High School in Italy

Eligibility Requirements

Participants must be between the ages of 15,3 – 17,9 on the day of departure

The AFS Program

After your host parents greet you with traditional hospitality, it shouldn’t be long before you feel at home in their open, friendly community. By going to a local high school, you’ll be totally immersed in a new language and customs, and what you learn during the day will be reinforced at night when you spend time with your host family. This is your chance to break out of your comfort zone and join in this diverse and ever-evolving culture.

Your high school

Different boarding schools have different cultures – some promote strong work ethic and community service, some breed a strong love of the outdoors, and others value Italians are usually easy-going and friendly, but they still work hard at school. Students in Italy attend classes Monday through Saturday, from about 8:30am to 1:30pm. Your academic experience will offer you an excellent opportunity to learn the language and integrate yourself into everyday Italian life.

To help you feel comfortable with Italian even before you begin your program, you’ll be given access to a Rosetta Stone language course. Once you arrive in Italy, a tutor assigned by your host school will follow your progress and help you with your transition. Additional Italian lessons will be organized by local volunteers for the first two or three months of your stay to really help you perfect your language skills.

For more information on fees and scholarships.

Returning Home

“Life-changing” is hard to describe, yet it’s nearly always the first thing that AFSers say when asked about their experience abroad.
“Transformed” is another one. When you return home, if you’re like most AFSers, you’ll bring with you a sense of accomplishment unlike any other. You’ll have gained maturity and independence, discovered new passions, and feel like you can do anything you set your mind to. That transformation isn’t visible only to you, though – others see it as well. AFSers gain critical skills for college and careers, ranging from language fluency to intercultural competence and critical reasoning. “Life-changing” means it’s only the beginning.