Saving tons of time by knowing exactly what to work on next to start reading real ancient Egyptian texts
Having expert guidance from an Egyptologist and feeling confident that you are learning the right things and avoiding pitfalls along the way
Staying on track and moving forward, even when life gets busy, with a supportive community and accountability
Speeding up the learning process with a 7-step, proven process for learning to read common hieroglyphic inscriptions
Diving into and reading REAL ancient Egyptian texts, not a grammar textbook
Walking into a museum and reading the hieroglyphic texts to your friends and family - and maybe even getting mistaken for a tour guide or Egyptologist!

Level 1

7 in-depth video training modules
7 workbooks with real Egyptian texts, vocabulary sheets, and more
10 weekly office-hours calls (starting in February) and replays
Weekly action items and clear steps to take
Exclusive online community
~~10 private group calls (maximum 4 students per group)~~
~~Half-hour 1:1 call with Melinda~~
~~Replays of 1:1 and small-group calls~~
~~Exclusive messaging access through Voxer for 10 weeks, starting in February~~

BONUS: bonus exercises to help you keep making progress after you finish the training modules

$347

(or three monthly payments of $119)

VIP

(8 4 spots left)

7 in-depth video training modules
7 workbooks with real Egyptian texts, vocabulary sheets, and more
10 weekly office-hours calls (starting in February) and replays
Weekly action items and clear steps to take
Exclusive online community
10 private group calls (maximum 4 students per group) starting in February
Half-hour 1:1 call with Melinda
Replays of 1:1 and small-group calls
Exclusive messaging access through Voxer for 10 weeks, starting in February

BONUS: bonus exercises to help you keep making progress after you finish the training modules

$987

(or five payments of $199)

FAQs

When do I get access to the course?

You will receive instant access to module 1 (videos, workbook, and downloadable references) and the private Facebook group. Then you will receive access to one module per week for seven weeks.

How long is the course?

The course modules will be released over 7 weeks, but you will continue to have access to them and the private Facebook group for the lifetime of the course (if I ever need to close down the course, I will give you at least six month's notice).

The guided track that is included in your enrollment starts in February 2022 and runs for a 10-week time period, with weekly office hours.

After the 10-week guided track, you will continue to have access to the 7 training modules, the Facebook group, and the office hours recordings.

If you are in the VIP level, you will also continue to have access to the group call recordings and a recording of your 1:1 call.

What if I can’t attend the live, office-hours calls?

No problem at all! You do not need to be there live to get your questions answered.

You will have the opportunity to submit your questions ahead of the office-hours call every week. In addition, all office-hours calls will be recorded and available by the following day, so that you can view them on your schedule.

How much time will I need to go through this course?

To watch the videos, complete the exercises, and share in the group, I recommend a minimum of 3 hours per week (3-4 hours for VIP because we spend extra time together). This time can be broken out into smaller chunks of time -- most video lessons are less than 15 minutes -- throughout the week (in fact, research shows smaller chunks of time throughout the week make learning more effective!).

It is difficult to estimate how much time you will put into the course because, ultimately, it is entirely up to you. If you want to put in more than 3 hours per week, great! If you want to put in less than 3 hours and spread out your learning beyond the ten weeks, also great!

There’s no such thing as falling behind in this course because you will continue to have access to the modules and the Facebook group even after our ten-week, guided track ends.

If I choose Level 1, can I still get my questions answered?

Yes! Every week during our ten-week guided track (starting February 2022), I will hold live office hours to answer your questions. You will submit your questions ahead of time to ensure that your question will be answered.

You will also have immediate access to our private Facebook group 24/7, where you can share your work and any questions you have with your fellow Egyptophiles and me.

Are people in both levels (Level 1 & VIP) together in one place?

Yes. The private Facebook group will be available to everyone in the course, so you will get to know each other and make some special connections with people passionate about the same things you are!

Each VIP cohort (maximum of 4 students) will also have access to an exclusive messaging group on Voxer (starting in February 2022) to talk and ask questions between our weekly calls.

What if I choose the VIP level and can’t make all of the weekly calls?

