Summer Abroad: Italy

Heritage and Sustainability in an Italian Alpine Village

Amizade’s summer program in Italy is in Trentino, a province of Northeast Italy. This mountainous region in the heart of the Alps offers an unexpected variety of environments, ranging from 10,000-feet-high rocky Dolomite peaks to gentle valleys and mild lake shores.

YOUR EXPERIENCE

ACADEMICS

Dolomit is an independent study abroad provider located in Trentino, the butterfly-shaped province of Northeast Italy. The name “Dolomit” pays homage to one of the most stunning mountain ranges of the world, the Dolomites, a source of identity and pride for the people of this corner of Italy, and now a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site. This area is the ideal location to tackle themes of topical interest, thanks to its stunning variety of landscapes, and to a vibrant community that honors its heritage and values innovation.

The founders, both trained at a graduate level in the social sciences in the United States, spent half of their lives abroad, and recently resettled in Trentino with the desire to welcome the world to their homeland. In order to develop meaningfully and involving educational activities for international students, Dolomit relies on a strong network of local partners and is deeply committed to the well-being of students by offering them individualized attention and care.

The course options are highly interactive and include distance learning introductory lectures, outdoor educational activities, cultural visits and meetings with local leaders. On this program you can enroll in one or both of the following courses for either 3 or 6 credits:

HERITAGE, MEMORY, AND IDENTITIES IN A EUROPEAN BORDERLAND (3 CREDITS)

This is an experience-based course in public history, here defined as the application of historical knowledge and methods to the promotion of public engagement with the past. Through the course you will explore key concepts such as interpretation, representation, memory, heritage, commemoration and preservation. Alpine Italy, thanks to its thousands of years of history as a frontier area in the very heart of Europe, exemplifies the implications of transforming history as an academic discipline into a cultural, political and economic practice. Download the syllabus.

SUSTAINABILITY, FOOD, AND LANDSCAPES IN THE ITALIAN ALPS (3 CREDITS)

A journey across time and space, from the traces of prehistoric peoples to the challenges of our globalized world. Food is the key to explore the complex interaction between humans and their environments, and its impact on culture, economy, identity, and landscapes. Issues of global concern such as sustainable practices, climate change, and resource management are tackled from the unique perspective of the Italian Alps, a place renowned for its distinctive environment, rich agriculture and traditional food productions. Download the syllabus.

CULTURE & RECREATION

During your stay in Nago-Torbole, you will live in self-catered apartments with other BCA students. During your residential lab in the Giudicarie Valley, you will stay in a hotel with breakfast included. Trentino enjoys an efficient system of public transportation, and you will ride local buses and trains for free thanks to the Trentino Guest Card included in your fee.

Guided hikes in the Dolomites and relaxing at Lake Garda, visits to the Ice Man in Bolzano.