Italy Comes to Arundel

I have been transported to Italy. I’m immersed in the culture by conversation, food and global connections. I feel as though I’ve gained membership to an exclusive club of worldly travelers.

Okay, so I’m not really in Italy but that is how I felt when Italian students came to Arundel High School. Recently, the Signature Program had an amazing opportunity to host visiting Italian exchange students. The Italian students are here to participate in the Annapolis High School exchange program but the Signature Program couldn’t let them leave Maryland without teaching them about our glocal (global and local) initiative.

The students arrived Tuesday morning to a welcome reception where they were introduced to the Signature Program and some of its important contributors like the Board of Education Superintendent Dr. Maxwell. The Italian students watched a video that was made by an Arundel Intern where she gave a firsthand account of how the Signature Program had changed her life.

After the welcome reception, the visiting students were paired with some of Arundel’s finest. They were given a tour of the school and were introduced to some classic American games like duck, duck goose, four squares and Pictionary. Although they were from two different countries, the students quickly bonded over their teenage commonalities, especially social media (there were many exchanges of twitter and Facebook info).

Finally, there was a working lunch where the Italian students had the opportunity to try the American version of pizza, to see what other countries put on their pizza and to try it themselves. For example, Costa Rica puts pineapple and coconut on their pizza. The working part of the lunch came when the students worked in groups to come up with their idea of what makes communities prosper.

All in all, the visit was a success and there were connections made that will benefit both schools in the future. The students enjoyed each other’s company and will always remember this experience. It is events like these that make the Signature Program so essential at Arundel.