WCCCSA Budget Request Form, Spain 2012 (.docx)

WCCCSA Scholarship Application, Spain 2012 (.doc)

Faculty

Dr. Helen Taylor is looking forward to helping students apply psychology to their experience in Valencia. She is a full-time professor and chairperson of the Psychology Department at Bellevue College, and also teaches for Eastern Washington University. During her time at Bellevue College, she has served as a Counselor, Director of Faculty Development, and Director of the Center for Liberal Arts. Dr. Taylor loves to teach and has designed a number of courses, both face to face and online. Her areas of specialty are cross-cultural, gender, abnormal, and social psychology. This fall, she will co-teach an interdisciplinary studies course on happiness. Dr. Taylor was recognized with a Margin of Excellence teaching award and an Outstanding Faculty award from Bellevue College. She earned a BA in International Studies from Pomona College, an MA in Counseling from Seattle University, and a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Washington.  In 2008, she co-led a group of students with the Washington Community College Consortium for Study Abroad to Florence, Italy. She had such a great time, she just had to go again! She credits her own experience as a study abroad student in college as one of the most formative of her life, and is very much looking forward to teaching and traveling with students in Spain.

Courses

Spanish – All Levels (5 credits or 10 credits)
Spanish language classes will be held at and taught by AIP instructors. The Spanish language courses are central to your experience in Valencia and will help you to get the most out of your time abroad. You will have 5 lessons per day (55 min. each) of Spanish as a foreign language, from Monday to Thursday, at AIP Language Institute. There will be a maximum of 8 students per class.

Cross-Cultural Psychology (5 credits)
Cross-cultural Psychology examines psychological theories and research from a cross cultural perspective. Students discuss the impact of culture on thinking, development, emotion, motivation, sex roles, disorders, group behavior, conflict, stereotyping, and prejudice.

Cross-cultural Psychology is the study of the effects of culture on human thought and behavior, of cross-cultural interactions, and of the similarities and differences in behavior across cultures. This class is ideally suited for a study abroad program. One of the goals of the course is to enhance understanding of the ways in which culture, beliefs, values, the environment, and behavior interact. We will be able to explore Spanish culture with a focus on values, norms, and behaviors.

Two additional goals of the class are to develop an appreciation for the wide diversity of human behavior and to develop competencies in functioning in a diverse society, making cross-cultural interactions more productive and enjoyable. And finally, students will gain an appreciation of the wide diversity of human identities as well as of common threads and values.

Psychology of Adjustment (5 credits)
Psychology of Adjustment teaches the scientific principles of psychology as they relate to adaptation to life’s challenges. Topics include the nature and management of stress, coping strategies, interpersonal communication, relationship dynamics, self concept, lifelong learning, and career development.

This course presents the opportunity to apply psychological principles to one’s own life, with a special focus on adapting to, coping with, and managing the challenges of life. The

Psychology of Adjustment class is a cross between a personal development course and a developmental psychology class, with some practical skills thrown in. Topics range from emerging adulthood to intergroup relations, from stress coping to health.

Psychology of Adjustment is the perfect class for students in study abroad programs because it offers the opportunity for students to assess their own adjustment to the travel experience, culture shock, and stressors inherent in living with home stay families. The theme of personal identity, in the context of the study abroad experience, can be explored both academically and personally. Effective communication and developing relationships are other topics in this class that will be studied and practiced in a real-life study abroad setting.

Accommodations

Students will live with local families in their homes. The families are all located at a manageable distance from Valencia city centre and our school, never more than 25 – 30 min away on
public transit. All host families work exclusively with AIP Language Institute and have been screened. In-house laundry service provided at least once a week.

Program Dates and Deadlines:

Program Dates: January 6, 2012 (arrive in Madrid)-March 19, 2012

Costs:

$6400- $6900* (Based on 16+ students)
Final price will be confirmed at the start of Fall Quarter. Please check with the study abroad coordinator at your campus for full details.

*Based on currency exchange rate on 11/14/2010 and subject to change. Payment is due in full November 7, 2011 by wire transfer to AIP; final price will be confirmed at the start of Fall quarter. Please check with the study abroad coordinator at your campus for full details.

