The ancient olympics and daily life in ancient olympia: a hands-on history [the ancient olympics and daily life in ancient olympia: a hands-on history will immerse teachers in many aspects of the…

The National Endowment for the Humanities awarded Monmouth College $174,995 on January 1, 2026, under the Promotion of the Humanities Professional Development program (CFDA 45.163) to deliver a residential professional development institute for K-12 teachers on ancient Olympic history and daily life in ancient Olympia.

The institute immerses teachers in the ancient Olympic Games and local Mediterranean life through scholarly historical research using original literary sources, archaeological material evidence, and contemporary scholarly analysis. Participants engage in hands-on learning by performing Olympic events in the ancient style, carrying out the work of period artisans and craftspeople, and experiencing the materiality of ancient life. The program leverages Monmouth College's facilities in Illinois to support the physical and residential components essential to its educational impact.

Performance of performance is Illinois. The award period runs from January 1, 2026, through February 28, 2027. The assistance type is a Project Grant.

The ancient olympics and daily life in ancient olympia: a hands-on history [the ancient olympics and daily life in ancient olympia: a hands-on history will immerse teachers in many aspects of the ancient olympic games and the local life going on around those games through scholarly historical research via original literary sources, visuals of material remains revealed through archaeology, and secondary analysis from contemporary scholars. More importantly, though, this institute will help participants to understand the games and ancient mediterranean life in hands-on fashion, teaching participants how to do the olympic events in the ancient style, to carry out the work of artisans and craftspeople of the time, and more broadly to experience the materiality of ancient life. The proposed institute will be residential so that participants can engage in the physical component of the institute that is so important to its impact, and so that they can take advantage of monmouth college?S excellent facilities for this purpose.]