PLATO CAMP
Applications for Plato Camp are open. The application window will close on June 8th.
Come read Plato. In Greek.
Greek Camp is back. Greek Summer is here. The Ancient Language Institute is moving from the internet to the physical world again this summer. Come join us in June 2025, for a 10-day Ancient Greek immersion camp, led by some of the best Ancient Greek teachers from around the world.
We will be reading, speaking, laughing, chanting, and writing in Greek on the beautiful Winston-Salem campus of Wake Forest University from June 22 – July 1.
Plato Camp is designed for early intermediate – advanced Greek students who want to improve their Greek proficiency and read Plato’s sparkling Attic with enjoyment.
No matter what form of Ancient Greek you are primarily interested in, the immersive learning experience of Plato Camp will aid you in your path towards proficiency. Plato Camp presents a life-changing opportunity to study Greek immersively, which the Ancient Language Institute does with hundreds of students online every year.
While we will be primarily focusing on Plato, we will also be learning how the study of other Ancient Greek texts can enrich your reading of Plato. But most of all, we’ll be reading and speaking – a ton – in Ancient Greek! Make your summer Greek.
The ideal Plato Camp participant already has some experience with Ancient Greek, whether Homeric, Attic, or Koine, so that he or she is at least familiar with the fundamental grammatical concepts and essential vocabulary of Ancient Greek.
What You Need to Know
Applications for Plato Camp are open. The application window will close June 8th.
- Cost: $1,550 (triple-room) | $1,700 (double-room) | $1,850 (single room)
- Covers tuition for Plato Camp, lodging for nine nights, and three meals/day while you’re here
- Location: Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC
- Dates: June 22nd – July 1st, 2025
- Check-in: Beginning June 22nd (3pm)
- Check-out: Must be completed July 1st (12pm)
- Requirements (what we’re looking for in applicants):
- Early intermediate – advanced student of Greek
- Minimum age of 18
- Positive, enthusiastic attitude excited for an immersive, spoken Greek experience
Teachers
Fernando Barreto De Morais, our Ancient Greek & Latin Fellow, completed a master’s in Ancient Philology from the Polis Institute of Languages and Humanities and a master’s in Classics from Washington University in St. Louis. He also holds an M.A. degree in Literary Studies and a B.A. in Ancient Greek from the Federal University of Parana. Fernando has been teaching Greek since 2008, and his research interests are focused on the history of education, Platonism, self-knowledge in antiquity, and second language acquisition.
MORE PLATO CAMP TEACHERS ANNOUNCED SOON!
Timeline and Application Process
Apply (Feb. 1 – June 8): Use the application form (below) on the Plato Camp page to apply to join us. We will require a refundable $100 deposit at the time of application. If you are accepted, this deposit will be applied to your tuition balance. If you are not accepted, the deposit will be fully refunded to you.
Video Interview (Feb. 1 – June 8): If we move you on to the next stage of the application process, we will schedule a video interview with you, so we can learn more about you and your Greek interest and experience, and so you can ask some questions about Plato Camp.
Acceptance (Feb. 1 – June 15): Shortly after the video interview, we will let you know via email whether you’ve been accepted. If you are accepted, we will also send you an invoice for 50% of the cost (minus the $100 already paid). To secure your spot at Plato Camp, you will need to pay that invoice. Once you do, your spot is secure.
Balance due (June 15): Your entire balance is due June 15. Additionally, if at any point you need to withdraw from Plato Camp, you may do that for a full refund before June 15. Beginning June 15, we will no longer be able to issue refunds.
Travel notification due (June 18): We will send out an “orientation” email in mid-June to provide some more helpful logistical info, which will include a questionnaire about your travel arrangements, so that we can make sure we know when you’re due to arrive in Winston-Salem. Please fill this out and return it to us by June 18.
Arrival (June 22): You are welcome to check into your room at Wake Forest University on June 22nd beginning at 4:00pm. We will be there to welcome you on campus at that time. Dinner will be served at 5:00pm that day, so please arrive before then.
Plato Camp (June 22 – July 1): Greek! Plato!
Departure (July 1): The last session of Plato Camp will be at 9:00am-10:30am on Friday, July 1st. You are welcome to depart immediately after that. You will need to check out of your room by 12:00pm that day – you don’t have to go home then, but you can’t stay here.
FAQs
Plato Camp is meant to help early intermediate – advanced students improve their Greek. If you’ve never studied Greek before, we welcome you to sign-up for Greek 101 at the Ancient Language Institute and begin your studies so that you can join us next year! If you are a beginner but dead-set on coming this year, apply for a one-on-one tutorial with us to complete accelerated study over the course of the spring.
Not at all! We’re assuming students will come with all sorts of different backgrounds in Greek. If you’ve studied Greek grammar before but never used the language actively, that’s fine! Students in this situation often make rapid progress once they’re exposed to an immersive approach to learning the language.
We are very ecumenical when it comes to pronunciation. Our teachers use a variety of different pronunciations, and we don’t require students to pick a particular one. Some of our teachers use a modified Erasmian, some use Lucian, and many use Attic reconstructions. If there is a pronunciation you are particularly interested in practicing, our teachers will be happy to help you do so. For the most part, we just want to make sure all of our students and teachers can understand each other when they’re speaking in Greek.
That’s up to your college. We aren’t accredited and do not offer degrees. However, many undergraduate and graduate institutions have honored our classes for course credit, even for our Greek Camps. If this is something you’re interested in, we suggest reaching out to a professor or administrator at your home institution to see if they would be receptive. If they are, let us know and we’d be happy to help and provide anything you need to arrange for this.
Nope – if you’ve studied Greek elsewhere, we’d love to have you.
We will be staying in a very comfortable, up-to-date residence hall on the beautiful Wake Forest University campus. You have the option of sharing a room with two other participants, one other participant, or having your own room. It costs an extra $150 to have a double room, and an extra $300 to have a single room, compared to the base rate of $1,550. Three meals per day will also be covered, which will be served in a very nice dining facility on campus. Everything you need will be within walking distance.
That’s really hard to say. Everybody comes in at a different level, with different experiences, and with different aptitudes. We can’t guarantee a particular outcome for you, but we can guarantee that over the course of the 10 days we’re together, that we’ll do everything we can to help you grow in your Greek proficiency.
The minimum age for Homer Camp participants is 18 years old. This is due to our agreement with our host, Wake Forest University.