Heritage America Program
The Heritage America Program is a joint effort of the National Hellenic Society's Washington, DC Chapter and Manatos & Manatos, a leading public policy firm.
This program distills the salient features of the study abroad experience and delivers it on the local/regional level. This unique and proprietary program will reconnect college-aged Greek-American students with their roots, heritage, culture and Hellenic identity through the prism of the American experience. Students will learn little-known information about the rise of Greeks in America over the last 100 years. It will better enable these students to glean the elements contributed to our amalgamated Greek-American culture that came from their Hellenic background and which came from the “American Way.”
Students participating in this exciting education program will meet with Greek-Americans who have reached the pinnacle of success in America, including:
• The highest-ranking Greek-Americans in the US Government
• Younger Greek-American government officials
• Former high-ranking Greek-American government officials
• Prominent national businessmen
• Owners of area professional sports teams
• Prominent lobbyists and lawyers
• Prominent on-air news personalities and editors
• Directors of some of the country’s top think tanks
In these meetings they will learn:
• That many of the modern day American principles and practices were virtually identical to the principles and practices of the Greeks during the Golden Age.
• The truly extraordinary impact Greece had on America.
• The enormous number of pillars of American and western Democracy that were developed by the Greeks.
• That the architecture of our nation’s buildings in the capitol city was overwhelmingly Greek.
• The lost history about the extreme sacrifices some of the early Greek immigrants made trying to reach the American dream.
• How Greek-Americans rose in just one generation form some of the least educated and successful to some of the most.
• The connection between the courage and grit that contributed to the rise of Hellenes in America and the extraordinary courage shown by Hellenes in Greece during WWII.
• About the concept of philotimo and how it contributed to the person-to-person popularity and acceptance of Greek-Americans in every city and town into which they immigrated in America.
• About aspects of the Greek-American experience that many take for granted and assume are practiced by all Americans are in fact quite unique to our community.
Students will also tour:
• The White House
• The US Capitol Building, Senate and House of Representatives
• The US Department of State
• The US Department of Defense
• Washington, DC Monuments
• Dumbarton Oaks
The National Hellenic Society underwrites all program expenses and arranges for transportation to and from meetings and events.
This program distills the salient features of the study abroad experience and delivers it on the local/regional level. This unique and proprietary program will reconnect college-aged Greek-American students with their roots, heritage, culture and Hellenic identity through the prism of the American experience. Students will learn little-known information about the rise of Greeks in America over the last 100 years. It will better enable these students to glean the elements contributed to our amalgamated Greek-American culture that came from their Hellenic background and which came from the “American Way.”
Students participating in this exciting education program will meet with Greek-Americans who have reached the pinnacle of success in America, including:
• The highest-ranking Greek-Americans in the US Government
• Younger Greek-American government officials
• Former high-ranking Greek-American government officials
• Prominent national businessmen
• Owners of area professional sports teams
• Prominent lobbyists and lawyers
• Prominent on-air news personalities and editors
• Directors of some of the country’s top think tanks
In these meetings they will learn:
• That many of the modern day American principles and practices were virtually identical to the principles and practices of the Greeks during the Golden Age.
• The truly extraordinary impact Greece had on America.
• The enormous number of pillars of American and western Democracy that were developed by the Greeks.
• That the architecture of our nation’s buildings in the capitol city was overwhelmingly Greek.
• The lost history about the extreme sacrifices some of the early Greek immigrants made trying to reach the American dream.
• How Greek-Americans rose in just one generation form some of the least educated and successful to some of the most.
• The connection between the courage and grit that contributed to the rise of Hellenes in America and the extraordinary courage shown by Hellenes in Greece during WWII.
• About the concept of philotimo and how it contributed to the person-to-person popularity and acceptance of Greek-Americans in every city and town into which they immigrated in America.
• About aspects of the Greek-American experience that many take for granted and assume are practiced by all Americans are in fact quite unique to our community.
Students will also tour:
• The White House
• The US Capitol Building, Senate and House of Representatives
• The US Department of State
• The US Department of Defense
• Washington, DC Monuments
• Dumbarton Oaks
The National Hellenic Society underwrites all program expenses and arranges for transportation to and from meetings and events.
Past Heritage America Sessions
Click the links below to see highlights from the Heritage America Program year to year!
