FSU Florence Cultural Excursion and Activity Leader

Florida State University is recognized worldwide for its exemplary study abroad programs. As a part of a student's study abroad tuition, they are taken on two to three excursions to explore the host country. These trips are an amazing opportunity for students to learn about cultural differences found in Italy.

My Role: As a program assistant, I led students through the trips in an organized and exciting manner to ensure they get the most out of the excursion. 

Primarily,  it was my duty to provide clear communication between FSU Florence staff, tour guides, and students before departure and throughout the excursion. This included creating fliers with an itinerary and packing list (if needed) at least a week prior to the trip.  At this time it was also vital to make sure my students are aware of the meeting time and location to ensure ease on the day of the excursion. 

While on the excursion, I must ensure all students are accounted for and that we are on schedule. Each excursion includes an Italian meal where students are served food particular to the region or city. My role in our group meals was to create menus (with Italian to English translations), and ensure the kitchen is aware of students with dietary restrictions. 

Due to Covid-19 restrictions, FSU Florence had to take extra precautions during our excursions in 2021. As a program assistant I was instructed to enforce social distancing and mask-wearing, and confirm that students eat meals with their roommates and remain in their seats.

Day Trip to Fattoria Lavacchio: A Local Vineyard

I assisted in transporting more than fifty students via charter bus to a Tuscan vineyard. Upon arrival, we split the students into groups to tour the organic vineyard.   Following the tours, the program was treated to a full course meal, cooked from food grown on the premises. Below are photos (taken by me and my team for social media and promotional purposes), followed by the menu and itinerary that were given to each student.

Bologna Excursion

Due to Bologna's location in relation to Florence, the program found it easier to take the high-speed train for this excursion. For me, this meant leading the students to Florence's train station and ensuring ticketing and seating are done in an efficient manner. Below are the menu and itinerary I created for the students. 

Day Trip to San Gimignano and San Galgano

This day trip included two cities, which were traveled to via charter bus. Another vital part of my job on these trips was supervising the distribution and return of the headsets required for guided tours. This included meeting a representative to collect the headsets the night prior to a trip, distributing headsets to students on the trip, collecting and counting the headsets after the trip, and returning all headsets to the representative. Below are some pictures from this trip (including said headsets), and the itinerary I created for the students. 

Summer Activity Brochure 

Alongside the day trips offered by FSU Florence were cultural activities all around the city. This brochure was created and passed out to students during orientation on the first day of the semester. 

My role was to oversee that activities run smoothly from start to finish. This included managing signups, communicating time and/or meeting spots, and attending all activities. I walked the students to each activity and remained at the activity to take pictures and make sure the host and students have everything they needed.