Italy - Summer Cultural Exploration

Explore

The AYUSA Summer Cultural Exploration program in Florence, Italy provides students with the opportunity to immerse themselves in Italian culture while studying Italian language in a friendly and historic environment. Students attend language and culture classes, experience Italian culture through organized activities and explore Italy through guided weekend excursions. Participants will live with a host family.

Known as the Cradle of the Renaissance, Florence boasts a rich artistic and cultural heritage. When Dante elected to write The Divine Comedy in the Florentine dialect he elevated it to the status of Classical Italian, a status it enjoys to this day. At once a world class cultural center and a small city designed on a very human scale, Florence is the ideal place to study the language, history, art and culture of Italy.

Learn

AYUSA Study Abroad students study Italian language and culture four hours per day, Monday through Friday. Classes take place in the heart of the Florence, in an historic 19th century building facing the Piazza della Republica, just minutes from the Piazza della Signoria and the Cathedral. Students will experience an interactive, communicative approach to language learning through a curriculum authorized by the Italian Ministry of Public Education.  Students will receive an orientation their first day at the school, as well as an Italian language placement exam. AYUSA Study Abroad welcomes all levels of Italian students on its programs, from beginner to advanced. AYUSA Study Abroad courses are all taught by fully qualified language instructors, and the average student-to-teacher ratio is 10:1.

Experience

Two to three afternoons per week are dedicated to planned cultural and leisure activities. Afternoon activities may include: museum visits, walking tours, a cooking class, sports, swimming and shopping.

Travel

On the weekends, students will experience some of Italy's wonders through the following included and organized excursions.

• Le Cinque Terre - Set among olive and chestnut groves on steep, rocky terrain overlooking the Gulf of Genoa, the communities of Corniglia, Manarola, Riomaggiore and Vernazza are inaccessible by car and offer a glimpse into another era. These four communities, plus the town of Monterosso, make up the Cinque Terre or "five lands."
• Siena - Explore the Tuscan countryside through a walking tour which will incorpo­rate some of the area's Gothic treasures including the Campo, the Duomo and San Domenico.
• Program Finale: Rome - This two-day, two-night excursion features a hotel stay and an exciting evening tour of Rome. By day, students will take guided tours of the city which include sites such as Vatican City, the Colisseum, the Piazza Navona, Trinita dei Monti, Castel Sant'Angelo and the museum of the Palazzo Borghese.

Housing

AYUSA Study Abroad students will stay with carefully selected host families (2 students per room). Homestays allow for a deeper immersion into Italian culture and provide invaluable personal contact with native Italian speakers. Adjustment to host family life and Italian culture will be assisted by an On-Site Coordinator. There is a 10:30pm curfew for this program on weekdays and 11:30pm on weekends.

Below is a sample schedule for the Summer Cultural Exploration program in Italy. The actual activities offered and the timing of the activities may vary.

Requirements

• 15–18 years old
• 2.5 GPA or higher (4.0 scale)
• Flexible and mature personality; desire to be challenged, ability to remain open-minded and tolerant of cultural differences