximate airline departure taxes, surcharges and fees
- Airfare between countries
- Transportation between hotel locations via private coach
- Transportation for all listed program excursions
Program Fee Does Not Include
- Lunches
- Insurances
- Gratuities
- Course texts
- Medical Insurance and Cancellation Protection†
- Non-refundable $95 Registration Fee
†All students travelling with MEI Academy are required to purchase Medical Insurance.
*Based on air fares, land tariffs and currency exchange rates as of January, 2019.
Please note the possibility of increases in airfares and land costs prior to departure. Any increase must be borne by the individual participant.
**Program cost does not include non-refundable $95 registration fee.
Ready to take the next step?