INCLUDED

- Transfer from / to Madrid airport
- Experience 2 days in the heart of Madrid, including, accommodation and halfboard, cultural visits to major museums, monuments and other highlights
- Host family with individual room, with half board (2 meals per day) Monday through Thursday, and Full board Friday through Sunday
- Daily Spanish as a foreign language lessons, Monday to Thursday, at AIP Language Institute. Maximum of 8 students per class
- Full day excursion to Valencia region, panoramic bus welcome tour, and fullcalendar of weekly activities
- Enjoy the unforgettable Festival of Valencia, Las Fallas, March 16th-19th, accommodations and full board included
- AIP Orientation Handbooks will facilitate your immersion process into the Spanish culture; includes a “Before Coming” and a “Living in Valencia” handbook
- Medical insurance

NOT INCLUDED

- Airfare
- College Tuition and Fees
- Some Meals
- Passport Fees
- Wire Transfer Fees
- Optional weekend trips and excursions guided by an AIP leader

Orientation

When: November 19, 2011
Where: Bellevue College
Time: 10am-3pm

What to bring: Students need to bring (a) a signed copy of the Student Guidelines, (b) a copy of your passport, (c) flight itineraries for students not on the group flight, (d) a notepad to take notes, and (e) 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.

Orientation: Saturday, July 21, from 10-3 PM at South Seattle Community College

Program Dates: Saturday, August 18 – Saturday, September 15

Costa Rica, land of many natural wonders: Caribbean and Pacific coastlines, luscious rainforests, abundant animal and plant life, and volcanoes. Students immerse themselves in language and culture while surrounded by unparalleled natural beauty and the warm, welcoming people of Costa Rica. The Costa Ricans (Ticos) are dedicated to promoting harmony between nature, community development, and economic growth. They have made a major commitment to protecting the nation’s natural resources and beauty while preserving its long tradition of political democracy and stability.

Costa Rica offers students a safe and accessible place to study and to explore the peaceful beauty of her natural treasures. It offers reliable public transportation, the highest literacy rate in Central America and an excellent health care system. Whether studying Spanish or researching rainforest ecosystems, the congeniality of the people, the steaming volcanoes, pristine beaches, virgin forests, and the unique birds, mammals and ocean life all combine to make Costa Rica an idyllic place to live and study.

Program Attachments:   

Budget Request Costa Rica Summer 2012 (.docx)
WCCCSA Costa Rica Scholarship Application (.docx) 

Program Dates: Saturday, August 18 – Saturday, September 15, 2012 (4 weeks & 5 credits of Spanish)

Site: Students live and study in beautiful Alajuela, located just 30 minutes from the capital, San Jose. Alajuela is a small town surrounded by coffee and sugar plantations. Courses are held at the Instituto de Cultura y Lengua Costarricense (ICLC), Costa Rica’s premier language institute. ICLC language school is set on a hillside surrounded with tropical flowers and fruits in the outskirts of Alajuela.

Courses: Students will take 5 credits of Spanish Immersion at ICLC. Classes are taught by qualified ICLC instructors. Spanish classes meet for 4 hours per day, five days a week and have generally no more than 4 students per class, allowing plenty of time to improve speaking and listening skills.

EXCURSIONS/ACTIVITIES

Orientation tour: Enjoy a familiarization tour of Alajuela. The tour will include traveling from ICLC through the homestay neighborhoods and onto Alajuela where students can locate services and amenities like parks, malls, and stores.

Cultural Activities: There will be special cultural activities offered by ICLC and WCCCSA, in addition to activities and mini-courses that will take place during the afternoon from Monday through Friday. Activities vary (*entrance and transportation, usually a small bus fee, are not included in program fee to allow for program flexibility) and may include the following: a Costa Rican Art Museum, the National Museum, the La Salle Museum of Natural Sciences, the Juan Santamaria Historical Museum, the Tropical Bird Zoo, San Juan de Poas, and the train to Puntarenas, among other destinations

Mini-courses include: Costa Rican Art, Topics in Spanish Grammar, Central American Issues, the Diversity of Costa Rica’s Forests and Costa Rican Folk Music (these are included in the program fee).

