19 high school students in culinary arts had the opportunity of a lifetime in October studying Italian cuisine, language and culture in Sister City Florence, Italy.
During the 10-day experience, students from Murrell Dobbins CTE High School, Kensington Health Sciences, George Washington High School and South Philadelphia High School lived with host families while they attended Istituto Aurelio Saffi culinary high school.
While in Italy, they also had the chance to take in the sights and food of Siena and Pisa. Leading up to their visit, they participated in classes at the Free Library about Italian culture and language.
Their Italian classmates traveled to Philadelphia for the second part of the exchange in March 2019. During their stay in Philadelphia, students visited Di Bruno Brothers, Reading Terminal Market, an urban farm and Philadelphia’s best culinary landmarks.
All of our exchanges are reciprocal, so Philadelphia students can return the generosity they experienced abroad by hosting international peers in their own schools and homes.
“It is awesome that I can say I’ve had this experience and was able to explore a new culture,” said Jada Myers, a student at South Philadelphia High School. “This trip opened my eyes and taught me new things about cooking and cuisine. It made me realize there’s so much to learn about different countries and how others live.”
International exchange inspire students to be our next generation of Citizen Diplomats.
