Early & Elementary Education in Italy
Highlight: Aperitivo raises the after-work drink with friends to an artform. Though what you sip and snack on varies by region, the tradition is quintessentially Italian—a taste of la dolce vita.
🔹 Curated experiences: Every program is intentionally designed to feature guided learning, cultural engagement, and independent exploration experiences to drive global competency development, denoted on each itinerary with a blue diamond. Learn more about these experiences.
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Day 1: Fly overnight to Italy
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Day 2: Venice region • Padua
Meet your Field Director at the airportEnjoy dinner in Padua
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Day 3: Padua • Venice
Take a tour of Padua, a college town
With your expert local guide you will see:
- Basilica di San Antonio, one of the eight international shrines
- Prato della Valle, the biggest square in Italy and one of the largest in Europe
Visit the University of Padua, whose notable alumni and faculty include Nicolaus Copernicus and Galileo Galilei
Take a train to Venice
Take a walking tour of Venice with your Field Director
🔹 Independent exploration: Spend time exploring Venice on your own
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Day 4: Padua • Bologna
Travel to Bologna, well-known for its famous dish, spaghetti Bolognese
Take a tour of Bologna
With an expert local guide you will see:
- Piazza del Nettuno, which features a once-controversial statue of Neptune and the seductive sirens
- Basilica di San Petronio, Bologna's beloved church which was the site of Charles V coronation
- Palazzo Comunale, Bologna’s 14th-century town hall
Visit the University of Bologna, the oldest existing university in Europe founded in 1088
Enjoy dinner in Bologna
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Day 5: Bologna
Industry Engagement: Attend a lecture to learn how the Italian educational system has changed over the years, and see how it has influenced our own
Visit a local school in Bologna to learn how the city’s culture impacts its educational practices—and vice versa
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Day 6: Bologna
🔹 Guided learning: Visit the Loris Malaguzzi International Centre, a famous meeting place known for its dedication to improving education through creativity, innovation, and experimentation
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Day 7: Bologna • Florence
Enjoy a cultural food activity to learn Bologna’s culinary practices first-hand
Travel to Florence, the birthplace of the Italian language, opera, and the Renaissance
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Day 8: Florence
🔹 Guided learning: Take a guided tour of Florence
With your expert local guide you will see:
- Piazza della Signoria, which is lined with classic statues
- Ponte Vecchio, a medieval bridge where many of Florence’s famed leather and gold artisans still keep shop
- Basilica of Santa Croce, where Michelangelo, Machiavelli, Galileo and others are buried
- Gates of Paradise, bronzed doors that depict scenes from the Old Testament and are considered an icon of the Renaissance
Add this in-depth excursion:
🔹 Cultural engagement: Tuscan cooking class & dinner
Try your hand at local cooking practices in a Tuscan cooking class, followed by dinner.
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Day 9: Florence
Industry Engagement: Learn more about classroom lesson plans and activities as you meet with a local teacher and discuss what a career in education looks like in Italy
🔹 Cultural engagement: Visit a local school in Florence and learn how its culture and history impacts its educational practices
🔹 Independent exploration: Spend a half day exploring Florence on your own
Enjoy dinner in Florence
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Day 10: Depart for home
-
Day 1: Fly overnight to Italy
-
Day 2: Venice region • Padua
Meet your Field Director at the airportEnjoy dinner in Padua
-
Day 3: Padua • Venice
Take a tour of Padua, a college town
With your expert local guide you will see:
- Basilica di San Antonio, one of the eight international shrines
- Prato della Valle, the biggest square in Italy and one of the largest in Europe
Visit the University of Padua, whose notable alumni and faculty include Nicolaus Copernicus and Galileo Galilei
Take a train to Venice
Take a walking tour of Venice with your Field Director
🔹 Independent exploration: Spend time exploring Venice on your own
-
Day 4: Padua • Bologna
Travel to Bologna, well-known for its famous dish, spaghetti Bolognese
Take a tour of Bologna
With an expert local guide you will see:
- Piazza del Nettuno, which features a once-controversial statue of Neptune and the seductive sirens
- Basilica di San Petronio, Bologna's beloved church which was the site of Charles V coronation
- Palazzo Comunale, Bologna’s 14th-century town hall
Visit the University of Bologna, the oldest existing university in Europe founded in 1088
Enjoy dinner in Bologna
-
Day 5: Bologna
Industry Engagement: Attend a lecture to learn how the Italian educational system has changed over the years, and see how it has influenced our own
Visit a local school in Bologna to learn how the city’s culture impacts its educational practices—and vice versa
-
Day 6: Bologna
🔹 Guided learning: Visit the Loris Malaguzzi International Centre, a famous meeting place known for its dedication to improving education through creativity, innovation, and experimentation
-
Day 7: Bologna • Florence
Enjoy a cultural food activity to learn Bologna’s culinary practices first-hand
Travel to Florence, the birthplace of the Italian language, opera, and the Renaissance
-
Day 8: Florence
🔹 Guided learning: Take a guided tour of Florence
With your expert local guide you will see:
- Piazza della Signoria, which is lined with classic statues
- Ponte Vecchio, a medieval bridge where many of Florence’s famed leather and gold artisans still keep shop
- Basilica of Santa Croce, where Michelangelo, Machiavelli, Galileo and others are buried
- Gates of Paradise, bronzed doors that depict scenes from the Old Testament and are considered an icon of the Renaissance
Add this in-depth excursion:
🔹 Cultural engagement: Tuscan cooking class & dinner
Try your hand at local cooking practices in a Tuscan cooking class, followed by dinner.
-
Day 9: Florence
Industry Engagement: Learn more about classroom lesson plans and activities as you meet with a local teacher and discuss what a career in education looks like in Italy
🔹 Cultural engagement: Visit a local school in Florence and learn how its culture and history impacts its educational practices
🔹 Independent exploration: Spend a half day exploring Florence on your own
Enjoy dinner in Florence
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Day 10: Depart for home
Confidence • Curiosity • Global perspective • Empathy • Adaptability • Relatability • Self-Awareness
Your experience includes
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Round-trip airfare and transportation
Round-trip airfare and transportation while abroad—covered. We take care of getting you around so you can enjoy the ride.
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Accommodations
Safe, comfortable hotels with private bathrooms will be waiting for you at your destination.
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Regional-style meals
Daily breakfasts and select local dinners are included in your program. Generally, we leave lunch up to you so your group has an opportunity to explore its own tastes.
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End-to-end Support
Your team helps to secure administrative approval and academic credit, provides recruiting tools and helps establish your program's ongoing presence on campus.
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Full-time Field Director
Your expert Field Director is with your group 24/7, providing deep local insight while handling all program logistics.
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Expert Local Guides
Your expert local guides are natural historians, adding cultural insight and enhancing teaching moments wherever your curriculum takes you.
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Guided sightseeing
Gain insider knowledge and cultural perspective from licensed local guides who join your group for select experiences on tour
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Worldwide support, safety and security
EF has over 500 schools and offices in more than 50 countries worldwide. We provide 24-hour emergency support service along with a comprehensive $15 million liability policy that covers you and your institution while abroad.
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Flexible Payment Options
Give more students the opportunity to study abroad by offering them two different payment plan options, along with our TripFunder website to help fundraise for the program.