Independent Travel: Use your free weekends to explore Costa Rica’s many attractions. Student favorites include rainforests, Jaco Beach and the Caribbean Coast. There will be a travel coordinator at ICLC to assist you with travel plans. Some ICLC run trips include: Arenal Volcano and Baldí Hot Springs, Tortuga Island Pacific Cruise, Rafting Pacuare, Coffee tours, Butterfly farms, and the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve among other locations.

HOUSING

Homestays: Students live in homestays with local Costa Rican families. Each student will have a private, furnished room and two meals per day, breakfast and dinner. Homestays are located within a 30 minute bus ride from ICLC. Students are encouraged to interact with homestay families as much as possible to facilitate learning the Spanish language and culture, and to get to know the host family. Students are expected to respect the norms and customs of their host family.

DATES & DEADLINES

Program Dates: Saturday, August 18 – Saturday, September 15, 2012 (4 weeks, 5 credits of Spanish)

Application deadline: Friday, April 27, 2012. After this date students will be admitted if there is housing availability until Thursday, June 28.

Payment Schedule: Balance due Wednesday, July 18, 2012

COSTS

Program Fees: $2,779.00 for up to 14 students or less

INCLUDED:

• Private room in single homestay (one student per family)
• Airport pick-up by host families (only when landing before 10pm)
• Breakfast and dinner seven days a week for program duration
• Pre-Departure Orientation
• On-Site Arrival Orientation
• Arrival reception
• Walking tour of Alajuela
• Departure ceremony
• Airport drop-off by host families
• Afternoon cultural presentations and events
• Medical and travel insurance

NOT INCLUDED:

• Roundtrip airfare
• College tuition and fees (paid to student’s home campus)
• Passport fees (and visa fees, if applicable)
• Costa Rican departure tax of approximately $27
• Taxi to airport after program ($30)
• Lunches
• Spending money

ORIENTATION

Date: Saturday, July 21, 2012

Time: 10-3 PM

Location: South Seattle Community College, Room # TBD

What to Bring: Students need to bring (a) a signed copy of the Student Guidelines, (b) a copy of your passport, (c) flight itineraries, (d) a notepad to take notes, and (e) 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.

Orientation: Saturday, August 4,  10-3 PM at North Seattle Community College, Education Building Room ED 2843A

Program Dates: September 28 (arrive in London Sept. 29) – December 7, 2012

London, England Loved and respected for its architecture, theatres, museums, galleries and academic institutions, London has something for everyone. Along with earning a full quarter of transferable college credits, students live with British families and immerse themselves in day to day British Life.  Frequent field trips and travel opportunities enable students to experience the culture and history of this great city as well as the beautiful countryside of England. The teaching team tailors courses to the European environment and structures the coursework around several themes common to the locale.

Fall 2012 – London, England Brochure (.pdf)

London, England Budget Request (.docx)

WCCCSA London Scholarship Application, Fall 2012 (.docx)

“Living with an English family made the trip for me. It was an experience I will cherish my whole life” -Ryan Smith, 2000

SITE
Classrooms are located in the University of London Union in Bloomsbury. Bloomsbury is a fashionable residential quarter for merchants and aristocrats in the 18th century. It is very much a university area, with the main buildings of the University of London at its center. Bloomsbury also provides a wealth of interesting shops on its side streets as well as numerous restaurants. The British Museum is close at hand as are many of the colleges of the University of London. Within easy walking distance are Oxford Street, one of London’s main shopping areas, and Soho, Covent Garden and the West End, London’s evening entertainment sector.

CLASSROOM 

• Classrooms are air-conditioned with whiteboards
• There is access to audio-visual equipment including LCD projectors, overhead projectors, televisions, US/UK
• VCR and DVD players.
• Flexible format ranging from lecture to seminar style

STUDENT FACILITIES

• Students will have access to the wireless enabled student computer lab (27 PCs) located in the AIFS Student Centre with free Internet access and printing facilities.
• Students will have access to the AIFS Student Centre and the services of an experienced AIFS Program Coordinator  and AIFS Student Advisors for information, personal advising/counseling
• Fax, mail services and 24-emergency contact service

Membership of the University of London Union Students are provided membership to the University of London Union which gives them access to student clubs and societies and (at a reasonable additional cost) to sports facilities including a swimming pool, health spa, multi-gym and squash courts. 