All of our weekly group calls will be recorded and available the following day, so you can review them anytime.

Ideally, you will pick a group call day and time that will work for you, so that you can be there live to practice reading Egyptian hieroglyphs and ask questions. But we all know that life happens and 100% attendance on every call isn’t always possible. The recordings will give you the opportunity to see everything we talked about on any call you missed.

Plus, your access to the regular, weekly office hours, the Facebook group, and your cohort’s Voxer group means there’s always a way to get your questions answered.

What days and times will the weekly VIP, small-group calls be?

Currently, two time slots are available on Wednesdays. The times are listed below. The small-group cohorts will meet 9 times on Zoom, on Wednesdays.

Available small-group call times are Wednesdays at:

12:00 PM (noon) CDT (5:00 PM UTC) - 3 spots left [click here to convert this to your local time]

4:00 PM CDT (9:00 PM UTC) - 2 spots left [click here to convert this to your local time]

How do I sign up for my preferred VIP time slot?

After you sign up for VIP on this page, you will receive a welcome email that includes a link to a form where you will specify your preferred meeting time. Spots in each cohort are allocated on a first come basis.

(The meeting times can be seen in the previous FAQ - their availability will be updated as frequently as possible, but I cannot guarantee accuracy.)

What is Voxer?

Voxer is a messaging app that works on iPhone, Android, and on the web (access from any computer).

The beauty of Voxer is that it makes it easy to send voice messages, as well as text and photos, to the group (your VIP cohort and me).

Scribal School is the only course of its kind available - the only one with a simplified approach to learning (no confusing grammar textbooks here!) that also gives you everything you need to be able to read the most common texts you will see in museums, on Instagram, and on your next trip to Egypt.

When you join, you will be part of a special group of passionate learners who love ancient Egypt - and who are committed to learning hieroglyphs too.

By the end of 14 days, you will have received access to the first two modules (and will be a part of this special group).
If you don’t feel totally confident and motivated by reading real hieroglyphic texts, simply reach out, show us you’ve put in the work, and we’ll refund your investment. See the full terms and conditions here.

Working with Melinda is the best possible way to learn this language.

"I was hesitant on my own end financially, but it was well worth the cost, time and effort to be able to learn to read this language. It opens up a whole new world.

Working with Melinda is the best possible way to learn this language - she knows how to gradually give you the information in a method that builds upon previous lessons. Also, it is a true gift to have 1 on 1 access to a professor.

I am so glad I took this program, and look forward to continuing in it and learning all I can. It is such a blessing to be able to learn this and be taught by someone with as much education, experience, and enthusiasm!

If you have a desire to learn to read hieroglyphs, you should not hesitate to do it! Go for it! You will not regret it!"

— Julie L.

I was also able to pick out so many more words and meaning in scrolling through Instagram this week.

"Melinda certainly breaks any stereotypes surrounding stuffy, quiet academics. She made the learning process fun, accessible, and applicable. While there are TONS of books and web pages on learning hieroglyphs, you jump into practical reading and translating through this program.

Melinda does a great job at reducing complex topics into easy-to-understand ideas without sacrificing any information. She also contextualizes information and gives a lot of great historical and cultural information for a comprehensive understanding which you otherwise never learn through books.

Not only do you gain invaluable instruction from Melinda, but finding a small community with which to interact is really fantastic!

I first purchased a book on hieroglyphs in 1st grade and have passively studied since. Now, just a few weeks in, all the parts of hieroglyphs and Egyptian I've had rattling around in my brain over the years are finally starting to coalesce.
I was able to get through all the sample stele with relative ease and that felt fantastic!

I was also able to pick out so many more words and meaning in scrolling through Instagram this week. It really felt like proper payoff for committing to studying!”

— Bradley Grochocinski

I was able to explain a temple text to my whole tour group.

"I was worried whether I would have enough time, but wanted to learn by other means than just a book and flash cards.

Now I feel more confident approaching texts and (on my last trip to Egypt) I was able to explain a temple text to my whole tour group.

There’s a bit of a high/rush you get when you take these strange symbols and ‘decode’ it to something recognizable.

