CEA CAPA Education Abroad in Florence, Italy

Studying abroad was the best experience of my life. I got to immerse myself in Italian culture through long weekends, class field trips around Tuscany, and long lunch breaks. I not only learned about the topics we discussed in class, but how those topics work in Italy and their relationship with culture.
The CAPA staff are amazing. Give great recommendations, directions, tips, and etiquette lessons. I had shown the staff a picture of a statue I saw on Pinterest asking why I don’t see it. I immediately got directions to go just outside of Florence to the park that this statue was at. They then gave tips on where to eat in the area. This was overall a great experience that I would recommend anyone to take advantage of and CAPA made it even better.

This program was nothing short of incredible. The entire staff was so supportive and helpful, from pre-departure to alumni status. They were really friendly and provided us with many opportunities to get involved and experience the local culture outside of our regular classes. The classes were engaging and incredible relevant to life around us. My favorite was an art history class- I could walk around Florence, look at sculptures and architecture, and really know what I was talking about! The professors know that you spend a lot of time enjoying the city and traveling, and take that into account when assigning coursework. I highly recommend exploring this program option- you will get support and a well-rounded experience that you won't get anywhere else!

CEA is such a helpful, well-organized, and fun program dedicated to making the transition to living in a foreign country seamless. The teachers prioritize their students' abroad experiences by giving them a quality education, but also recognizing that learning outside of the classroom through real-life experiences is important. They also make sure that although you are surrounded by American students very frequently, you also experience the culture and meet the locals. I would recommend anyone looking for cultural immersion, traveling experience, and new friendships that will last a lifetime to choose CEA and study in Florence, Italy, a city that is filled with Renaissance art, history and some of the most amazing pizza and pasta that you will ever eat!

I spent a month studying abroad this summer and it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I learned so much and gained a new kind of confidence that I did not have before. I didn't believe people when they told me that studying abroad would change me, but it absolutely did.
Florence is indescribable and I had so much fun exploring it and other parts of Italy. CAPA's program is great and I would do it again in a second.

I am currently in colllege and decided to study abroad in Italy to help complete my minor in psychology and criminology degree. Once I got there I received so much more. I got to meet Italians and experience there everyday life. They made me appreciate my life at home and the things we take for granted. While I was in Italy my friends and I use to walk around to get lost, so we could find new places to go to. Every restaurant we ate at, the food was phenomenal. The people were very helpful and made me love their country even more. I will definitely be moving there once I get the resources to do so.

Italy was such an amazing experience with my professors and our provider CAPA.I had a blast exploring the city of Florence led by my amazing professors. The thing I loved most about the trip was it didn't even feel like school. The classes were taught in an amazing way where a lot of the learning was centered towards different places around the city. For example, most of our class days were exploring museums, cultural sites, and the beauties of the city. CAPA was also a great provider because of their passion for making their students' time abroad the best it can be. The staff was friendly and the accommodations were clean and nice. We stayed 5 minutes from where classes were held, and the apartments ranged from 5-30 minutes walk as well. On the weekends, the majority of us took trips to destinations outside the city. I went to the Alfmafi coast and Croatia as well. These trips were so awesome and I'm glad I had the chance to take them. Going abroad was so much fun and the adventures I had with new friends will last a lifetime.

I have never been abroad without the security of my parents. I was extremely excited and nervous at the same time to experience a new country. I was mostly nervous about the process of landing and getting to my apartment. The Florence CAPA staff were amazing in helping me get from the train station to the CAPA headquarters then to my apartments. A month before your trip, CAPA sends you a packet through email about where your apartment is, the location of CAPA headquarters, and other important information about traveling to your country. The packet answers many questions that my parents were asking me. The one thing I wish CAPA did was to pay for the cab/transportation to the CAPA center after you arrive because they want you to go to the center to pick up the schedule for your program. However, CAPA did pay for the cab from CAPA center to my apartment. On the first whole day in Florence, CAPA gave all the students in my program an introduction to the Florence CAPA center, a tour of the main city, and an authentic Italian dinner. The first day welcome was the main reason I automatically felt comfortable with the staff at the CAPA center. The dinner was completely paid for and very filling. The tour allowed me to determine how I wanted to spend the next 3 weeks exploring and helped me becoming more comfortable in navigating the streets of Florence. Throughout the rest of the trip, CAPA planned amazing day trips to many cities and facilitated visits to hospitals, medical schools, and other medicine related activities. My program was a global health class trip and the day trips added to the appeal of the trip. All the activities planned were well thought out and aimed towards the program. As my time came to an end, CAPA supplied another complimentary dinner at another amazing Italian restaurant. On the plane ride home, I was extremely happy and relieved that I choose to travel abroad with CAPA.

CAPA gave me the opportunity to live in Florence for 3.5 months. Living in a foreign country for an extended period of time definitely opened my eyes up to the way i perceive the world. There is so much out there that many American students do not see. I believe that CAPA was very organzied when it came to getting our paper work done before starting to travel and explore Florence. I also thought that they remained professional while attentive and comforting. Since we are so far from home, it was important for the students to feel personally connected with the staff at CAPA. The course work was manageable and the professors understand that we are abroad from multiple reasons although school is still a priority. My apartment was a spacious Italian styled apartment. It was definitely different than what I'm used to at home but it added to my experience. My location was great because I was across the Ponte Vecchio and a block away from the bridge. Overall, I think that CAPA gave me multiple opportunities to be indulged in the Italian culture and they made my visit to Italy very welcoming.