The Modern Argonauts: A Multicultural Educational Programme Preparing Young People for Contemporary Challenges through an Innovative Use of Classical Mythology

Introduction

The Preamble to the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights speaks of the peoples of Europe who are conscious of its heritage and wish to share a peaceful future based on such common values as dignity, equality, and solidarity. One of the crucial sources of these values is Classical Antiquity, which laid the foundations for many ideas shaping our contemporary world.

Importance of Classical Antiquity

In particular, the ancient myths and their reception build a sense of community and a code of reciprocal understanding – so important in times of growing separatist tendencies. They permit us to address issues relevant for our societies, including:

• War (Troy)
• Migration (Aeneas)
• Disability (Minotaur)
• Ecology (dryads)
• Pandemics (Oedipus)

Even the “dark sides” of the Classics, like slavery and the discrimination of women, offer vital impulses for discussion of our current challenges, with a limited risk of trauma. This is because the myths are perceived as both close to and detached from our reality.

Current Challenges in Education

This heritage of such amazing potential is vanishing, however, from school education, which loses its connection with research. We respond to this problem with a unique programme conveyed via a Handbook for high schoolers.

Handbook Overview

The Handbook will draw on materials from the Our Mythical Childhood Consolidator Grant, including the ground-breaking animations of ancient vases. Its chapters will contain examples of myth reception from all the EU member states, along with the extra-European contexts covered by my team members and experts from:

1. Australia
2. Cameroon
3. Israel
4. UK
5. USA

Interactive Learning Experience

The Handbook will have a game format: its users will play Modern Argonauts on a voyage of discovery of the shared mythical heritage. Owing to the collaboration established by the PI, the Handbook will be promoted by such leading bodies as:

• Fédération Internationale des Associations d’Etudes Classiques
• Cambridge School Classics Project
• Associazione Italiana di Cultura Classica

This will provide societies worldwide with an innovative model for research-based education.