What is it like to see Florence from the eyes of an artist, or a nurse, or even an engineer? Each of these fields has a unique perspective when traveling abroad, and one of the most interesting parts of my job with SAI is to try to capture it. 

Working with faculty-led programs means engaging with experts of diverse academic fields, and collaborating with them to broaden their students’ views through visits, workshops, and guest lectures. To design itineraries for these groups, we combine the faculty’s learning objectives with our team’s local expertise and extensive network of resources. This often involves research into specific academic topics, and discovering historic and modern trends in the regions where we live. The challenge comes in identifying these opportunities and incorporating them into a trip that is both culturally and academically engaging.

While the design of the program is my favorite part of my job, the  reward comes from seeing how students’ learning plays out in these activities once they arrive on-site. What’s more, it allows us a glimpse into their mindset and to see how Florence inspires their own work. I’ve always believed in the importance of expanding students’ perspectives through experiences abroad, but I never dreamed of how much my own perspective would continue to change, with each new group I have the pleasure of working with.

Looking at the 18th century wax anatomical figures in Florence’s La Specola museum, a group of nursing students tends toward the scientific, commenting on the challenges of past methods of healthcare. Taking a group of studio art students into the same museum and looking at the same models, suddenly pads of paper are pulled out of backpacks and sketches of human figures are detailed into pages. One student commented that these figures helped them to create realistic drawings of muscle movement. Florence’s famous leather industry is a clear feature for fashion students to learn about artisanal production, but it’s just as engaging for sustainability students to learn about waste and upcycling innovation. A cheese producer is a perfect fit for food studies students, but also for business students learning about operations or marketing strategies. We may accompany multiple groups to the same famous site, but their views and takeaways are always different. 

By working with faculty-led programs, you never stop learning. The students may be changing their perspective by visiting a new city, but for us, it’s seeing the same city through different eyes.

Written by: Lindsey, SAI Staff in Florence, Italy