TRANSPORTATION
Student will be issued the London Transport travel pass, valid for unlimited use on buses and underground trains in travel zones 1, 2 and 3 for the duration of the program.

FACULTY
Dr. Thomas Grimes has taught philosophy at Peninsula College for the past 18 years.  He has also held teaching appointments at Arkansas State University and Cal Poly.  After double majoring in economics and philosophy at Brown University, he earned a Ph.D. in philosophy at the University of Arizona.  His scholarly writings in philosophy of science and metaphysics have appeared in both national and international scholarly journals, including the prestigious British Journal for the Philosophy of Science.  Beyond philosophy, Dr. Grimes has a deep interest in art, and in particular, 17th century Dutch art.  Currently he is three paintings short of his quest to see all the works by Johannes Vermeer, which are scattered among 15 North American and European cities.

As part of a faculty exchange program, Dr. Grimes taught philosophy at Guangxi Vocational & Technical Institute of Industry in Nanning, China.  Beyond China, his lust for getting lost in foreign places has taken him to North Africa, the Middle East, Europe, Latin America, Mexico, and the Caribbean.  He has visited London on several occasions and knows firsthand the unparalleled opportunities it affords for learning about art, culture, and history.  He looks forward to using the city as a classroom for teaching philosophy to a group of inquisitive students and to being a part of making their time there a transforming international experience.

COURSES
Students register for their courses at the home campus.

British Life and Culture (5 credits) is required of all students and provides an introduction to the culture. This course is taught by qualified local guest lecturers, focusing on historical, political, economic and cultural aspects of contemporary Britain.

Philosophy 101 – Introduction to Philosophy  (5 Credits)  (Please see your campus coordinator for specific course numbering)

Much of Western intellectual thought is dominated by the contributions of British philosophy.  This course consists of an analytic examination of some basic problems from each major branch of philosophy with an emphasis on the views of British philosophers from the medieval, modern, and contemporary periods.  Topics include free will and determinism, God and rationality, morality and justice, art and beauty, knowledge and skepticism, and mind and body.  Field trips to sites in and around London will be utilized to gain a better historical understanding of many of the philosophers to be studied.

Philosophy 105 – Critical Thinking  (5 Credits)  (Please see your campus coordinator for specific course numbering)

As a study of informal logic this course explores the nature and application of principles of correct inductive, moral, and practical reasoning.  Topics include informal fallacies, advertising, stereotypes, medical claims, the scientific method, news reporting, moral justification, and expected value.  Examples will draw upon aspects of British life and cultur.

This is an academic program and students are expected to enroll in a full-time course load. Failure to participate in the academic coursework may result in dismissal from the program. Students are encouraged to make the most of their classroom learning as it will enhance understanding of all the local area has to offer.

EXCURSIONS/ACTIVITIES

On arriving in London, Students will attend a 2-day orientation program consisting of orientation meeting with AIFS staff, workshops on cultural differences, safety/security and travel. Students will receive an information packet to including a comprehensive student handbook and local area information. There will be a welcome reception and a half-day sightseeing tour of London by private coach with the services of a professional guide.

The AIFS staff will keep students informed about various cultural and social events in London and help students make individual plans that compliment academic interests. AIFS staff also organizes a cultural program of evening theater events and day-long excursions to places of interest outside London. Students pay an additional fee for some activities, but they are considerably subsidized by the program fee. The subsidized cultural program of events include 5 Friday daytrips (to Oxford, Stonehenge and Salisbury, Bath, Brighton and Stratford Upon Avon) 4 theatre events, a football or rugby match and a walking tour.

Optional Scotland Excursion
An optional 5-day, 4-night excursion to Scotland will be offered for a supplemental fee of $595 per participant. Included in the price is a round-trip train ticket between London and Edinburgh, 4 nights hostel accommodation with breakfast included (2 nights in Edinburgh, 1 night in Loch Ness, 1 night on the Isle of Skye), a 3-day guided bus tour to the highlands and islands of Scotland, entrance to Edinburgh Castle, 2 evening meals and the services of an AIFS staff member throughout the excursion.

INDEPENDENT TRAVEL

Use free weekends to travel in England and to Europe’s great cities including Paris, Amsterdam, Dublin and Edinburgh.  AIFS’s local staff will assist you in choosing your destination and transportation.

