FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Stacie Fasola (617) 457-5418
Despina Gakopoulos (617) 457-5502
newsmedia@roadscholar.org
PARTICIPANT SHARES HER FIRST IMPRESSIONS FROM ROAD SCHOLAR’S SIX-WEEK LANGUAGE IMMERSION AND CULTURAL EXCHANGE ADVENTURE IN ITALY
BOSTON (June 24, 2015) – Road Scholar, the not-for-profit world leader in adult educational travel, recently wrapped up two of its first six-week cultural and language immersion programs in Italy and France. Approximately 40 participants are back home, but all agree that the experience of living and learning abroad in their own apartment was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Upon arrival, all Living and Learning participants in Florence are welcomed with a thorough orientation to the city and a review of local customs, are acclimated to their furnished apartment and neighborhood, and then pursue their language study in language classes at a level best-suited to their skills and proficiency. They attend weekly educational events with local experts and fellow participants, and enjoy ample free time to explore local cuisine, visit museums and other cultural sites to become fully immersed in the local lifestyle. Throughout the program, a local Road Scholar host supports and assists each participant in pursuing specific interests.
Road Scholar participant Patricia Infantine, 68, just returned from the inaugural program in Florence. Like the other participants in her class, Pat was looking for an adventure and the Road Scholar learning adventure to Italy is a memory that she said she will forever treasure.
"I cannot imagine a more perfect way to experience a beautiful city, and its history and culture, than the Living and Learning program with Road Scholar,” said Pat. “Quite simply it had everything - special concerts and museum tours, stimulating lectures, language classes, and a variety of weekend and day trips to some of the most charming towns in the world. All of this in addition to independent living that enabled us to become part of the fabric of daily life in our own neighborhoods.”
All of the Living and Learning programs provide participants with their own apartment, regular language classes, as well as opportunities to explore the city alone or with the group.
“The first cultural and language immersion adventures we launched in Paris and Florence ended this month and the initial feedback from our participants has been incredibly positive,” said Road Scholar President and CEO James Moses. “Similar to the feelings expressed by Ms. Infantine, many of our participants have shared with us how these programs made a transformational impact on their lives. Because of the popularity of this series, we’ve added three new cities, including Sevilla, Berlin and Provence. Each destination will give adults the opportunity to study abroad and experience a country in a unique way.”
To learn more about Living and Learning in Florence: Independent Stay and Language Study, watch this video or visit our website at: www.roadscholar.org/21743.
About Road Scholar
Not-for-profit Road Scholar’s mission is to inspire adults to learn, discover and travel. Our learning adventures engage expert instructors, provide extraordinary access, and stimulate discourse and friendship among people for whom learning is the journey of a lifetime. Since inception, more than 5 million people have enrolled in our 5,500 iconic educational adventures offered annually in 50 states and 150 countries around the world.
Road Scholar educational adventures are created by Elderhostel, the not-for-profit world leader in lifelong learning since 1975. To learn more, please visit our website at www.roadscholar.org/press.
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