Umbra Blog – Page 25 – DEV – The Umbra Institute – Study Abroad in Italy

Fair Trade Intern and Umbra student Ashley Webb recently wrote an article about some of the initiatives she and her classmates participated in this semester. Below are her words that give more insight into their activities from a student perspective:

Throughout this fall semester, three Umbra students have developed their understanding, through a fair trade internship, of the three strongest tastes of chocolate: the fair, the dark and the sweet. These interns (Ashley Webb, Ella Paul and Naimah Duporte) arranged a formal chocolate taste testing event for the Umbra community and used the event as an opportunity to educate attendees in regard to what their studies and research had taught them.

The event began with a brief aperitivo as guests arrived. After enjoying a jovial reunion, the Umbra community was invited into a lavish theater to view Mistrati’s film “The Dark Side of Chocolate”. Mistrati’s film painted a very vivid picture for the community, leaving many students in surprised silence. Mistrati’s trek through Burkina Faso and the Ivory Coast revealed a chocolate reality of which not many consumers were aware.

Following the film, the interns invited the community to participate in an open discussion. Guests commented on the effects of the film on the chocolate industry and a great deal of time was spent discussing the issue of awareness. Many guests recognized the importance of Mistrati’s idea of sharing the darker sides of the chocolate trade because through knowledge comes power; by developing international awareness, consumers can demand that producers follow specific regulations exemplified by Fair Trade and initiate the betterment of living situations in the southern hemisphere.

The evening was not simply spent discussing serious matters; in fact, the event ended with the sweeter side of chocolate; with laughter and contentment. Umbra’s interns presented their guests with an extravagant chocolate taste-testing; through which the interns used various techniques to guide their guests through a taste-testing that used all five senses. The chocolate used in the presentation was certified Mascao fair trade, organic chocolate, giving guests a chance to taste that which is both fair and sweet.

For those interested in chocolate and the subject of Fair Trade, Ashley, Ella and Naimah would like to invite you to view “The Dark Side of Chocolate” and Mistrati’s follow-up film: “Shady Chocolate”. Both films can easily be found on YouTube but viewers should be warned that the reality shown in the films is not as sweet as the chocolate it produces.

On Monday, students of Sustainability and Food Production in Italy conducted a workshop about food waste, introducing the RepEAT project to 50 high school students of Liceo Classico Annibale Mariotti in Perugia. Umbra students explained the social, environmental and economic costs of wasting food, and promoted awareness about the use of RepEAT to-go boxes in partner restaurants. High school students were also asked to talk about their personal habits as well as possible solutions to decrease food waste. The workshop ended with a presentation of anti-waste recipes that the Italian students collected through interviews with members of their families. Umbra hopes to expand this collaboration with area schools in the coming semesters.

Umbra Professor Dr. Adrian S. Hoch has published her article, “Beyond Spirital Maternity: An Addendum to the Iconography of Sancia of Majorca,” in the book La chiesa e il convento di Santa Chiara: committenza artistica, vita religiosa, e progettualita’ politica nella Napoli di Roberto d’Angio’ e Sancia di Maiorca, edited by Francesco Aceto, Stefano D’Ovidio, and Elisabetta Scirocco (2014).

The early 14th century Queen of Naples, Sancia, is often considered a frustrated woman because she lacked children. Yet she and her husband, King Robert, did have a son who died very young. Written and visual evidence compiled by Dr. Hoch confirms the existence of “principino Roberto” (“little prince Robert”) visible on the front of his father’s tomb (which was heavily damaged in World War II) in Santa Chiara Church in Naples. The infant prince’s inclusion dramatically revises ideas about Queen Sancia as well as the dynastic succession of the royal House of Anjou.

Congratulations Dr. Hoch! For more information and to purchase a copy of the book click here.

Stop by the Urban Center on the Sant’Ercolano steps next Tuesday, Dec. 2 at 6pm to visit and celebrate with the brainchildren behind the first initiative of its kind in Perugia – an urban garden! “OrtoBello” would both beautify the community and also help local families to eat in healthy and inexpensive w ORTI URBANI PROMO 3 ENGLISH-04 ays.

In the meantime, these two fun Youtube videos made by the very active Umbra Urban Spaces students convey the efforts of the Borgo Bello Association (the neighborhood where the garden will be), the University of Perugia Department of Agricultural Science, SMEC, and countless community members and volunteers. To see a video about the project, click here. (And a promotional video here.)

