Frequently Asked Questions

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The main goal of Farther Afield is to provide opportunities for rural high school students to study the culture and arts of their hometown and that of Italy.  Participants will help develop the arts culture at home and be educated travelers when they visit Italy as the culmination of their two-year online study program.

Farther Afield introduces students to aspects of Italian culture such as history, the arts, entertainment and food, with special attention to how it interacts with our American culture.  This happens through our twice monthly online classes with all the students in the program.

During our in-person summer camp, students also learn about how to discover their culture and community values at home.  By knowing what their community values, they can work with local leaders to develop the arts culture through community service projects and bringing together community members to build a more vibrant place to call home.

When our students travel to Italy, they'll have a greater understanding of the "why" of what they'll experience.  They'll visit several different Italian regions, cities and artworks we study in class, and be able to compare the differences between them with an informed eye.  It is also our hope to be able coordinate with English teachers in Italy to establish "pen pal" relationships between our students and their English language students in Italy.

Farther Afield is funded through donations from individuals, corporations, and grants from foundations. While students are expected to cover a portion of their trip costs, the total costs of the trip are more than most of our students can afford.  Therefore, the need for additional funding is absolutely vital to our program's success. Please visit our website to learn more about how you can support our mission.

We study Italian culture because it has had such a strong impact on our American culture across many genres including:

*Language - More than half of the English language has its roots in Latin and its derivative languages.

*Music - Starting with the development of musical notation in central Italy during the Middle Ages, Italy has played an important role in music history from Gregorian chant to opera to movie music of the 20th century.

*Art & Architecture- The classical architecture of Italy is visible in America in elements like columns, domes, and proportions, while Italian art, particularly of the Renaissance, set the standard for centuries.

*Literature & Film - Writers such as Virgil, Dante, Petrarca, and Macchiavelli have captivated the imagination of centuries of English language writers, while film makers like Federico Fellini have influenced Hollywood since the early days of film.

*Religion - Italy remains home to the Catholic church which has had a lasting impact on Christianity.  Likewise, Judaism and Islam have had important roles in Italian history.

*Exploration - Italian explorers like Christopher Columbus, Amerigo Vespucci, and Giovanni Verrazzano were among the first to visit the American continents.

*Government Structure - The US constitution was influenced by the government of the ancient Roman republic and the Republic of Venice, while the unification of Italy in the 1800's was influenced by the formation of the United States in the previous century.

*Cultural exchange and Immigration - We look at the impact of Italian history as a driving force behind Italian immigration to the United States.  We also look at the impact of American history and culture on modern Italian life, from the importation of the tomato into Italian cuisine to America's role in World War II and how the Marshall plan influenced Italian post-war democracy.

*Science and Technology - We look at advances in Italian science and technology from Roman engineering to Pliny's Natural History Encyclopedia, to Galileo and da Vinci, to the development of the internal combustion engine, the radio, and nuclear fission.