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ent State University leaders and members of the Renaissance Scholars Society (a group of major gift donors)—gathered to commemorate 50 years of education abroad in Florence, Italy, during the first week of October. Kent State first brought students to study in Florence in 1972, when a small group of architecture students arrived in the city with their faculty leader for the spring quarter.
The interest in this experience grew among students in the architecture program, and within a few short years, nearly 50 students traveled to study in Florence. As more programs, including interior design, fashion, nursing and communications began to offer classes in Florence, participation grew exponentially. All academic colleges are now represented in the Kent State Florence courses. In 2019, a record 900 students participated in a Florence education abroad trip.
“As educators, we understand the importance of immersive learning and stretching beyond the familiar to broaden perspectives,” says Todd Diacon, PhD, president of . “Our longstanding program in Florence is an excellent example of the transformative impact education abroad can have on students, and we are proud to be among the top American universities to send students abroad.”
“Our longstanding program in Florence is an excellent example of the transformative impact education abroad can have on students.”
— President Todd Diacon, PhD
The partnership between the university and the city of Florence has made this success possible. As a direct result of this relationship, Kent State students have access to unique learning opportunities that further enrich their education abroad experience. Now, with 200 programs in more than 60 countries, education abroad has become a distinctive component of a Kent State education, all modeled off the success of the Kent State Florence program.
“We are tremendously thankful for the close relationship we have with the city of Florence,” says Fabrizio Ricciardelli, PhD, director of Kent State Florence and president of the Association of American College and University Programs in Italy. “When our students come from the United States to Florence, they receive a warm welcome, not just from our staff but from the entire city as they become integrated into the fabric of Italian life.”
Kent State now offers the Global Education Endowment, which aims to provide every incoming undergraduate student with financial support to study in Florence and other global locations. Through the support of founding members of the Renaissance Scholars Society, that endowment boasts nearly $5 million to support education abroad experiences for Kent State students, with an initial goal to raise $20 million.
Front Row (L-R): Rob Risman, Trish Risman, Kathy Breen, Elizabeth Bartz, Kristin Stasiowksi, Roe Green, Gail Bowen, Sondra Perry, Valoree Vargo; Second Row (L-R): Brad Matthews, Moema Furtado, John Chames, Barry Fetterman, Shelly Ainsworth, Sandy Armstrong, Karen Eippert, Cathy Hemming, Ron Pizzuti, Steve Perry; Third Row (L-R): Bill Baft, Marcello Fantoni, Todd Diacon, Virginia Addicott, Larry Armstrong, Gary Brahler, Tim Eippert, Fabrizio Ricciardelli
In honor of the Florence program’s 50th anniversary, the university planned a weeklong series of events from Oct. 1-5, 2023. These events exposed some of the university’s greatest advocates and philanthropic supporters to the immersive power of education abroad in the birthplace of the Renaissance, allowing them to witness firsthand what their philanthropy provides for current Kent State students.
Donors visited some of the city’s most iconic locations for on-site lectures, including the Galleria degli Uffizi, Galleria del’ Accademia, Basilica di Santa Croce, Basilica di Santo Spirito, San Marco Museum and others. Kent State students who were studying in Florence fall semester volunteered to greet guests, attend classes with donors or appear on panels for various presentations.
The week culminated in the 50th anniversary gala event, which was held at the Palazzo Vecchio in the Salone dei Cinquecento on Thursday, Oct. 5. It featured music by Orchestra della Toscana, and theatrical performances that brought Florentine history to life, including those highlighting Dante Alighieri, Leonardo da Vinci, Lorenzo de’ Medici and Anna Maria Luisa de’ Medici.
The performances were enacted by Venti Lucenti Theatre Company and Kent State students from the School of Fashion who were studying in Florence fall semester and volunteered to participate in the unique event. Venti Lucenti is dedicated to popularizing and bringing younger people closer to opera, symphonic music and prose. All the performances were done in Italian, with English translations provided in the gala’s program booklet.
At the event, Kent State donors, Kent State staff, including President Diacon, leaders from partner universities worldwide and Florence dignitaries came together to commemorate the university’s remarkable achievement of 50 years of education abroad in Florence—and to envision the possibilities for the program’s future.