This is a great program that will equip you with the tools, techniques, and accountability to make great progress in learning to read hieroglyphs.

I highly recommend this course if you have always wanted to learn hieroglyphs!"

— Dave Lassanske

(A few weeks in) I could visit 2 great Egyptian collections in London and read some of the stelae on display!

“I have had a lifelong passion for Ancient Egypt, but I was worried that learning to read hieroglyphs would be too hard, or I would not be able to make sense of them. I also worried about time commitment to the course and balancing with my busy work/life.

I can now read texts written by the ancients!

The thing that amazed me the most was that (after only a few weeks) I could visit 2 great Egyptian collections in London and read some of the stelae on display!
Melinda’s teaching style is well-suited to adult learning and she makes things easy to learn.

She is passionate about Ancient Egypt and I see that passion when she delivers her courses. It’s just fantastic to have a teacher who is as passionate about a subject as you!

I also greatly appreciate that this course is virtual, which means I can take part, even though I’m in Australia.

If you have a passion for Egypt, or have wanted to learn to read Hieroglyphs, just do it! Melinda is a wonderful teacher and I love her method of teaching. I have just completed my 2nd course and already signed up for my 3rd!

— Shannon Beresford

If we haven’t met at a conference, online Egyptology talk, or Mardi Gras…

Hi, I’m Melinda -- Egyptologist and teacher (online and in the university classroom), human and cat mama, tea drinker, and introvert who enjoys Mardi Gras -- especially the Egypt-themed parades, of course!

And ooof! The road from lover of all things ancient Egypt to Ph.D. to teaching people like you (the best part!) has been exciting and exhausting all at once.

Let’s rewind over 20 years to when I was just starting out…

I’d wanted to learn hieroglyphs for years, but could never stick with a book for more than a few chapters before I would either get overwhelmed by the complexity or sidetracked by life. I felt like I never made any real progress. And I wouldn’t be surprised if at some time -- maybe even right now -- you’ve felt this same way too.

Grad school gave me the structure and accountability I craved to keep me on-track, but…
We learned the traditional way, spending most of a year working through an Egyptian grammar book, and I felt totally overwhelmed by having to learn two languages at once - not just Egyptian, but all of the grammatical terminology that was foreign to me.

I improved (slowly!), but still felt that the typeset examples, mostly from literature, were not helping me much when it came to reading what I saw in museums.
I knew then -- sitting at my desk at home, studying late into the night with a cup of tea and a chocolate chip cookie beside me -- that when it was my turn to teach, I HAD to find another way, a way that would demystify the learning process and get my students reading common texts from the start.

Fast-forwarding over a decade...

I loved presenting my research, giving public talks, and teaching students ages 18 to 80. I loved seeing the joy, understanding, and sense of accomplishment wash over my students when lightbulb moments happened.

I wanted to help so many more people than the hundreds I had reached in my university classroom, in museum auditoriums, and at conferences so far. But how?

Then it came to me one day when I decided to watch a little YouTube while my one-year-old took a nap -- watching a book summary video, something just clicked! THIS is how I can help more people, online!

Years of teaching online later, there’s nothing that gives me greater joy than teaching people like YOU how to walk into a museum with confidence and immediately start reading the hieroglyphic texts.

I do what I do because…

There was a time when I struggled to learn hieroglyphs on my own. There was a time when I *still* struggled to learn hieroglyphs and apply what I learned to reading the texts I saw in museums, even with formal classes. There was a time when my own students struggled to understand what the text we were reading really meant.

Then I shifted my focus to reading and teaching the hieroglyphs I see in museums and on trips to Egypt. That changed everything. It brought a feeling of accomplishment, a feeling that I CAN do this. A feeling that YOU can do this too. Now I see these feelings of understanding and accomplishment in my students all the time.

That’s what I want for YOU, too.

I know that this past year and a half has turned a lot of things upside down and we haven’t been able to travel and visit the places we love.

As you’re starting to prepare and plan for future travel to Egypt or visits to museums, this is your opportunity to make your next visit a deeper, more rewarding experience. (And to make your scrolling on Instagram and Facebook more exciting in the meantime!)

