WINTER, FALL, SPRING BREAK PROGRAMS
Our short programs are customized to consist of activities and tours designed to stimulate intellectual growth and develop analytical abilities of students and scholars.
Unlike traditional and “one term” study abroad programs which present material from a single field of study, our expertise is in designing activities that draw ideas and information from many fields, addressing concerns common to all disciplines and recognizing no boundaries to thought and inquiry.
Our programs emphasize small group work and encourage a lively exchange of ideas. Students enjoy a close relationship with our faculty and with each other in a network of academic and personal support. While students enjoy the advantages of a small, challenging program, they have access to all the resources including an internationally respected faculty, a library, and a wide range of student services.
During the 2017 spring break at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, I had the amazing opportunity of being the faculty chaperone of a group of 10 undergraduate students from the College of Business on a trip to Rome. The purpose of the trip was for the students to learn about the business and culture of food in Rome and within the Lazio region. Our trip was very engaging, informative and enlightening thanks to the experts at Gustolab Institute. Gustolab arranged for the students to engage with food professionals of sorts such as farmer’s market owners, slow-food movement farm owners, wine producers, food service providers, restaurant owners, food journalist and much more. In addition, the students were able to receive talks about food and social marketing. There was a guide/translator from the Gustolab Institute team with us and we also had the opportunity to explore historical and iconic sites within Rome. I found the Gustolab team members to be extremely professional, polite, very knowledgeable, easy to work with, fun to be around and extremely passionate about the study of food! To the team at Gustolab Institute: A HUGE THANK YOU to you all for providing an excellent, unique and truly immersive experience for our group – one that our group will never forget. Looking forward to grabbing an espresso and cornetto with you and another group of students again!
Thematic Study Tours
We have experience designing thematic study tours ranging from a few days to a month. These tours are aimed at providing information about a specific product and are customized according to the needs of the collaborating faculty member, university department or the study abroad office.
The goal is to deepen the knowledge of students on a chosen topic by giving them the opportunity to interact with it experientially outside the classroom.
Sample tours we have designed and organized in the past include:
- 2-3 days discovering the Mediterranean diet (in Cilento or in Puglia)
- 7 days in Italy’s South from Campania to Sicilia
- 4 days of music and food, “Giuseppe Verdi, his food and his land (in the Emilia Romagna region)
- 4 days of food and traditions in Calabria
The Gustolab Institute’s educational program together with our excursions to food producers allowed my students to expand their knowledge of the cultural connection to food in Italy and how sustainability can be applied to individuals and food systems.
