04/27/2026
A public school in Wilmington, Delaware is teaching math, biology, and science entirely in Greek, and the results are turning heads. Odyssey Charter School, founded 25 years ago by Greek diaspora members, now serves 2,500 students, with 98 percent of them having no Greek heritage whatsoever. Over 700 of those students are enrolled in the school's Greek-language program, and some have already earned B1 and B2 language certifications.
The school runs two tracks: one with daily Greek instruction, and an immersion program where half the curriculum, including math and science classes, is delivered entirely in Greek. Educators say the approach builds stronger bilingualism, sharper critical thinking, and better classroom focus, and the program has attracted consistent funding and community support.
The student body recently traveled to Greece as part of an exchange with Pierce College in Athens, visiting the Acropolis, Sounio, and Mycenae. Ten of the visiting students met with Greece's education minister and addressed him in Greek. Thirteen-year-old Evan Nicholson told reporters that knowing Greek helps him understand concepts across mathematics and biology, since so much scientific vocabulary has Greek roots. Fourteen-year-old Mandika said she initially enrolled partly at her parents' encouragement but now values the language for its history and depth.
What started as a diaspora-driven community project has grown into one of the more unusual public schools in the United States, built around a language that most of its students had no prior connection to before walking through its doors.
