Abbey Road High School Summer Program in Italy

Exceptional summer abroad program for students. In addition to being immersed in the history, beauty and culture of Florence; class instruction provided for art history, photography and cooking (additional programs were available). Accommodations of shared apartment was very spacious and comfortable. Food was delicious and weekend trips were to great locations. Venice being part of this trip was a wonderful addition. Unfortunately the heat impeded some of the enjoyment of the Rome Add-On. Loved the program overall.

My three teenage kids just finished a two week program in Florence with Abbey Road and it was fantastic. They took different classes - studio art, art history, Italian language, Italian cuisine, and fashion design - and all of them had wonderful experiences. The teachers were terrific, the food was delicious, and the accommodations were ideal. They made great friends and loved traveling around Italy. My only complaint is that they don’t have a separate program for the parents, so we could enjoy studying abroad, too! Highly recommend!

My younger sister joined the Florence Summer Program in 2024. She enjoyed the trip, and as a guardian, my perspective is that the program is a great way to expose young teens to new experiences, challenge them, and have them discover more about the world and themselves. The chaperones of the program are responsive, helpful, and proactive. They went above and beyond to accommodate special requests and understand each child's unique situation. If you have a shy kid, this is a great way to bring them out of their comfort zone, both the kids and chaperones are very kind and friendly. Thank you Abbey Road for providing a really important and meaningful life experience to my younger sister!

This experience really gives high schoolers and incoming college students to get a taste of what college study abroad is like. All of the staff are fluent in Italian and are very passionate about what they teach and make the subject material relevant. In past years, the staff has said there have been around forty people who attend; however, this year was only fifteen people. The apartment style living and weekend day trips have been amazing. If you are looking for a smaller-ish program that will allow you to grow, I would definitely recommend checking out Abbey Road.

My decision to go to Italy was the most exciting one yet! From the moment the plane landed every moment instantly became a core memory! My roommates were absolutely incredible and the program did such a good job matching everyone up! Life long friends with memories I will never forget. The program directors did so good at planning things for us to do to keep us busy and immerse us in the Italian culture, as well as listening to us so we enjoyed it just as much. Overall an incredible unforgettable month

I had an amazing time in Florence. The program provided us with enough freedom to truly explore the city and understand the culture. Our day trips were great, and we were also given free time to explore those cities. The staff members were extremely helpful and tried very hard to make sure we had the best experience possible. I appreciated how the program was flexible, which again helped make the experience more genuine and enjoyable. I will say that if you're looking for a program with strong academics, the classes weren't very intense, and weren't as informative as they could've been. However, I did really enjoy my time in Florence and still feel that I got a lot out of the program from exploring the city and interacting with other students. Everyone was so nice, and I know that we'll keep in touch. All in all I'd recommend the program and I believe that it made a big impact on my life.

The Florence- Venice- Rome program is a beautiful experience for anyone, I took the fashion course and minored in photography. Staff is very supportive and understanding. Free time is supervised by location sharing but you can go off on your own as long as you’re back by curfew. It is very organized and everything is provided for and taken care of. The energy of the staff is kind as well, and they are fun. Students specifically make great connections that last a lifetime. Friendships and support are provided on this trip.

These were the best, yet the fastest, 4 weeks of my life. At first I was a little nervous with all the usual anxiety: being away from home in a foreign country for an entire month, with a huge time difference and a bunch of people I haven’t met. Actually, it took most of the first week to get over this. But once I accepted where I was (Florence!) and got to know the incredible people around me, my mindset immediately changed. Now, looking back on this trip, I have no regrets whatsoever. I learned more than I could have possibly imagined, met such amazing people that I know I will remember forever, and was independent in a way I have never experienced before. Abbey Road organized this trip in a way that perfectly balanced structure and organization with freedom and independence. I was skeptical when I signed up for a program with no prerequisite from anyone I knew personally. But this program was so safe and well conducted, and I’ve heard the same from every city (not just Florence). I wish I had found out about this program earlier, because I would do this again without a second thought.