From Myth to Reality: Humanities Study at Prince George's Community College.

In 1989, Prince George's Community College (PGCC) received a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to support a 4-week summer seminar in Greek mythology for humanities faculty. The seminar, entitled "The Nature and Function of Greek Mythology," provided enough financial compensation to free the faculty from summer school teaching, allowing their participation. Week one of the seminar offered a review of modern approaches to Greek mythology, while the lectures, films, and sessions in week two centered on the function of myth in Greek society. Week three, as well as each afternoon of the entire seminar, was set aside for individual research, seminar paper preparation, and consultations with the instructor. In the final week, participants studied the influence of Greek mythology on Western literature and art. Following the seminar, a series of lectures on mythology were organized. The seminar also inspired two subsequent grant-funded activities. In 1990, the Maryland Humanities Council funded nine public lectures entitled "Masks and Myths," featuring scholars, artists, and members of the PGCC faculty. In 1991, the National Endowment for the Humanities funded a statewide summer seminar, entitled "The Greek Experiment," on the PGCC campus which was open to 20 Maryland community college faculty. In 1992, PGCC was approached by the Community College Humanities Association with a proposal to develop a national seminar focusing on the study of ancient Greece. "The Greek Character," offered at Georgetown University during the summer of 1992, was the result. The seminars gave birth to a wealth of additional activities, and generated both intellectual excitement and collegiality on campus. (JMC)