Program Description
Eligibility
Visa and Travel
AFS Orientations and Activities
Program Description
Spend the summer in Italy exploring the Piedmont and Liguria regions (in Northwest Italy at the base of the Alps and along the Italian Riviera), living with an Italian host family, studying the Italian language, learning about Italian history, cuisine, art, and music, and touring Rome – all in 5 weeks.
Italian Language and Cultural Orientation Camp
The first week of your program will take place in the city of Alessandria, in the mountainous region of Piedmont in northwest Italy. There, you will participate in a 6 day, 6 night orientation camp that will help you get the most out of your time in Italy.
Throughout the week, you will be offered Italian language lessons based on your ability (not to worry, beginners welcome). Classes will be held for several hours each day and interspersed among the courses and activities that will introduce you to Italian music, cuisine, art, history, and culture.
Alessandria will also serve as the departure point for several day trips to explore the surrounding area, including the Italian Riviera!
Homestay with a Host Family
After the orientation camp, you will travel to your host community and begin the 4 week homestay portion of the program. Participants in the North program will be placed with a volunteer host family somewhere in the northwestern regions of Piedmont or Liguria. This is your opportunity to practice your Italian language and immerse yourself in the everyday life of an Italian family. Your host family and community are selected for you by AFS Italy.
Tour of Rome
Following the homestay, the program will conclude with a 2-day, 3-night city tour of Rome when you can visit historical sites such as the Coliseum, the Fori Imperiali ruins, Vatican City, St. Peter’s Cathedral, and other famous sites in Rome before returning to your home country.
Program details are subject to change. Additional information will be provided to participants prior to departure.
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Eligibility
To be eligible you must:
- Be between the ages of 15 years, 3 months, and 17 years, 9 months, at the time of departure
- Be physically, mentally, and emotionally healthy in accordance with the AFS Medical Evaluation Policy
- Have an open mind, willingness to be flexible, and the ability to adapt to new a culture and environment
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Visa and Travel
A visa is not required in order to participate in this program. However, you must have a United States passport in order to travel internationally. Make sure your passport is valid for at least 6 months beyond your expected return date.
Travel
You and your fellow AFSers will fly together between New York and Rome, the capital of Italy. After you collect your luggage and pass through customs you will be met by AFS staff and volunteers and escorted to the arrival orientation camp site in Alessandria.
After the orientation camp, you and the other students who are placed nearby will travel by train to your host community where you will be picked up by your host family to begin the homestay portion of the program.
AFS Orientations and Activities
In addition to the orientations that you will participate in domestically (the local Pre-Departure Orientation, Culture Trek, and the Gateway Orientation), you and your fellow AFSers will have several orientations while abroad.
Italian Language and Cultural Orientation Camp
The first orientation will take place upon your arrival in Alessandria. This will be a 6 day, 6 night orientation that will help you get the most out of your time in Italy. You and the other participants from around the world will be offered Italian language lessons, participate in cultural activities focused on Italian cuisine, art and music, and take day-trips to explore the Piedmont and Liguria regions.
Tour of Rome and Evaluation Camp
After your homestay and in the 3 days before your return to the U.S., you will travel together to Rome for a final evaluation camp and city tour. In addition to the historical site visits, this is your chance to reflect on your experience and to share with other AFSers from around the world. You will also prepare for the cultural readjustment that is a part of returning home.
