Application | SPORT AND EDUCATION PROGRAM: FROM ANCIENT OLYMPIA TO THE PRESENT

We are seeking up to 35 students from universities in Greece to spend five days in Olympia, Greece, this summer attending the Sport and Education Program: from Ancient Olympia to the Present. This program is offered by the Center for Hellenic Studies in Greece and the International Olympic Academy (IOA), in collaboration with the Harvard Athletics, University of Patras, and Stark Center for Physical Culture and Sport at the University of Texas at Austin, with the support of Harvard’s Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, AEGEAS Non-Profit Civil Company and under the auspices of the General Secretariat of Sport, Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports, Hellenic Republic.

The Sport and Education Program is designed to address the gap in understanding sport and education as two sides of a spectrum, rather than as distinct or sometimes conflicting entities. The program builds on the premise that sport shaped ancient models of knowledge, and in turn, the ancient athletic-knowledge complex, known as paideia, served as a model for modern universities and professional sports. Learn more about the Sport and Education Program on its website.

The selected students from universities in Greece will join as students of the Sport and Education Program. The student body will be diverse in age and academic backgrounds, consisting of approximately 50 individuals. Most will come from various universities across Greece, along with undergraduates from Harvard University and other US institutions.

All students will stay at the IOA premises in double-occupancy rooms with two single beds for the duration of the program. Students will attend intensive daily seminars, either in class or through experiential learning sessions at the archaeological site and museums. The experience also includes daily group meals and leisure or sports activities at the state-of-the-art facilities of the IOA.

Sport and Education Program Application | Spring 2024

Application Form

This application is open to undergraduate students from any department who are in their third year or higher as well as postgraduate students from any discipline (Master’s and PhD) from universities in Greece. We welcome applicants with a demonstrated current affiliation or interest in sport. Harvard undergraduate students who interested in the program should apply via CARAT. Prospective applicants from other collaborating US universities should follow announcements, guidelines, and application procedures of their respective institutions.

Please fill out the application completely before you click on the “Submit” button at the end of the form. The system will not save incomplete applications.

As part of the application process, please prepare the following documents in PDF format:

Resume in English
English Language Certification

The deadline for all submissions is Thursday, March 20, 2025, midnight (Eastern European Time). Once you submit your application, you will receive a confirmation of submission email (check your spam folder too). In case you fail to receive it, contact us immediately at forms-greece@chs.harvard.edu.

All references must be received by Monday, March 24, 2025, midnight (Eastern European Time). Once you have completed your application, the application system will automatically contact your referee and ask them to fill out a brief questionnaire. It is your responsibility to follow up with your referee about the completion of this questionnaire.

All applicants will receive notification of the selection committee’s decision until April 30, 2025. Selected participants will receive acceptance messages via email, along with instructions regarding the confirmation of their participation and the submission of other related forms. A waitlist will also be maintained.

If you have any questions regarding the application process or the Program, please contact process or the program, please contact summergreece@chs.harvard.edu.

Applicant’s information

First name

Last name

Email address

Telephone number

Please provide the phone number where we can reach you. If you have a cell phone, provide that number.

Gender

If “Other”, please specify:

Date of birth

Month

Day

Year

Your academic status and experience

University

School/Faculty:

Department

Current level of studies

Current GPA (for undergraduate and graduate students) or latest GPA (for PhD candidates)

First year of current level of studies

Expected year of graduation

Major or title of graduate program or PhD title

Have you attended the IOA-CHS Sports, Society, and Culture Symposium in the past?

If “Yes” when?

Are you a member of a university or other sports team?

If “Yes” in which sport and team?

Have you ever taken academic classes on the history of sports, the Ancient Olympic games, and/or sport in ancient Greece?

If “Yes” which? (name class title and year)

Short essays

Please respond to each of the following questions in 150 or 200 words maximum. You may want to draft your responses in a separate word processor and have them ready to paste into the application form.

Do you think Classical Studies remains important for modern sport or has sport become an entirely modern phenomenon? Please provide 1 or 2 examples to support your answer.

0 of 200 max words

What are your thoughts about this statement: The ancient athletic-knowledge complex, known as paideia, served as a model for modern universities and professional sports.

0 of 200 max words

Please provide some background on your experience with sport, either personally (as part of an organized team or as recreation) or as a subject of academic and intellectual interest.

0 of 200 max words

What do you hope to gain from your participation in the program?

0 of 150 max words

Is there something additional you would like to share in further support of your application for the program? (optional)

0 of 150 max words

Reference

We ask that you provide us with the contact information for one faculty member who can speak about your academic work and evaluate your plans for participating in the program. Immediately after you submit your application the system will automatically contact the referee about your recommendation. You should inform the referee about your application, so they will know about the forthcoming communication. Please notice that we will not disclose the information provided by your referee, unless required to do so.

Recommender’s first name:

Recommender’s last name:

Academic title/affiliation, Institution

Email address

Files for Upload

The files you upload MUST be in PDF format and should not exceed a combined total of 8MB; otherwise, your application will be rejected by the system. File names should only contain Latin alphabet letters, numbers, underscores, or dashes.

Upload a copy of your resume in English.

Maximum file size: 8MB

Upload a copy of an English Language Certification.

Maximum file size: 8MB

Submission

How did you hear about this program?

CHS Greece website, social and other media

IOA website, social and other media

My department’s/school’s website, social and other media

Other

If “Other” please specify:

I certify that all information submitted in this application and in any supporting documents of my candidacy is complete and true to the best of my knowledge. I understand that providing false or misleading information or failing to provide updated information can result in a rejection of my application and possible dismissal from the activity.

The organizers review applications without regard to, and do not discriminate on the basis of, age, color, disability, family responsibilities, familial status, gender identity or expression, genetic information, national origin, personal appearance, political affiliation, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or any other factor prohibited by law in their educational programs and activities.

I have read and acknowledged the privacy notice for personal data of the Center for Hellenic Studies in Greece, Harvard University.

I have read and acknowledged.

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