Hadrian's Wall Virtual Walk
Pippa Steele
Fundraising as part of team:
Classics at Cambridge
My Story
During September I am going to try to walk 84 miles, the length of Hadrian's Wall, which celebrates its 1900th anniversary this year. It's a challenge for me for various reasons, not least because of ongoing medical treatment and limited opportunities to have long walks, but I'm determined to do it! Let me explain why I'm doing this as a fundraiser.
Classics is a vibrant, multidisciplinary subject that not only focuses on the people of the ancient world but also helps us to understand the world we live in, in all sorts of different ways. It teaches skills in language and critical thinking, and helps us to explore the ways diverse cultures of the Mediterranean and beyond have developed over thousands of years. My own classics students have gone on to successful jobs in law, finance, teaching, computing, consultancy, theatre, heritage management, to name just a few. Indeed, I am about to start a new project in the Cambridge Classics Faculty that, among other things, will use insights into writing system use in the ancient world to help develop strategies for protecting endangered writing systems in the modern world. So I hope you can understand why I feel a genuine desire to promote the relevance of learning about the ancient world and widen access to its study.
Sadly, the study of classics has often been seen as a matter of privilege, and many children simply never have the opportunity to learn about the ancient world in any detail. In the UK, classical subjects - Latin, ancient Greek, ancient history and classical civilisation - are taught in only 25% of state schools, compared to 75% of independent schools. So I'm delighted to be supporting Classics For All, a charity that aims to bring the teaching of classics to a much wider audience by providing resources for state schools to teach about the ancient world.
Any amount you can give is greatly appreciated by me and by Classics for All. Your contribution will help widen opportunities for children from all backgrounds to study classics.
Thank you in advance for any support you can give.
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Target
£200
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Raised so far
£215
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Number of donors
6
My Story
During September I am going to try to walk 84 miles, the length of Hadrian's Wall, which celebrates its 1900th anniversary this year. It's a challenge for me for various reasons, not least because of ongoing medical treatment and limited opportunities to have long walks, but I'm determined to do it! Let me explain why I'm doing this as a fundraiser.
Classics is a vibrant, multidisciplinary subject that not only focuses on the people of the ancient world but also helps us to understand the world we live in, in all sorts of different ways. It teaches skills in language and critical thinking, and helps us to explore the ways diverse cultures of the Mediterranean and beyond have developed over thousands of years. My own classics students have gone on to successful jobs in law, finance, teaching, computing, consultancy, theatre, heritage management, to name just a few. Indeed, I am about to start a new project in the Cambridge Classics Faculty that, among other things, will use insights into writing system use in the ancient world to help develop strategies for protecting endangered writing systems in the modern world. So I hope you can understand why I feel a genuine desire to promote the relevance of learning about the ancient world and widen access to its study.
Sadly, the study of classics has often been seen as a matter of privilege, and many children simply never have the opportunity to learn about the ancient world in any detail. In the UK, classical subjects - Latin, ancient Greek, ancient history and classical civilisation - are taught in only 25% of state schools, compared to 75% of independent schools. So I'm delighted to be supporting Classics For All, a charity that aims to bring the teaching of classics to a much wider audience by providing resources for state schools to teach about the ancient world.
Any amount you can give is greatly appreciated by me and by Classics for All. Your contribution will help widen opportunities for children from all backgrounds to study classics.
Thank you in advance for any support you can give.
