Application Deadline: Monday, February 6, 2012
Orientation: Saturday, February 25 10-3 PM at Pierce College – Fort Steilacoom (.pdf)
Program Dates: March 21 – June 1, 2012
In the heart of Tuscany, the landscapes and cityscapes of Florence, Italy, have inspired some of the greatest artists in history. Today, the city is a kind of crossroads not only to Italy but all of Europe, attracting visitors (and residents) from many cultural backgrounds. Studying in Florence will give you the chance to be in a very cosmopolitan atmosphere, and at the same time be situated safely among fellow students from Washington State. As you get to know the area and become more practiced in the Italian language, you will meet local residents as well as other students who have chosen to study abroad.
Florence 2012 Brochure (.pdf)
Budget Request Form, Florence 2012 (docx.)
Vanessa Andrews Scholarship Application (.pdf)
WCCCSA Scholarship Application 2012 (.doc)
The WCCCSA instructor will work to create a personalized experience for you. Whether you are an artist, a painter, a filmmaker, a musician,a footballer, a hiker, an avid reader, or all of the above, your field trips and class lessons will be suited to your needs and interests, as you travel to concerts, films, soccer matches and museums alike! And remember, your instructor is a student in Italy, as well. You will learn from each other, study the Italian language, and be inspired by your work in the classroom and beyond. The WCCCSA group will become a true community of scholars, making your experience an adventure, a joy, and a comfortable entrance into new terrain and another language.
The WCCCSA study abroad in Florence program is a well-established, comfortable, and exciting way to have an incredible cross-cultural experience. The courses in music and film are taught by a faculty member who literally will know where you are coming from, as he has lived and taught in Washington State for over 20 years.
Your third class, the Italian language and culture course, will allow and encourage you to enter the culture of place and make many new acquaintances, from ancient and modern art to the people you meet in class and in the galleries you visit on field trips. Opportunities will be available to attend poetry readings and musical events, and to dine in local cafés, where you will meet others and exchange tales of your time abroad
Florence, Italy, is an extraordinary place. Some have visited this enchanted Mecca of Renaissance art, literature, music and culture. Others dream about traveling to Florence. As a student in the WCCCSA program, you will have a chance to meet new friends, travel the countryside, study music, film, language and culture, and discover your unique connections to Florence— a center of learning for more than 600 years.
Site
Classrooms
- Two fully equipped seminar rooms
- Each has a television, OHP, slide projectors, multi-media projectors, US format VCR and DVD Player, CD player, easels for art classes and white boards.
- Flexible format including lecture, studio and seminar style’ Classes are well-lit and quiet.
Student Facilities
- Computer lounge with wireless internet access capability
- Mailboxes for all students
- Membership with borrowing rights to the British Institute Library, the largest collection of English Language books in Italy.
Faculty & Offered Courses
Faculty Ben Kohn’s scholarly training and personal enthusiasms have resulted in his applyingan interdisciplinary approach to all of his courses. Ben pursued his graduate studies at the University of Washington in the field of Comparative Literature, with an emphasis in German, American, Russian, and Danish Literature, as well as literary and critical theory. He also studied the classical violin for over 20 years, receiving training at The Vancouver Academy of Music, Vancouver, B.C., Canada, and Det Fynske Musikkonservatorium, Odense, Denmark. He is currently a professor in the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies and the Department of World Languages at Whatcom Community College, where he teaches interdisciplinary studies, literature, music, film studies, and German language courses. As a student, Ben attended study abroad programs in Germany, Austria, and the former Soviet Union, so he recognizes that such cultural experiences offer the possibility of great scholarly and personal transformation.
Courses
Students take 15 credits and register at their home college before departure.
Italian Life and Culture (5 credits) is required of all students. The Italian language part of this class is taught by local Italian instructors focusing on beginners’ level Italian language and the cultural part of the class is taught by an English speaking instructor and English-speaking guest lecturers focusing on and including separate lectures on historical, political, economic and cultural aspects of Italy and Florence.
Film 101- Introduction to Film (5 credits)
This course is an introduction to the close analysis of moving pictures. It covers basic terms, concepts and methods used in the study of both film and television. The class includes textual readings and regular screenings of films both in their entirety and in clips. We will cover the different areas of technique used to convey meaning and feeling in films: form, narrative structure, mise en scéne, cinematography, editing and sound. We will focus on the neorealist film movement and the films made shortly thereafter, as these made the most serious and influential Italian contributions to global film culture and history.