The event will include an exhibit of other community gardens around Europe, a seed exchange, a participatory workshop ‘Seeding and Harvesting’ by Umbra profs (Viviana Lorenzo, Ray Lorenzo, and students), refreshments, and much more. At 10pm, everyone will walk down to the location of the garden and do a final toast at Circolo del Tempo Bono nearby. For more information, click ‘like’ on the Orto Urbano’s Facebook page for more.

We hope to see you there!

Interns in INIT 350: Fair Trade at the Umbra Institute traveled to the Monimbo Fair Trade Cooperative in Foligno to learn the secrets of Fair Trade chocolate. Students were led through a mouth-watering chocolate tasting that featured the use of all five se foligno fair trade nses in order to appreciate the subtle properties of this sweet. Students learned how to differentiate Fair Trade chocolate from highly commercialized products and explain these contrasts to others.

On Monday, the interns put their skills to the test and brought issues of Fair Trade to the larger Umbra community with a documentary screening. A stormy night did not deter almost thirty Umbra students from showing up to view “The Dark Side of Chocolate,” a poignant film highlighting the problems related to child labor and trafficking in film screening blog2 the chocolate industry. After the viewing, the interns conducted an audience discussion related to the effects of the film on the industry and audience members’ personal thoughts and reactions. Later, they capped off a sweet night by leading their very own chocolate tasting for the hungry students. Audience members had the opportunity to sample three different chocolates from Monimbo. It was difficult to reach a consensus on a favorite, but the dark chocolate with a hint of mint seemed to have won. Students left with a broadened perspective on a favorite treat and a new understanding of the complexities that come with bringing chocolate products to market all over the world.

Students in Umbra’s Urban Spaces course are redefining community. This course aims to give students an understanding of, and appreciation for, the relationships between people, perceptions, identity, and public space. Since September, the class has been examining Perugia’s Borgo Bello neighborhood as a “real world classroom” where citizens are determined to utilize space in a way that is beneficial for the community. Borgo Bello’s Neighborhood Association has conducted numerous innovative cultural and commercial activities IMG_5659 group resize and events to revitalize its territory in recent years, and the citizens value Umbra students’ ideas and input regarding these projects.

One major project in the works would create a sustainable community garden in the neighborhood. Last week, Umbra students moved the project forward by conducting a “flash mob” through Borgo Bello. Along with members of the Borgo Bello Neighborhood Association, students passed out seeds to local shopkeepers and passerby as a way to raise awareness and begin a discussion about the many advantages that a garden would present to the community. mia resized

Prior to the flash mob, two Umbra students presented at a meeting whose audience consisted of members of the general public and the head of the Neighborhood Association. The girls discussed how working with the Borgo Bello community has positively impacted their time studying abroad in Perugia, highlighting the personal relationships they’ve formed and the inspiration that comes from seeing an idea come into fruition. Stay tuned for updates on their continued progress!

We caught up with Umbra alumna Kate Davis (Fall Semester 2012) to hear about her return to Italy to work at the Civitella Ranieri Foundation, which supports the work of exemplary writers, artists, and musicians, and how study abroad helped her get there.

Hi Kate, can you give us a brief description of the Civitella Ranieri Foundation and your role there?

The Civitella Ranieri Foundation provides 6-week residencies to visual artists, composers, and writers, during which time they develop or continue projects. My role was to assist them if they needed any particular help. Most artists give hour-long presentations, so I prepare the Facebook and Twitter invitations, set up the space (physically and with technical set-up), and presented the artists to the visitors and fellow artists. I assisted or led excursions to local artistic attractions, such as the Madonna del Parto in Monterchi (by Piero Della Francesca). Finally, I worked with the kitchen staff to keep track of who would be present or absent for meals, dietary restrictions, and general assistance.

How has studying abroad influenced your worldview and post-grad plans?

Studying abroad at the Umbra Institute was one of the most important experiences for me. My Italian improved greatly, I learned to be a more independent person living and cooking for myself, I made some phenomenal friends (Italian and American) with whom I am still in touch. Because of this experience, I became familiar with Umbria, so when I heard about this job possibility from a professor back in the States, I already had a level of comfort and excitement about the area. I knew that I had to come back after falling in love with Perugia, and the job at Civitella allowed me to visit easily by car or a short train ride.

