NEW YORK– A transformative $1 million grant from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) to the Latin/Greek Institute at the Graduate Center, CUNY, will expand opportunities for students of all backgrounds to participate in the Institute’s nationally renowned summer language institute. Through the SNF, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Scholarships will enable an additional 20-25 students to attend the Institute’s introductory and upper-level programs annually.

The Institute, a joint collaboration between the Graduate Center and Brooklyn College, has been providing intensive summer-term training in Latin and Greek for over 40 years. Stavros Niarchos Foundation Scholars will receive both a substantial scholarship and support for living expenses during the summer in New York City. They will also join an extensive community affiliated with and supported by the SNF.

“This grant is transformative because it offers the opportunity to study Greek and Latin language and literature — the source of so many fertile ideas in global culture — to students who typically have not had access to the field,” said Joy Connolly, Provost and Senior Vice President of the Graduate Center. “As a classicist, I can speak to the immediate impact this grant will have in both diversifying the discipline and sustaining its intellectual foundations. Thank you to the Stavros Niarchos Foundation for having the foresight to provide such significant support.”

The Latin/Greek Institute offers total-immersion programs in Latin or Ancient Greek that enable students to master in one summer the material normally covered in two to three years. Classes meet all day, five days a week, at the Graduate Center in Midtown Manhattan.

“Over the past twenty years, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation has been committed to supporting the study of classical cultures and civilizations globally,” said Sarah Needham, Program Officer at the Foundation. “We are proud to support such an innovative and renowned program, and are excited to be opening the world of Greek and Latin to ultimately hundreds of students who may have not otherwise had the chance. The Latin/Greek Institute is a gem and one of New York City’s most unique educational programs, with a long history of introducing thousands of students to the study of these classical languages. We do hope that through this support, students from all backgrounds will be able to participate and reap the benefits of studying Greek and Latin.”

“The Institute’s beyond-intensive, rigorous approach equips students to read Latin or Greek with precision and confidence in a short time, but it also requires a singular focus on their studies. For many, this is challenging because there is a real need to work at the same time as going to school,” said Katherine Lu Hsu, Director of the Latin/Greek Institute. “This grant will allow students to come to New York and dedicate their entire summer to learning Latin and Greek, and prepare them for further studies or research at top institutions across the country.”

More details about the programs and application information, are available on the Latin/Greek Institute’s website, gc.cuny.edu/lginst. Applications for Summer 2017 will be available online in December.