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
What's Included
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Transportation
Various modes of transport are tailored to your program. While some transfers are included, others may come at additional cost.
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Accommodations
Safe, comfortable lodging will be waiting for you at your destination.
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Select meals
Enjoy a combination of included meals and the freedom to explore local cuisine on your own.
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End-to-end support
Your dedicated EF team helps secure administrative approval and academic credit, provides enrollment tools, and helps establish your program’s ongoing presence on campus.
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EF Global Learning Toolkit
We offer various tools to help educators facilitate student growth abroad and on campus, including academically enriched travel programs, industry engagement opportunities, global learning resources, and a Global Competencies Assessment tool.
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Guided exploration
Gain insider knowledge and cultural perspective from licensed local guides: natural historians who provide cultural insights to enhance learning moments throughout the program.
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Field Visits
Experience academics in action during engaging visits with relevant organizations, thought leaders, and partners.
