Harvard Summer Program in Abruzzo, Italy
This page contains content from the Summer School 2009. For current information, visit the Harvard Summer School website at www.summer.harvard.edu.
Information on the programs being offered summer 2010 will be available online in early September.
Italian language study amid the scenic and culinary pleasures of Abruzzo
Faculty: Elvira Di Fabio, teaching assistants, and guest lecturers
(8 credits: UN, GR) Limited enrollment
Program dates:
ITAL S-52: June 28–August 1 (Vasto, Abruzzo)
ITAL S-96r: June 7–July 10 (internship in Pistoia, Tuscany), July 11–August 1 (independent study in Vasto, Abruzzo)
Application deadline:
ITAL S-52: February 27
ITAL S-96r: February 27 (Note: review of applications will begin on February 3, early applications are encouraged)
Cost:
ITAL S-52: $7,350
ITAL S-96r: $7,500
Study Italian with Harvard faculty while living in the charming city of Vasto in Italy’s Abruzzo region. The program includes intense grammar review, with emphasis on reading and conversation skills. Learning extends beyond the classroom, where students can enjoy the majesty of the Apennine mountains and the sparkling waters of the Adriatic while getting to know the region’s food culture by interacting with those who “live Vasto.” ITAL S-52 Study Abroad in Abruzzo, Italy: Mapping the Cultures of Italy—Food for Thought includes a daily average of five hours of class time at least five days a week. Class time—whether it be in a traditional classroom or in the “living lab” of the community—is supplemented by special seminars on varying topics of relevance to the geographical region. ITAL S-96r Study Abroad in Abruzzo, Italy: Italian and the Community—Academic Internships in Italian Language and Culture is an academic internship to be negotiated on a case-by-case basis. Please note the early application deadline for this course.
This program in Abruzzo is offered in collaboration with the Consortium of Italian Teachers Teaching Abroad. Lessons are held in Vasto Centro at the Istituto San Gabriele. Academic internships are arranged in collaboration with the Carla Rossi Academy International Institute of Italian Studies in Monsummano Terme, Tuscany.
Course of study
Students enroll in one of the following.
ITAL S-52 Study Abroad in Abruzzo, Italy: Mapping the Cultures of Italy—Food for Thought
Sapore, which means “taste” in Italian, shares the same root as sapere, which means “to know.” This course gives students a taste of the knowledge that is found in the language of food, what we have coined glottogastronomia. Abruzzo, renowned for its gastronomic specialties both in Italy and abroad, is the perfect setting for this sort of study. A complete, intensive grammar review is coupled with a dossier of readings, covering literary comestibles and excerpts on the history and sociology of Italian cuisine. Regional differences are emphasized through research, which includes interviewing local shopkeepers and participating in activity-based learning. As a course project, the students’ cultural, linguistic, and culinary discoveries are digitally documented, allowing for the visualization of data. If only data could be tasted! Prerequisite: 1 year of college Italian or equivalent.
ITAL S-96r Study Abroad in Abruzzo, Italy: Italian and the Community—Academic Internships in Italian Language and Culture
This course offers students an opportunity to engage in the practical applications of Italian language and culture in an immersion environment. The five-week internships may include placement in a variety of sectors, including the performing arts, landscape architecture, public education, and spa medicine. At the end of the internship, students travel to Vasto, Abruzzo, to produce a substantial research paper or other faculty-approved independent study project based on their field placements. Prerequisite: at least 2 years of college Italian, or equivalent. No previous formal study of Dante required.
Course credit
For Harvard College students, this program counts as a full-year course (8 credits) of degree credit, at least half of which may be counted for concentration credit, pending approval of the concentration’s undergraduate advisor. This program also satisfies the Foreign Cultures Core requirement.
Transfer credit. Harvard Summer School courses and credits are accepted toward degrees at most colleges and universities. Since degree requirements vary among schools, students are advised to obtain transfer credit approval from their home institutions before registering for Harvard Summer School courses.
Faculty
Elvira Di Fabio, Senior Preceptor and Coordinator of Italian Language Instruction, Undergraduate Advisor in Italian, and Associate Director of Undergraduate Studies, Harvard University
Guest lecturers on Romance languages and literatures will be announced.