If you’re seeking permission to invest in your passion and your growth—give
it to yourself.

I know that, no matter how many times you’ve started and stopped, you CAN learn to read Egyptian hieroglyphs. You CAN be the person who walks into a museum gallery or up to a temple wall and starts reading the hieroglyphs (you might even accidentally gather some people around you who think you’re a curator or guide).

While people do learn hieroglyphs the hard way, and so could you, there is a whole toolbox of support waiting to help you kickstart your hieroglyphic journey in 2021 and beyond, if it feels aligned with what you want to experience.

And, while you can absolutely learn to navigate it all on your own…

I want to help you along this hieroglyphic journey.

(And whether you choose to go on this journey with me now or not, I want you to know that you have what it takes!)

If you’re still reading this, I know you’re feeling called to have this be the year you fulfill your dream and learn to read hieroglyphs.

I’ll be with you every step of the way and I’m beyond excited to be able to guide you on this journey.

All my very best,

Melinda

Scribal School

Is this you?

What if there were a proven, step-by-step system for learning to read Egyptian hieroglyphic texts you see in museums, on Instagram, and on your next trip to Egypt?

Imagine...

This is Scribal School

How we do it

QUICKEST PATH TO READING HIEROGLYPHS

I GOT A PH.D. SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO

READ REAL ANCIENT EGYPTIAN TEXTS

PRACTICAL CONCEPTS AND VOCABULARY

EXPERT AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT

BUILT-IN ACCOUNTABILITY

"I can now read texts written by the ancients!

The thing that amazed me the most was that (only a few weeks in) I could visit 2 great Egyptian collections in London and read some of the stelae on display!"

Here are highlights of what

YOU WILL READ

PHARAOH AND FAMILY

WHO, WHAT, WHERE, AND WHEN

HISTORICAL HIGHLIGHTS

STATUES, STELAE, AND SUSTENANCE

ACTION!

GODS AND GREATS

“I was able to explain a temple text to my whole tour group.”

What you'll get

7 IN-DEPTH VIDEO TRAINING MODULES

BLUEPRINT FOR EFFECTIVE LEARNING

10 WEEKLY OFFICE-HOURS CALLS WITH MELINDA (Starts in Feb.)

7 WORKBOOKS WITH REAL EGYPTIAN TEXTS

EXCLUSIVE ONLINE COMMUNITY JUST FOR SCRIBAL SCHOOL

REPLAYS OF ALL OFFICE-HOURS CALLS

VIP ONLY:

10 PRIVATE GROUP CALLS (ONLY 4 STUDENTS)

VIP ONLY:

EXCLUSIVE MESSAGING ACCESS

VIP ONLY:

EXCLUSIVE 1:1 CALL WITH MELINDA

VIP ONLY:

REPLAYS OF 1:1 AND SMALL-GROUP CALLS

"The only way to learn to read Egyptian better would be to invent a time machine and go and talk to King Tut himself. And I still think you’d be better off with Melinda."

Select your plan and let's

start your hieroglyphic journey!

Level 1

$347

(or three monthly payments of $119)

VIP

(8 4 spots left)

$987

(or five payments of $199)

"It’s been amazing – being able to read my own language and better understand my original culture."

FAQs

When do I get access to the course?

How long is the course?

What if I can’t attend the live, office-hours calls?

How much time will I need to go through this course?

If I choose Level 1, can I still get my questions answered?

Are people in both levels (Level 1 & VIP) together in one place?

What if I choose the VIP level and can’t make all of the weekly calls?

What days and times will the weekly VIP, small-group calls be?

How do I sign up for my preferred VIP time slot?

What is Voxer?

Plus, you’ll be backed by a 14-day, risk-free guarantee

Working with Melinda is the best possible way to learn this language.

I was also able to pick out so many more words and meaning in scrolling through Instagram this week.

I was able to explain a temple text to my whole tour group.

(A few weeks in) I could visit 2 great Egyptian collections in London and read some of the stelae on display!

If we haven’t met at a conference, online Egyptology talk, or Mardi Gras…

A final message from Melinda…