HOUSING

Students will live with local families in their homes. All families are carefully screened and selected by AIFS personnel overseas. The AIFS Local Organizer will use the information that students provide on their AIFS accommodation form to place students with local families.Students will have accommodation in a twin room in a homestay within a residential neighborhood of London. Continental breakfast (cereals, toast, juice, tea/coffee) will be provided in the homestay five days a week (Monday through Friday) and dinner four days per week (Monday through Thursday). Students will have access to the kitchen for the preparation of any other meals. By living with a host family, students have a link to the local culture and customs. Students are encouraged to make the most of family life and community activities during their stay in London. Students are expected to respect the norms and customs of their host family.

AIFS will offer an optional meal money program whereby students can lodge money (in sterling) at the beginning of the quarter and be given it back every two weeks throughout the program. Information will be included in the student information packet and discussed at orientation meetings. This is to help students pace their spending.

DATES & DEADLINES

Program Dates: September 28 (arrive in London Sept. 29) – December 7, 2012

Payment Deadlines

• Deposit of $450 due with application by Friday, June 29, 2012 to AIFS – if Scotland tour is selected, $50 is also due at this time.
• AIFS will then bill the student for the remaining balance of $6,225 plus a $250 refundable damage deposit which are both due by Thursday, August 9, 2012 – if Scotland tour is selected, $545 is also due at this time.
• Students applying after the application deadline date of Friday, June 29, 2012 can only be accepted on a space-available basis.
• Students wishing to purchase the Transportation Package must notify AIFS in writing by Friday, June 29, 2012
• ** At least $150 is non-refundable; please check the London brochure and AIFS application for full refund policy guidelines.

COSTS

Program Fees: $ $6,675 based on a minimum of 25 participants. Does NOT include the $250 refundable damage deposit

INCLUDED:

• Accommodation in a twin room homestay
• Roundtrip airport transfers to the student homestays on the program arrival and departure days.
• Continental breakfast Monday -Friday and dinners Monday – Thursday in homestay
• Access to homestay kitchen for the preparation of other meals
• Two day on-site orientation with welcome reception
• Half-day sightseeing tour of London by private coach with tour guide.
• London Transport travel pass for unlimited use on buses and underground trains in travel zones 1, 2, and 3.
• A subsidized cultural program of events
• Access to the wireless enabled student computer lab with 27PCs in the AIFS Student Center with free Internet access and printing facilities
• Access to  the AIFS Student Center and Student Services Staff
• 24 hour emergency contact service
• Membership of the University of London Union (allows students access to the Union facilities, subsidized rates to sports facilities and the opportunity to join University of London clubs and societies).
• $50 non-refundable application fee
• Student medical and program fee refund insurance policies
• Pre-departure orientation

Optional Transportation Package
On a space-available basis, students may purchase the optional transportation package consisting of round-trip airfare (Seattle – London – Seattle) and round-trip transfers overseas between the airport and the housing in London for an additional $695 excluding mandatory U.S. government and airline-imposed departure taxes, fees and fuel surcharges of $579 (subject to change) for which students will be billed separately. A minimum of 10 participants must purchase the flight for it to be offered.  AIFS will reserve spaces at the above prices according to information on the student application form. Once airline tickets have been issued to students they can only be changed directly with the issuing agent- agent and airline-imposed penalties apply. AIFS cannot arrange airline tickets for students applying after Thursday, July 13, 2012. Participants wishing to cancel from the flight must notify AIFS in writing by Thursday, August 9, 2012. Cancellation penalties may apply. Tickets are non-refundable after this date.

NOT INCLUDED:

• $250 refundable damage deposit
• Airfare
• College tuition and fees
• Course books or materials (unless specified)
• Passport and visa fees if applicable
• Meals not mentioned above
• Personal expenses
• Anything not specified as included in the program
• Optional personal effects coverage and medical insurance upgrade

ORIENTATION

When: Saturday, August 4

Where: North Seattle Community College, Education Building Room ED 2843A

Time: 10am-3pm

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.

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.

Program Attachments: 

Florence 2012 Brochure (.pdf)

Budget Request Form, Florence 2012 (docx.)

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

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: Enrollment for 2012 Program has closed

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.