Students at NYU in Florence take full advantage of the many opportunities outside of the classroom. These activities often prove to be some of the most eye opening learning experiences of their time abroad. Whether it be through community service arranged through the academic staff at Villa Ulivi, class visits, research, volunteering, or projects with locals, NYU in Florence supports a full range of learning activities beyond the classroom.
Constructive engagement in the Florentine community is a priority at New York University in Florence. The opportunity to work with local government, community and neighborhood associations, and the private sector, allows students to help address the challenges facing the city and more fully integrate themselves into Florence's daily life. Whether it is volunteering regularly teaching English at a neighborhood school, assisting the elderly, or working at a nonprofit environmental agency, community service is an important component of a well-rounded academic and cultural experience.
The city of Florence provides unparalleled opportunities to supplement classroom study with its world-class museums, galleries, palazzi, and churches. Florence is cosmopolitan, yet easy to navigate, enabling students to take advantage of the wide range of activities in the city and the surrounding Tuscan countryside. Many students participate in weekly programs such as lectures, discussion groups, and film series held in one of our villas or even in the villa’s beautiful gardens. These and similar activities allow students to develop a deep appreciation for the people of Florence and their culture.
In addition to experiencing the richness of Florence, your studies will be augmented by class-related trips. In recent semesters, students have traveled with their instructors and as part of their courses to Milan, Rome, Pisa, Siena, and Venice. The costs for transportation and entrance fees for class-related trips is included in the cost of attendance.
Volunteerism and Community Service at NYU in Florence
The following is a list of service opportunities currently available to students studying at NYU in
Florence.
Students can receive credit for volunteering while in Florence (50
hrs/semester) by enrolling in the course Service Learning: Community Service in
Florence (V59.9981.001 in English or V59.9981.002 in Italian). Additional
one-day service projects are arranged throughout the semester and are open to
all interested students.
English Language Service Options
NYU in Florence offers placements in local kindergartens, elementary, middle,
and high-schools. Students work closely with the English language instructors to
improve (Italian) students’ comprehension, writing, and speaking skills.
Students are often asked to create lesson plans, and lead class discussions. As
native speakers of English, NYU in Florence students are a valuable resource in
the language classroom!
Ars et Fides is a Catholic organization (created by the archdiocese in
Florence) that invites student volunteers to learn to be tour guides in 5 of the
major churches in Florence. The churches include: Duomo, Santa Croce, Santa
Maria Novella, San Lorenzo and Santa Trinita. Students receive a packet of
information about the church they are interested in, and are scheduled to follow
a more experienced guide. Once they are comfortable enough on their own, they
start giving their own tours.
N.B. Students are invited to give tours in any languages they speak. If you
speak a language other than English, you can use it for tours.
Schedule: students may give tours from 10am to 12pm or from 3pm to 5pm,
Monday through Saturday. Minimum commitment is 1 two-hour block a week.
Florence International Theatre Company intends to create a renaissance of
theatrical tradition in Florence which reflects the city's international status.
Embracing, celebrating and exploring the differences of two influential world
cultures as they come together in a theatrical context, FITC will develop an
approach to performance that marries the techniques of American and Italian
theatre, creating works of art, primarily in English, and sharing this work with
the Tuscan community, building a significant relationship through artistic
productions, and outreach programs. FITC plans to become a center of
inter-cultural exchange and communication - a shining light for Florence -
through the art of theatre
Student volunteers can help out with stage
management, theatre management, scenes and costume making, theatre business, and
publicity.
http://www.florencetheatre.com
St. James is often referred to as the “American Church” in Florence because they
offer services in English. Each semester St. James organizes a program of
International Student dinners in which a speaker is invited to give a short
presentation and an informal discussion follows. Student volunteers are invited
to help with the preparation of the meal, set up, and clean up. In addition, St.
James organizes a weekly food bank, where student volunteers are invited to help
distribute food and clean up.
Schedule: International student dinners –
Wednesdays from 4:30pm to about 9pm. Food bank – Thursdays from 9am to 12pm.
This organization, run out of a nearby high school, was created in an effort to
educate the public about human rights issues and peace. Student volunteers are
invited to help in the development of educational projects.
Schedule: Monday – Thursday 8:15am – 5:30pm.
Canadian Island is a day care center for children from 3 months to 3 years of
age, and also a center for English language activities for children from 6 to 10
years of age. Student volunteers are invited to help with the organization of
English activities and with daily responsibilities.
Italian Language Service Options
Auser is a completely volunteer organization dedicated to helping the elderly.
Students can help by going to do grocery shopping and delivering it to the homes
of elderly people who have requested the service. They can also be sent to visit
with elderly people in their homes, and accompany them on short errands in their
neighborhoods.
Schedule: Grocery shopping & delivery: Monday – Thursday mornings (8am – 12pm),
visiting with the elderly: Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons.
Located in the center of Florence, the Jewish Community Center offers a wide
variety of possibilities to students who wish to volunteer. The Center has a day
care on the premises where student volunteers are invited to play games and
interact with the children in English, a museum where students can give guided
tours, a rest home for the elderly where students can visit and help out, a
library where students can assist in cataloging and archiving materials, and
offices where students can be involved in public relations and events planning.
Schedule: Day care: Mon-Thurs. 9am-5pm, Museum: Nov-Mar 10:00-3:00, Sep-Oct
10:00-5:00, Rest Home: Sun.-Fri. 9:30am-6pm, Library: Tues. & Thurs. 9am-12pm,
Offices: Sun.-Fri. 9:30am-12:30pm.
Caritas is a nation-wide organization that helps underprivileged people. In
Florence, they run 2 Case Famiglie, or shelters for single women with children
where student volunteers are invited to help take care of the children, a
shelter for AIDS patients where students can help with daily activities, and a
soup kitchen where students can help cook, distribute food, and clean up.
Schedule: Case famiglie: Monday – Thursday afternoons, Shelter for AIDS
patients: Monday – Thursday all day, Soup kitchen: Monday – Thursday 10am – 2pm.
Angeli di Firenze is a local organization that assists homeless people. Students
can help by collecting and distributing food and clothing for the homeless.
Schedule: Food distribution: Wednesday 12pm – 2pm & Thursday 8pm – 10pm. Food
collection: Wednesday 6:30pm – 8:30pm. The schedule for clothing collection and
distribution varies.
Alma Edizioni is a local publisher that specializes in Italian Language
instructional materials. Student volunteers are invited to help by promoting
their new Italian Language course and materials to American Universities.
Schedule: Monday – Friday 9am – 6pm.
This organization is the only to hold film festivals of Indian films in
Florence. Student volunteers are invited to help with daily office
responsibilities, and to coordinate various art directors and shipments of
prints.
Schedule: Monday – Friday 9:00am – 1:00pm / 3:30pm – 7:30pm.
www.firenze.net is the website with all of the goings on in Florence. Student
volunteers are invited to help create web pages for the English version of the
site, as well as to translate into English some of the existing pages in
Italian.
Schedule: Monday – Friday 9:00am – 1:00pm / 2:00pm – 6:00pm.
NICE organizes annual film festivals to promote new Italian cinema. Their most
famous festival takes place in New York in November. Student volunteers are
invited to help with office work, and to collaborate on the English version of
the catalogue of the event.
Schedule: Monday – Thursday 3:00pm – 7:00pm
