At SYA Italy, each day is a new adventure filled with unique opportunities for learning, growth and language acquisition. Consequently, there is no "average" day at SYA Italy. The following schedule provides an outline for the full lives that students live while at SYA Italy during the majority of the academic year. Schedules vary from student to student, and are different during the initial cultural orientation in the fall, during the final weeks of the capstone project, on extended educational trips to other provinces and on Fieldwork Wednesdays. Below is a typical class day in the 2019-2020 academic year:
7:00 AM
Wake Up
Get ready for your day in Viterbo, Italy!
7:30 am
Have Breakfast
Enjoy a traditional Italian breakfast with your host family.
7:45 AM
Walk to School
All SYA students live a short distance from the SYA campus and walk, bike or take public transportation to school.
8:10 am
Community Meeting
Start the school day connecting with your teachers and peers in the salone, a large multipurpose hall decorated with a collection of 16th century frescoes.
9:00 am
Italian Language
Most students begin their year at SYA Italy as complete beginners of Italian. Through this fast-paced course and conversing with host families, students quickly absorb the local language and often choose to take the AP Italian Language Exam after their year of intensive language immersion at SYA.
9:50 am
Math Class
SYA students can choose from a variety of math courses (taught in English) ranging from Advanced Algebra to AP Calculus BC. These courses combine in-class and online learning activities in a hybrid learning environment, with a focus on developing independent learning skills.
10:40 am
Break
Meet your classmates at your favorite café for a cappuccino or a cornetto.
11:00 am
Excavating Ancient History
Come to fully understand the Greeks, Etruscans and the Romans by reading and analyzing primary sources and archaeological remains.
11:50 am
Advisory
Meet with your peers and advisor to support one another through the personal challenges and victories that come with living abroad. In your weekly advisory period, your advisor will guide you through the SYA Practicum and support your development of SYA's core competencies.
12:40 pm
Lunch
SYA Italy students eat lunch nearby at the mensa, a local dining hall for Italian students.
1:40 pm
Ancient and Italian Art History
Visit nearby frescoes with your class to understand firsthand their impact on Italian culture and their influence on European art.
2:30 pm
Applied Agroecology
Walk down the road from school to SYA's urban farm and learn hands-on about growing and producing Italy's world famous foods.
3:20 pm
English
At SYA, English is taught by teachers from American independent schools. Using a variety of texts, you will further explore globalism and the abroad experience through literature while building critical and creative writing skills.
4:00 PM
Visit a Gelateria
Stop for a scoop of your favorite gelato with your friends.
4:30 PM
Co-Curricular Activities
Spend your afternoons participating in sports teams, visual and preforming arts, or traditional Italian activities like stone carving or Italian cooking classes.
6:30 pm
Head back home
Stop to enjoy the view on your walk back home with your friends.
8:00 pm
Dinner
Enjoy a buonissima Italian dinner with your host family!
After Dinner
Complete your homework, relax with your host family and get ready for another day in Viterbo, Italy!
For a full list of available courses at SYA Italy, check out the SYA Italy Academics Page.
To read more about SYA's hands-on academics, visit our Curriculum Page.
Explore the SYA campus in Viterbo!