Desire to Inspire
Michelle Murdock, Freelance Writer | February 2014
What happens when several groups, all with related goals, work together to create an educational program inspired by the history of the marathon? The result is the “26.2 Desire to Inspire” program, an initiative at the Hopkinton Middle School designed to provide a 21st Century learning experience for students that goes beyond Hopkinton, broadening boundaries and creating global connections. What began as a vision of caring and passionate educators coming together to create a 21St Century learning experience was enhanced by the efforts of the 26.2 Foundation to facilitate the connections between the Hopkinton Public Schools, the Alpha Omega Council, the Consul General of Greece, Professor Loren J. Samons II from the Boston University Department of Classical Studies, and The Examined Life, an organization whose mission is to strengthen Greek studies in schools. The result is an interdisciplinary curriculum that includes class lessons, enrichments, guest speakers, fundraisers, sports and competitions – all tied to the spirit of the Marathon.
“This year-long interactive, interdisciplinary unit will instruct our students about life in Ancient Greece, the Battle of Marathon, the origin of the Olympics, and the historical significance of the marathon,” said Hopkinton Middle School principal Alan Keller. “By using individual classroom lessons, students will make curriculum connections with different aspects of Greece and the marathon. Students will gain skills and knowledge in all middle school disciplines and be able to apply their acquired knowledge outside of the classroom.”
“It brings a reality to the event,” said Superintendent Cathy MacLeod. “It goes beyond Hopkinton as the start line and creates a real learning opportunity.”
“Nowhere in the world does a program like this exist,” says Tim Kilduff when he talks about the number of groups collaborating to create the program. “No one has put all these groups together.”
The 26.2 Foundation began working with the Hopkinton Middle School in 2012 when Principal Alan Keller ran the Boston Marathon as a charity runner for the Hopkinton Education Foundation. At that time, the goal was to create a program that would connect students with Hopkinton’s sister city of Marathon, Greece, as ancient civilizations are taught in sixth grade. And then, after the tragedy at the finish line of the Boston Marathon last year, health and physical education teacher Debra Pinto came to Keller asking if he would be supportive of a group coming together to do something positive, something focused on the spirit of the Marathon. Pinto put together an Advisory Board of seven teachers and in June of 2013, presented her idea to Keller and the 26.2 Foundation. What began as two separate ideas soon became one.
Beginning in July 2013, the Advisory Board began to meet on a regular basis, developing a proposal, a preliminary budget, and a potential calendar of events. When complete, the plan was presented to Superintendent Cathy MacLeod and meetings with the 26.2 Foundation continued. In August, the proposal and budget were approved by MacLeod and as the school year began in September, the 26.2 Foundation began the work of seeking sponsors for the program.
Over the next few months, through the work of the 26.2 Foundation, several additional partners were added to the program:
1) The Alpha Omega Council, a group whose mission includes cultivating the ideals of Hellenism and striving toward maintaining positive Greek-American relations, was glad to establish a school connection.
2) The Examine Life, a growing consortium of school districts aimed at strengthening Greek studies in the schools. Administered by the Newton Public Schools in cooperation with Brandeis University, the program, according to their website, is “steeped in scholarship and academic fervor to enhance current teaching, curriculum, and outreach; but also, in great passion for Greece and a desire to spread philhellenism in ever widening circles in the United States.”
3) The Honorable Consul General of Greece in Boston Ifigenia Kanara,
4) Professor Loren J. Samons II, Boston University Department of Classical Studies
The group is now called the “Marathon Education Committee” and its mission is “the development and promulgation of educational programming for elementary, middle and high school students, and their communities, illuminating the role of the Battle of Marathon in preserving the emerging Athenian democracy and civilization, and connecting that historical event and the concept of a Marathon run to the citizen soldier in the birth of America, and the role, duties and opportunities for civic participation today.”
At an introductory meeting held at the Hopkinton Middle School on February 3, 2014, representatives from all of the involved groups, plus other community members, gathered together to review accomplishments to date and to plan for future events.
Kanara, the Greek consul general attended the meeting and said, “I never expected something like this. It’s amazing.”
“I walked into the room and frankly, I’m very impressed,” said Connie Carven of The Examined Life.
Karen White, from the State Department of Education attended and said, “I’m uber excited to be here.”
“I’m absolutely impressed,” said Rownak Hussain, Hopkinton’s Library Director, who attended the meeting along with Adult Services Librarian Susan Marshall as they plan to create library programs tied to the “26.2 Desire to Inspire” program.
Program highlights discussed at the meeting included an essay contest sponsored by the Alpha Omega Council for middle and high school students and a Marathon-based presentation to middle and high school students by Professor Samons sometime in March. Winners of the essay content will be issued certificates from Consul General Kanara and the six top essay winners will each be recognized at the State House at the Boston Marathon Annual Wreath ceremony, where the Greek Consulate delivers the wreaths used to crown the Boston Marathon winners to the Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.).
Another part of the program, developed though The Examined Life and funded by a donation by the 26.2 Foundation, will send Hopkinton Middle School teacher Michael Siedlecki on a study tour of Greece.
“This really has the legs to be embedded in the curriculum,” said Keller of the total program.
When asked about the value a program like “26.2 Desire to Inspire” brings to both the Hopkinton schools and to the community, Superintendent MacLeod says the value comes from groups working together.
“It’s exciting for us,” added MacLeod, “and the groups involved are excited and pleased to be included.”
For the 26.2 Foundation, acting as the catalyst to bring the groups together and facilitating the connections, is what brings the most satisfaction.
“The Marathon is something that is so important to this community,” said Kilduff. “We’re creating an idea in Hopkinton that can be shown to the entire world.”
