Study Abroad in Italy
Travel during Maymester
During Maymester, 15-20 students and UGA faculty directors will work with pre-school, elementary, and middle-school students and teachers in Modena, Italy. This trip allows participants to experience Italian culture and the Italian educational system, with an emphasis on Reggio Emilia in the pre-school programs.
This program is open to undergraduates and graduate students from any major.
Participants will work five mornings a week with a teacher in an Italian school, live with an Italian host family, study Italian, learn about the teaching profession in Italy, and experience Italian culture. Activities include helping children learn English, teaching American songs and games, and helping children complete homework. The children also enjoy teaching Italian to their new American teachers.
While in Italy students will participate in planned seminars, gather field-based observational data, teach lessons in Italian schools, visit educational sites, and take historically and culturally significant excursions. This includes an overnight stay in Venice and an overnight stay in Florence.
Apply to this program
Deadline to apply: December 1
- Tuition and travel expenses: $5,000
- Miscellaneous expenses: $500
Experience the Culture
Get experience working in a different culture and directly assisting in classrooms, and also get exposure to the famed Reggio Emilia approach to teaching preschoolers. Similar to Montessori-style learning—also of Italian origin—Reggio Emilia is a child-guided approach that allows children to lead the decision-making and classroom discussions. Preschoolers decide upon a theme for the year that also incorporates their community, such as gardens, architecture or art, and lessons are structured around the theme.- Milan, Italy
- Bologna, Italy
- Venice, Italy
- Florence, Italy
- Secchia and Panaro rivers
- Modena’s Piazza Grande
- Cathedral of Modena
- Mercato Albinelli
- Orto Botanico dell’Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia