Eighteen students from Florence traveled to North in September, kicking off the first leg of this year’s Italian exchange program.

From Sept. 7 through Sept. 21, North students hosted their Italian peers, who participated in classes, extracurricular activities, and community events. According to sophomore Caitlin Healy, the exchange students formed strong bonds with their host families and gained a deeper understanding of American culture beyond what they could have learned from textbooks or tourist attractions.

One of the Italian exchange students, junior Giulia Ciullini, said that beyond becoming acquainted with North and its students, she and the other exchange students thoroughly enjoyed experiencing Boston. 

 “America is very different from Italy, and it is nice.  I had a good time here,” she said.

Outside of North, the exchange students explored Boston, visiting several museums and attending a Red Sox game.

“My favorite thing I did in Boston was going to the art museum because I saw beautiful American art,” said Ciullini. 

While the students from Italy were learning about America, this program also proved to be a worthwhile experience for North students. 

“I loved hosting an exchange student because my family and I got to learn so much about Italian culture,” said Healy.

Founded in 1981, the program is a collaborative effort between North and the Liceo Scientifico Gramsci school, aiming to foster cultural understanding, language learning, and a global perspective among all students, according to world language teacher Silvia Dupont, one of the head organizers of the program.

“It’s really an amazing opportunity that these students have, to open their minds to different cultures and different languages, and also to apply their linguistic studies in the reality of a country,” said Dupont.

Students from North will visit Florence for a month in February 2025. During the first three weeks, they will stay with host families, attend school with their host students, visit monumental sites, and embark on day trips to other Italian cities. The trip will conclude with a week in Rome.

“Going to Italy is so exciting because I get to learn so much about their culture when I go there,” said sophomore Maggie Kelleher.