A holiday abroad: Students find global perspectives on family, society in Italy

MONT ALTO, Pa. - A group of Penn State students, including four from Penn State Mont Alto, spent their Thanksgiving break learning about family dynamics in Italy as part of a faculty-lead study abroad trip.

Led by Robin Yaure, professor of human development and family studies and psychology, and Robyn Chotiner, adjunct lecturer in psychology and continuing education, the students spent 10 days traveling through the cities of Florence and Rome while exploring the historical and cultural contexts of the Italian family.

Made in Sipario

In addition to touring the city, the students visited "Made In Sipario" in Florence, a non-profit organization that provides adults with intellectual disabilities, autism and other special needs a space to work after they have completed their education.

Made in Sipario emphasizes that the combination of professional work experiences and social inclusion better leads to both economic sustainability and a better quality of life for the people they work with.

"It was inspiring to see how Made in Sipario combined Italian culture and social services to create such an inclusive and productive environment for individuals with intellectual disabilities," Kendall Burleson, a fourth-year student studying psychology, said. "Learning from other countries and bringing back innovative ideas is important as we look for ways to continue improving our own support systems. It was also a lot of fun to see their hard work and even take home some of the art they created."

Learning from younger students

Students also had the opportunity to tour the Alfani Institute, a school for children from nursery school through middle school. Those on the trip had the opportunity to speak to children of all ages to better understand both how education and the life of children in a family differs in Italy.

Alexis Keebaugh, a third-year student studying psychology, said touring the school was an eye-opening experience.

"Some of the students would arrive shy and then would not want to leave because they started to enjoy the group's conversations," Keebaugh reflected. "Just by talking to the children you could tell how suspenseful and excited they were to meet us. This experience was able to take me out of my own environmental bubble and give me a new perspective on lives that are different than my own."