🇮🇹 Italian Cultural Immersion

Led by Dr. Petulia Blake in partnership with Associazione Culturale Calliope Civitaluparella

“Living Italian” is a week-long cultural immersion course that invites adult learners to experience the heart of Italian life in rural Abruzzo. Far from the crowds of mainstream tourism, this program offers hands-on experiences that connect learners to Italy’s heritage, traditions, and daily rhythms through food, language, art, and community. 

This program operates in alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals for Global Educators. Its aim is to equip individuals with the knowledge, skills, and values needed to address global challenges and contribute to a more sustainable and equitable world. By engaging with diverse communities, the course fosters a sense of global citizenship and shared responsibility.

This immersive cultural course offers participants a rich exploration of life in rural Abruzzo, Italy, through hands-on experiences in local customs, language, history, food, and community connection. From learning basic Italian and engaging in everyday activities with villagers to exploring historical sites and participating in cooking lessons, the program encourages deep cultural understanding and personal reflection. Participants will also volunteer locally, connect with artisans, and consider the challenges facing small Italian villages today. The experience culminates in a creative final project that expresses individual insights and serves as a gift to the host community.

🔹 Cultural Norms & Social Etiquette
• Understand Abruzzese customs around dining and hospitality
• Learn unspoken rules of social engagement in rural communities (e.g., greetings, sense of time)
• Share family-style meals with locals

• Learn to perform basic activities, learning from your Italian neighbors 

• Participate in discussions on “what’s different, what’s shared”

🔹 Language & Communication Basics
• Acquire basic Italian phrases and polite expressions used in everyday situations
• Practice listening and speaking through real-life interactions
• Learn to ask questions and navigate space without speaking the language
• Understand cultural nuances in body language, tone, and formal/informal speech

🔹 Historical Understanding
• Explore the cultural history of the surrounding village through its art and heritage sites
• View artifacts in the local museum to understand daily life in rural Italy in the past

🔹 Connection to the Land & the Challenges Facing Small Italian Villages
• Explore the significance of Abruzzo’s natural environment
• Learn about the cultural and religious history and stories of the village

• Visit farms and agricultural cooperatives

🔹 Community Engagement & Cross-Cultural Connection
• Interact meaningfully with residents and artisans

• Volunteer in one community assignment for part of the day
• Share stories and perspectives through authentic dialogue and informal moments
• Reflect on your own cultural identity and perspective through immersion

🔹 Culinary Heritage
• Visit the local markets in the host town and nearby village.
• Identify regional foods and ingredients unique to Abruzzo—and their names in Italian
• Visit the "Cooks' Museum in Villa Santa Maria

• Participate in hands-on cooking lessons with a local cook

As a culmination of your experience, you will be invited to create a thoughtful and expressive final project. You will receive a certificate upon completion of this course.

Dr. Petulia Blake brings over a decade of university-level teaching experience, both in the United States and internationally. Her teaching philosophy emphasizes immersive learning and hands-on engagement, guiding participants into the depth and richness of Italian culture.

Dr. Blake has led projects in Italy, including directing a documentary and collaborating with professors at the University of Palermo in Sicily. She has also taught business courses in Zhuhai, China, and has presented her work across Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Caribbean—highlighting her commitment to global education and dialogue.

An advocate for the arts and cultural exchange, Dr. Blake is the founder of the Amici Americani Art Project—an initiative that introduces artwork from Connecticut and New York in rural Italy. Through this work, she fosters meaningful cross-cultural connections and celebrates creative collaboration across borders.

Civitaluparella, a rural community in the greenest region of Italy—and all of Europe—is facing the challenge of depopulation. It is an ideal place for learners and those who value cultural contribution and development. With your participation, you are giving the community the opportunity to experience your culture as it shares its own in the spirit of strength, beauty, and hospitality.

• Course Tuition: $1,900
• Boarding: Included (7 nights)
• Meals: Included (3 meals per day)