Application
Students must be at least 18 years old to apply. The application materials, outlined below, are due February 27 for either program:
- An application form (the application period for this program has ended)
- Official transcripts (sent directly from schools to the address below; unofficial copies of transcripts are accepted for Harvard College students only)
- A $50 nonrefundable application fee
- A supplementary statement describing interest in the program, coursework in Italian, and travel experience abroad (not a prerequisite)
Applications should be addressed as follows:
Matilda West
Study Abroad Coordinator
Harvard Summer School
51 Brattle Street
Cambridge, MA 02138 USA
Students will be notified of admission decisions by mid-March.
Cost
The cost of the program is $7,350 for students who enroll in ITAL S-52 and $7,500 for students who enroll in ITAL S-96r, plus a nonrefundable $50 application fee. In addition, students are responsible for a health insurance fee ($165; waived if students have US insurance that provides coverage outside the United States) and for transportation to and from Abruzzo. The cost of the program covers the following:
- Tuition
- Room and some meals
- Excursions (including meals when appropriate)
Program directors will advise students of likely additional expenses.
Payment deadlines
Harvard Summer School online services allows accepted students to make payments or deposits with a valid credit card.
Students can also mail their payment, along with a completed Study Abroad Payment Form (available in Forms), to:
Student Financial Services
Harvard Summer School
51 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
For those admitted to the program, a nonrefundable deposit of $735 must be received by April 15 to secure a place in the program. Payment in full is due by May 15. A $100 late fee will be charged for payments received after this date.
Funding
Harvard College students are eligible for funding through the Harvard College Office of International Programs (OIP), as well as a variety of centers around campus. All Harvard Summer School study abroad programs qualify for summer funding. Programs of eight weeks or longer in duration (including extensions of Harvard Summer School Programs approved by faculty members) qualify for Rockefeller International Experience Grants; programs of shorter duration qualify for other summer grants.
Students may consult the Funding Sources Database for more information on all sources of funding. Please note that the funding application deadline for summer grants and Rockefeller International Experience Grants is February 27.
To apply for any study abroad funding, students need to provide information about the program budget for ITAL S-52, or the program budget for ITAL S-96r, submit an application through the Common Application for Research and Travel (CARAT), as well as supplementary documents to the relevant center, if necessary. Additional information on the funding application process is available through CARAT.
Also see the Harvard College Financial Aid Office summer school page for information about assistance.
Other Harvard students may be eligible for financial assistance through their Harvard financial aid offices. Harvard students are also encouraged to apply for a Diaco Memorial Grant. Students enrolled at other institutions should consult their respective financial aid offices.
Accommodations
While in Vasto, Abruzzo, students are housed in a hotel in Vasto Centro, a five-minute walk to the classroom and a 10-minute bus ride to the beach in Vasto Marina. The comfortably furnished rooms are double occupancy and have private bathrooms with showers, secure entrances, and limited access to the Internet. Single rooms are available upon request for an additional fee.
Additional information
Contact Elvira Di Fabio, edifabio@fas.harvard.edu; (617) 495-5478; fax (617) 496-4682.
Students with disabilities should contact the disability services coordinator as soon as possible: (617) 495-0977, (617) 495-9419 (TTY), or disabilities@dcemail.harvard.edu. Request-for-accommodation forms and supporting diagnostic documentation must be submitted by April 15. See the Disability Services page for more information about disability services, including request forms and guidelines for documentation.
Students applying for admission to Harvard’s study abroad programs should understand that although the University provides reasonable assistance and support to facilitate the participation of qualified students in its programs (including students with disabilities and health impairments), some of our programs are located in parts of the world where accommodations may not be readily available. Students are encouraged to be forthcoming with the disability services coordinator about any specific needs and functional limitations so that the Summer School can collaborate with those students in a way that fosters their safe participation and allows them to fully appreciate any barriers that they may face, depending on the location and rigors of the particular program.
Harvard Summer School is aware of the risks associated with international travel. Should the US Department of State issue a travel warning for any of the countries in which a study abroad program is planned, the program in that country may be canceled.