Music 105 – Music Appreciation (5 credits)
This course will explore the extremely varied and rich history of music of the “Western Classical Tradition.” This course is designed to help you learn how to listen to this music, how to recognize and understand the principle genres, forms, and composers, and thereby come to an appreciation of its depth an diversity, and its power and beauty. While the course will be much more a discussion of Western art music as a socio-cultural phenomenon throughout history than a course on music theory, you will be required to becomefamiliar with the basic elements of this music for the purposes of analysis. Because of our situation, this course will focus most intenselyon the musical contributions of the composersand performers of Italy.
Excursions/Activities
Sienna & San Gimignano
One of Italy’s most enchanting cities, Sienna is home of the exciting festival and race, the Palio. Spend a day exploring the narrow streets and the wealth of artwork contained in its museums and churches. Visit San Gimignono, a town declared by UNESCO to be part of the World’s Architectural Heritage and is known for its medieval towers and museums. Includes guided tour with an English-speaking guide and roundtrip transportation by private motor coach.
Independent Travel
Use free weekends to travel in Italy and to Europe’s great cities. AIFS’s local staff will assist you in choosing your destination and transportation.
Cultural Activities Program
All students may participate in a specially designed cultural activities program that will include visits to many of Florence’s famous sites and cultural venues including such activities as walking tours, cooking classes, wine tasting lectures, ballet, soccer matches, concerts , a day trip to Pisa, and film nights at a subsidized rates. Our students will pay a much reduced price for activities offered as part of the program fee.
Housing
Students live in furnished apartments with cooking facilities in the Historical Center of Florence within 30 minutes walking radius of the Study Center. Each apartment will have 4 students with two students per bedroom with linens and cleaning service. Adequate utilities will be provided up to a normal consumption for the duration of the program.
Meals are not included in the program, but students are able to prepare meals in their apartments.
Students will be invoiced a $250 refundable security deposit in addition to the program fees. The balance of the security deposit (less any charges for damages, missing items or utility overages) will be refunded within 45 days of the last day of the program.
Costs
PROGRAM FEES: $6875 + Amount Equivalent to Full-time Tuition at home institution (Based on a minimum of 25 participants. Does not include $250 refundable housing deposit.)
Program Dates and Deadlines
Program Dates: March 21 – June 1, 2012
Application deadline: ***Apply Now!*** Space is limited!
- Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2011 – (for students wishing to purchase the group flight)
- Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012 – (for students wishing to make their own flight arrangements)
Payment Schedule: $450 deposit due with application*
$6,875 due January 24, 2012 (plus $250 refundable housing security deposit)
*At least $150 is non-refundable; please check the Florence brochure and AIFS application for full refund policy guidelines.
For a supplemental fee of $495 students can purchase an optional meal plan consisting of 25 vouchers for either lunch or dinner in local trattoria in Florence.
These fees are guaranteed not to change as a result of fluctuations in the $ exchange rate.
Included
- Accommodation in apartments in the Historical Center of Florence. Students will be in twin rooms with typically four WCCCSA students sharing a two-bedroom apartmentwith a full kitchen for cooking all your meals. You will be right in the heart of the city with local Florentines as your neighbors.
- Orientation program in Florence including a meeting with AIFS staff, student information packet, local area information, welcome dinner and half-day guided walking tour of Florence.
- Fully staffed AIFS office in the Study Center there to make sure students get the most out of their time in Florence.
- Weekly program of subsidized cultural activities. The program allows students to experience typical Italian pastimes and explore the city in depth. Each term we offer walking tours, traditional cooking classes, wine-tasting, lectures, ballet, soccer matches, a day trip to Pisa, concerts, film nights and more.
- Museum pass for each student valid for the duration of the program with unlimited entry to the Uffizi Gallery, Accademia, Bargello, then on to see the walled hilltop town of San Gimignano with its famous towers.
- Membership with borrowing rights to the British Institute Library in Florence.
- Free wireless Internet access in the Study Center during class hours Monday to Friday plus free wireless Internet in the apartments.
- $50 non-refundable application fee.
- Student medical and program fee refund insurance policies.
Not Included
- College tuition and fees
- Roundtrip airfare from US to Florence (Optional group flight, see application)
- Books and materials
- Passport and visa fees
- Meals
- Personal expenses
- Refundable housing security deposit of $250 (due with final payment)
- Anything not specified as included in the program
Orientation
When: Saturday, February 25
Where:Pierce College – Fort Steilacoom (.pdf)
Time: 10 am – 3 pm
What to Bring: Students need to bring (a) a signed copy of the Student Guidelines, (b) 4 passport photos, (c) a copy of your passport, (d) flight itineraries for students not on the group flight, (e) a notepad to take notes, and (f) questions. Student participants should also invite parents, guardians, or whomever they feel should attend with them.
Coffee will be provided in the morning and lunch will be served. The faculty will be available to discuss their courses and expectations.