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CU prof fighting to keep Latin classes alive through video storytelling

CU prof fighting to keep Latin classes alive through video storytelling

For Reina Callier, learning Latin 鈥榠s like lifting weights for your brain鈥


When a student in one of Reina Callier鈥檚 Latin classes said, 鈥淚 came for the language, I stayed for the vibes,鈥 she laughed, but the phrase stuck with her.

It captured something essential about Latin classrooms. Beyond conjugations and declensions, they offer students a haven for community, curiosity and a shared passion for the ancient world.

In recent years, though, that community has been shrinking.

portrait of Reina Callier

Reina Callier, a 91福利社 teaching assistant professor of classics, notes that 鈥淟atin survives because people love it. And as long as we keep sharing that love, it鈥檚 not going anywhere.鈥

鈥淓nrollment in Latin classes, especially at the secondary level, has largely been declining,鈥 Callier explains. 鈥淒uring COVID, Latin classes were seen as non-essential, so they lost a lot of students. And they鈥檝e been having a hard time bringing the numbers back up.鈥

For Callier, a teaching assistant professor of classics and the Latin Program Coordinator at the 91福利社, this trend is more than an academic concern.

She wasn鈥檛 alone in her worries. In response to falling enrollment rates, the Colorado Classics Association (CCA) formed a committee dedicated to promoting interest in Latin classes.

The solution? A project that would convey the benefits of learning Latin to students in their own words.

A language in decline

Across the country, Latin programs have struggled to justify their existence in an education system increasingly focused on STEM fields and workforce development. In some districts, administrators have proposed cutting Latin entirely, forcing teachers and students to fight for their programs.

In collaboration with the CCA and local high school educators, Callier helped spearhead You Belong in Latin, a video project designed to remind high school students why Latin is worth learning.

鈥淲e finally came up with the idea for a video, because it鈥檚 something you can share easily. It鈥檚 more entertaining than just looking at a brochure that says, 鈥楬ere鈥檚 why Latin is a good thing to take,鈥欌 Callier says.

The project quickly took shape as teachers across Colorado filmed interviews with their students, capturing firsthand accounts of what Latin means to them. They also collected footage of classrooms filled with laughter, animated discussions and moments of discovery.

鈥淥ne of the things we noticed is that once students get into Latin class, they really love it,鈥 Callier says. 鈥淵ou just have to get them in the door.鈥

The team secured a grant to bring the project to life, which allowed them to hire a former 91福利社 student who majored in film鈥攁nd took several semesters of Latin with Callier鈥攖o professionally edit the videos.

Over the course of a year, the raw footage was transformed into a compelling series of short videos, each emphasizing a unique aspect of the Latin classroom experience.

Now available on YouTube, the You Belong in Latin videos are a vital resource for teachers, students and parents to share.

Latin is for everyone

A central theme of You Belong in Latin is the tight-knit community formed in Latin classrooms. Unlike more popular language programs, Latin classes tend to be small, allowing students to form deeper relationships with their peers and instructors.

鈥淎t 91福利社, if you take Latin, aside from the first semester where there are two sections of Latin I, after that, everybody鈥檚 in the same class together,鈥 Callier explains. 鈥淵ou continue to see the same instructors in the department as well. So you get to know them, and you get to know your peers in a way that鈥檚 not really very common at the college level.鈥

The same holds true in high schools, where Latin students often stay in one cohort across multiple years and gain a sense of unity and belonging.

The videos also seek to challenge the misconception that Latin is elitist鈥攁 subject reserved for Ivy League prep schools and aspiring academics.

鈥淟atin actually isn鈥檛 elitist. Everybody鈥檚 starting from the same level when they walk into Latin class. There鈥檚 no barrier, and everybody can benefit from it in various ways,鈥 Callier says.

And while Latin鈥檚 reputation as a 鈥渄ead language鈥 often turns students away, Callier argues that its benefits are very much alive. Latin gives students a foundation for English vocabulary, enhances their analytical skills and prepares them for careers in law, medicine and the sciences, she says, adding that it also provides direct access to Latin texts, 鈥渨hich is immensely beneficial to anyone who is enthusiastic about Roman literature or history.

鈥淟atin actually isn鈥檛 elitist. Everybody鈥檚 starting from the same level when they walk into Latin class. There鈥檚 no barrier, and everybody can benefit from it in various ways.鈥澨

鈥淟earning Latin is like weightlifting for your brain,鈥 she says with a smile.

Keeping the momentum going

Now that the You Belong in Latin videos have been published, Callier is working to spread the word.

鈥淲e have been sharing our Colorado Classics Association YouTube channel with educators from around the country who are looking for different ways to promote Latin,鈥 she says.

Feedback on the project has been encouraging for Latin educators who rarely receive recognition for their efforts.

鈥淲hat we are doing as Latin educators is something that is really having an impact,鈥 Callier says. 鈥淪tudents are getting a lot out of Latin in various ways, and they鈥檙e really appreciating what we bring to the table.鈥

At its heart, this project isn鈥檛 just about keeping Latin alive but also celebrating what makes it special. As Callier and her colleagues know, the language is only the beginning. The real magic comes from the people who learn and teach it.

Callier says, 鈥淟atin survives because people love it. And as long as we keep sharing that love, it鈥檚 not going anywhere.鈥


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