Do you have any advice for current Umbra students, especially those who might like to return to Italy as you have done?

If you study at Umbra and want to come back to Italy to work, I would strongly suggest practicing Italian as much as possible back at home and reading in Italian. This helped me because all of my office work was in Italian, and it would have been difficult without knowing the language. Also, perseverance is key. It is difficult to find jobs in Italy, so seeking out exciting job possibilities, even short-term ones, involves dedication.

The relationships that I made with staff and teachers at the Umbra Institute lasted beyond my stay and gave me a base when I came back to Italy. Food Studies Program Co-Coordinator Zachary Nowak is friends with my direct supervisor from Civitella, and during my interview we talked about the Umbra Institute, my familiarity with Perugia, and my favorite restaurants! Food is the most important conversation piece in Italy for sure.

Thanks Kate – we’re sure you’ll keep making Umbra proud!

One of Umbra’s missions as a place of academic and personal growth is to give back to the community that gives our students so much. This semester we are proud to say that nearly one-quarter of our entire student body is volunteering to teach English at several different local schools and to students of different ages.

Our volunteers have been placed in two local elementary schools, Giovanni Cena and Lombardo Radice, and one private language school, Go Global,where they assist teachers with students between six- and 10-years-old.

Additionally, we look forward to working with Alessi Scientific High School after our students’ Fall Break, and tackling the middle school crowd from November 6^th through the 8^th.

This community engagement opportunity is open to all students, regardless of teaching experience or Italian proficiency. What you do need to bring is enthusiasm!

Volunteers take on the role of teaching assistants for specialized English teachers, engaging the very inquisitive students in conversation with a native speaker. Topics of conversation range from American holidays, to well-known United States landmarks, to the volunteer’s favorite singer, color, food, sport, and actor. Italian students are extremely outgoing, talkative, and curious. Although their level of English proficiency may vary, their excitement at having a foreigner in their classroom available to answer their thousands of questions does not.

Umbra students are proving yet again to have not only a smart brain, but also a big heart!

A team of 10 Umbra students is currently volunteering with the UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund) Pigotta Project, which helps fund the distribution of life-saving kits to children and their mothers in need throughout the world. After watching a touching and inspiring Audrey Hepburn read the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, the students were ready to make their own contribution towards a better world. How? By designing and creating, with the help of local UNICEF volunteers, their own unique pigotta, a traditional rag doll. These dolls will eventually be displayed and adopted through donations of 20 Euro.

Mind you, a pigotta is no simple doll. It will have its own ID postcard with its name, weight, height, nationality, and eye color. And what a variety we have! Who would not want to adopt an elegant 16th century lady pigotta? Or a Harry Potter pigotta? And what about a Gandalf the Grey pigotta?

Working side-by-side with Italian university students and volunteers, Umbra students are experiencing a rewarding intercultural exchange, while actively participating in a worldwide humanitarian project.

Congratulations to the UNICEF students for their social commitment, and good luck to their Pigotte!

altroc group — Fair trade interns with Professor Giordana and Agostino Cefalo, the coordinator of Altrocioccolato

Umbria is known for its chocolate. Eurochocolate, a festival that brings chocolate-lovers to Perugia from all over the world, begins this week. However, this well-known event is not the only seasonal celebration of Perugia’s favorite sweet – Altrocioccolato, a fair trade chocolate festival held in nearby Città di Castello, brings together producers to raise awareness of Italian and international fair trade projects. Umbra interns from INIT 350: Fair Trade Academic Internship & Seminar- Fair Trade, under the direction of Professor Giordana Pulcini, volunteered their time at the event from October 10th-12th.

Altrocioccolato goes beyond just chocolate; vendors selling fair trade products from paper to decorative ornaments set up booths and informational sessions educating the public about fair trade. The students spent the weekend assisting with various aspects of the event and advertised the importance of fair trade to visitors. As part of this endeavor, the interns conducted interviews with international festival-goers to try to understand visitors’ prior knowledge of fair trade issues.

This internship with Altrocioccolato and with Monimbò, a fair trade store, is designed to give students the opportunity to apply intercultural communication skills and theoretical knowledge to gain practical field-based experience. In a few weeks, the interns will organize a documentary screening for the Umbra community and local citizens titled “The Dark Side of Chocolate,” highlighting issues related to chocolate and fair trade.