Program Details
| Program Length | Start | End | Price | Age on Departure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sept | July | $73,800 | 15.3-17.9 |
Italians are often described as warm and friendly people. Though the traditional roles of working father and homemaker mother are changing, the strong ties and tradition of family association remains of great importance in Italian culture. Families, especially in the cities, generally live in apartments. Young people often live at home until they marry, and children are expected to take an active role in the family. Children spend a great deal of their time during the week studying and practising sporting activities, and on weekends they enjoy activities such as going out to movies, theatres, concerts, sporting events and visiting family and friends. Food plays an important role in the Italian lifestyle, and meals are considered an occasion to socialise, talk, and meet with friends or conduct business with clients. Lunch is considered to be the main meal and this is especially so when the mother has a homemaker role.
AFS in Italy
AFS in Italy is known as Intercultura and is the largest exchange organisation of its kind in Italy.
For 40 years, through it’s almost 100 chapters, Intercultura’s main focus has been secondary school student exchanges, though programs for teachers and young workers also operate.
Intercultura is also a consultant to the Italian ministries of Foreign Affairs and Education and cooperates with the United Nations, the Council for Europe and the European Union, and is a recipient of the Prime Minister’s Award of Culture.
Intercultura is associated with EFIL (European Federation for Intercultural Learning).
Host Schools
Students between the ages of 14 and 19 attend high school for five years after successfully completing 8 years of elementary and middle school.
An Italian student chooses from a variety of secondary schools with subjects disciplined towards classical subjects, science, the arts, preparation for teaching and various technical subjects.
The school year begins in the middle of September and finishes at the end of June, with vacations at Christmas and Easter.
Classes usually begin around 8am and finish 2pm, from Monday to Saturday.
The student/teacher relationship is formal and students are expected to be respectful towards their teachers.
Italians students have a lot of homework and are expected to study every afternoon.
Some schools offer extracurricular activities in the afternoons, which are often organised by the students.
Host Families
Italians are often described as warm and friendly people.
Though the traditional roles of working father and homemaker mother are changing, the strong ties and tradition of family association remains of great importance in Italian culture.
Families, especially in the cities, generally live in apartments.
Young people often live at home until they marry, and children are expected to take an active role in the family.
Children spend a great deal of their time during the week studying and practising sporting activities, and on weekends they enjoy activities such as going out to movies, theatres, concerts, sporting events and visiting family and friends.
Food plays an important role in the Italian lifestyle, and meals are considered an occasion to socialise, talk, and meet with friends or business associates.
Lunch is considered to be the main meal and this is especially so when the mother has a homemaker role.
For the official website of AFS Italy, please refer to the front page.
