�� - Italy

Greece and Italy: Food, Culture and Agriculture - May 2025

nicolerh — Mon, 23 Sep 2024 13:13:13 +0000

Currently Unavailable

Greece, Italy

Program Director(s):

This course provides students with a guided exploration of food, culture and agriculture in two Mediterranean countries (Italy and Greece). It exposes students to food systems from production to distribution, to marketing.

In Thessaloniki (Greece's second largest city), they will visit farms (olives, rice, grapes, herbs, greenhouses, etc.), a winery, and the American Farm School and Perrotis College. They will travel by bus through the agricultural heartland of Greece, stopping to visit a medieval monastery. In Athens, they will visit the Acropolis and Parthenon.

From Greece students will travel to Naples, Italy to visit the archeological site of Pompeii. The visit to Rome will introduce students to the United Nations Food and Agriculture organizations based there as well as the world renowned gastronomy of Italy.

Overall, the program takes a systems perspective in understanding the interactions among agriculture, food and culture, including an historical perspective looking back over 2000 years. Students will visit at least 6 UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

3 credits for GLOBE 496 or AGRON 496 or AGRON 596

Spring Semester pre-departure course meets 5:00-6:40 pm on December 5, February 6 and 13, March 6 and 27, April 10, 17, 24, and May 1

This program was offered in 2023 and 2024.

Sunday, May 18, 2025 to Thursday, May 29, 2025

Department:

Global Resource Systems, Agronomy

Type of Travel:

Travel Course

Application Deadline:

Friday, November 1, 2024

Semester:

Spring

Learn more!

Year:

2025

Dean's Global Agriculture and Food Leadership Program to Rome - Summer 2025

sfine — Tue, 03 Sep 2024 19:33:57 +0000

Currently Unavailable

Dean's Global Agriculture and Food Leadership Student Panel

Italy

Program Director(s):

Program dates are tentative and subject to change

This integrated production and policy program will allow students to gain valuable knowledge, skills, and abilities with respect to global agricultural production, resources, and food issues. Students will combine coursework conducted at ISU and on-site work with professional teams in Rome to explore real-world projects focused on global food and agriculture issues. Students will work with United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) professionals. Students will present their findings to FAO at the end of the program. Students will, at the end of the program, enhance their thinking while working in a high-functioning team environment to evaluate complex issues associated with global agriculture and food issues like biodiversity, foreign food aid, food security, food safety, environmental/resource conservation, global economy and the role of the US and the UN in these issues.

GLOBE 495 spring course will be offered Tuesdays and Thursdays 3:10-5:00 pm. All students must pass this course to participate in the GLOBE 497 course for the summer.

This program is typically offered every year.

Sunday, May 18, 2025 to Saturday, June 14, 2025

Department:

GLOBE

Type of Travel:

Travel Course

Application Deadline:

Monday, November 11, 2024

Semester:

Summer

Learn more!

Year:

2025

Informational Session: Greece and Italy- Food, Culture, and Agriculture

mmgrant — Mon, 19 Aug 2024 20:49:26 +0000

Thursday, September 19, 2024 - 5:10pm to 6:00pm

Location:

0008 Curtiss Hall

Learn about the upcoming travel course to Greece and Italy! Meet the program directors, review the tentative itinerary, learn about program costs and scholarships, and get your questions answered!

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Greece

Greece and Italy

Italy

travel course

informational session

Informational Session: Mediterranean Semester/Summer Programs

mmgrant — Wed, 14 Aug 2024 22:26:16 +0000

Wednesday, September 18, 2024 - 4:15pm to 5:00pm

Location:

0008 Curitss Hall

Learn about the study abroad locations and universities available in the Mediterranean countries of Spain, Italy and Greece. Students will learn about the different programs, application deadlines, courses, and scholarship opportunities.

Includes American Farm School/Perrotis College, Lorenzo d' Medici, and additional programs in Spain and Greece.

Tags:

informational session

Program Director Deep Dive- Dr. David Acker

mmgrant — Tue, 13 Feb 2024 20:20:16 +0000

In just his second year co-leading the Food, Culture, and Agriculture in Greece & Italy program, Dr. David Acker, Associate Dean for Global Engagement and Professor in Agriculture Education, has successfully curated one of the most sought-after travel courses alongside Dr. Sotirios Archontoulis. Their combined expertise in the Mediterranean countries offers students a comprehensive learning experience focusing on the production, distribution, marketing, and regulations associated with the food system while exploring farms and various cultural sights.

Dr. Acker’s love story for Italy began at a very early age when his next-door neighbor moved into town during fourth grade. Although this neighbor didn’t speak English and Dr. Acker wasn’t sure where he was from, they were able to connect through their shared pleasure of soccer, something Dr. Acker recalls him being very good at. The pair’s friendship evolved over the years, and during college, Dr. Acker went to visit him in Italy after his family had moved back. That visit ultimately turned into a European tour that they travelled on together.

Dr. Acker’s international travels were just beginning. He went on to live in both Tanzania and Greece for four years in each country, work in Rome for five summers, serve twice as a Fulbright Fellow in Greece, and in his most recent role, interact regularly with Iowa State University’s campus in Uganda in his position as Director of the Center for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods. The ongoing list of Dr. Acker’s travel destinations spans far and wide beyond the aforementioned locations, but Greece and Italy are his countries of choice when it comes to immersing students in a new culture abroad.

“When I thought about places I’d love to take students, I thought of Italy, for sure, because I am passionate about it. The food, the culture, the history- it all comes together in an amazing way in Italy. I volunteered in Greece when I was a freshman in college for about a month on a farm that is also a school, and I fell in love with the place and have returned several times...so I’ve had a long-term relationship with Greece. I actually met my wife there and one of our kids was born there, so it goes beyond just hanging out.” - Dr. David Acker

Establishing the itinerary for travel courses is no easy task, but Dr. Acker and Dr. Archontoulis managed to squeeze in a visit to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, cooking classes, guided tours of Acropolis, farm tours, visits to both the American Farm School in Thessaloniki and the Agricultural University of Athens, and so much more. He recognized the importance of summer internships and wanted to ensure that students participating in this study abroad program could still fulfill those obligations after the conclusion of the travel in late May. The pair of program leaders were also sure to build in free time for students to explore Rome, Athens and Thessaloniki to truly make the most of their experience abroad and teach them skills for how to be independent travelers.

“I like the fact that students become challenged mentally and physically when they go on a study abroad. I also like the fact that they have to question where we come from and our system. It’s so much easier to understand our system when you have something to compare it to, and I love to see that unfold for the students... they’re just becoming more critical thinkers.” - Dr. David Acker

When Dr. Acker isn’t busy being a world traveler, he enjoys running and skiing along with staying in touch with his children and grandchildren who are spread out all the way from San Francisco, CA to Amsterdam.

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