26.2 Foundation Promotes Connections to Learning, Greece, and Democracy at Hopkinton Middle School

Michelle Murdock, Freelance Writer | March 2016

Four Hopkinton Middle School teachers are part of a unique group benefitting from an educational collaborative known as the Marathon Education Committee. Established in 2014 by the Alpha Omega Council in recognition of the importance of the Marathon and all of the core values it represents, the Committee’s mission is “to develop and promulgate 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 the marathon run to the citizen soldier in the birth of America, and the role, duties, and opportunities for civic participation today.”

Chaired by Nicholas Kourtis of the Alpha Omega Council, Committee members also include Hopkinton’s 26.2 Foundation, Ifigenia Kanara, the Honorable Consul General of Greece, Professor Loren J. Samons, Boston University Department of Classical Studies, The Examined Life: Greek Studies in the Schools and the Hopkinton Middle School “Desire to Inspire” team; an interdisciplinary group of educators creating specific curriculum teaching units across all subjects based upon matters and principles reflected in the Boston Marathon.

Barbara Harrison, Director at The Examined Life describes the Marathon Education Committee as “a remarkable model of collaboration – several non-profits with kindred missions are unified in an effort to provide in-depth educational programming for students and teachers, using the springboard of the 490 B.C. Battle of Marathon and its connection to today’s marathon runs. It is an initiative that commemorates and honors victims of the 2013 terrorist attack near the Boston Marathon finish line and the Battle of Marathon fought over 2,500 years ago that secured ‘democracy’ for Western Civilization.”

As part of the initiative, four teachers from Hopkinton Middle School, Mike Siedlecki (2014), Chuck Rockwood (2015), Diane Norby (2016) and Mary Verra (2016) have participated or are currently participating in a graduate level program at The Examined Life through the sponsorship of the 26.2 Foundation.

“The Examined Life provides an opportunity for teachers to interact with world-renowned scholars, specialists, and colleagues from across the nation,” said Harrison. “It gives them quick access to books, bibliographies, website links, instructional videos; it provides an opportunity to create and publish curricula on The Examined Life website and to share their outstanding ‘Desire to Inspire’ program that sparks considerable interest and provides an exemplary model for others.”

“Last year I was fortunate to be a Greek Fellow thanks to the support and encouragement of the 26.2 Foundation,” said Rockwood who is a member of the Desire to Inspire Advisory Board and also acts as the school liaison to the Alpha Omega Council and the Greek Consulate in Boston. “This organization has my eternal gratitude.  Under the leadership of Tim Kilduff, it has consistently promoted our endeavors which are designed to enhance student learning here at Hopkinton Middle School.”

“It is absolutely fantastic,” said Diane Norby, the Middle School librarian speaking about her involvement with The Examined Life.  In addition to lots of reading, Norby has access to lectures from top professors and says the information is extraordinarily rich and gives teachers the footprint to do what they need. “I can’t tell you how excited I am to bring this information to the students. Learning from history makes students more appreciative.”

Norby will be going to Greece in April and will be working as a team with Mary Verra who teaches History and Geography at the Middle School. “I had to go on this trip,” said Verra who says that as a teacher she learns best by being active and that reading is not enough. “I am thankful I had this opportunity. The Examined Life and the 26.2 Foundation did this for me. This is a big deal; we have a special relationship and I will try to honor that.”

Verra also spoke about another special relationship: Hopkinton’s relationship to the Boston Marathon, something that is part of her students’ lives in Hopkinton. “We really work hard to keep those connections,” said Verra.

Both Norby and Verra say this is just the beginning and that they are really committed to maintaining a relationship with Greece. Norby hopes to keep going and create ties to technology and both are hoping to establish a relationship with a sister school in Marathon, Greece. Led by the efforts of the 26.2 Foundation, a sister-city relationship with Marathon, Greece was established in 2006.

“Hopkinton’s ‘26.2 Foundation Greek Study Fellows’ represents Hopkinton’s impressive teaching staff,” said Harrison, “and provides ample evidence that teachers themselves love learning in a program that takes its theme, the Socratic call to ‘the examined life’, and defines what the ancient Greeks teach us about ourselves and our times.”

The Hopkinton Middle School teachers were the first to participate in this collaborative initiative of the Marathon Education Committee and Kourtis says the support of the 26.2 Foundation was critical.

“We built the program with the 26.2 Foundation, learned how to do it and now we work together,” said Kourtis who has plans to increase participation in other towns along the Boston Marathon route. A school in Boston representing the finish line was added this year and Ashland is expected to be added next year. 

“Hopkinton is paving the way for a potential roll-out to other cities along the Marathon route,” said Harrison. “Our hope is that each year, Hopkinton, the starting line of the Boston Marathon, and Boston, the finish line, will continue their participation in The Examined Life program that provides a grounding for teaching reading, writing, thinking, and talking logically about topics relevant in our 21st century world, including democracy and civic responsibility, national and global citizenship, war and peace, anger and reconciliation, justice, virtue, and the future of humanity.”

More information about the Alpha Omega Council and the Marathon Education Committee can be found at http://www.alphaomegacouncil.org/.

More information about The Examined Life: Greek Studies in the Schools can be found at http://www.teachgreece.org/overview_introduction.html

More information about the 26.2 Foundation can be found on its Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/262Foundation/ and on its website at http://www.26-2.org/.