Innovation Immersion: The Ultimate Study Abroad Experience in Italy

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Innovation Immersion gives students the opportunity to put their skills to the test with multinational corporations while visiting culturally significant sites across Italy.

Students interested in developing their design thinking and project management skills while immersing themselves in Italian culture are encouraged to apply for Innovation Immersion Study Abroad: Italy, a trip this summer guided by the McMillon Innovation Studio.

The trip will span the May 2024 intersession — May 12 to 25 — and students will engage in site visits and design sprints with Italian companies, building their critical thinking and human-centered design skills. 

"Innovation Immersion is the ultimate experience that will put your design thinking skills to the test," said Justin Urso, director of the studio and the trip's faculty leader.

"Students will visit historically significant places such as Rome and Florence where innovation in art, textiles and commerce paved the way for the modern world as we see it today. We'll also stop in Bolzano in the Dolomites region."

In each location, students will engage in design sprints and site visits with Italian organizations. While not yet finalized, organizations could include Ferrero, Renault, Barilla, Maccarese SpA and Cirio Agricola.

Students will stay in apartments located in the Prati and Vatican neighborhoods - traditional, well established areas near the Vatican and Castel Sant'Angelo — just a 25-minute walk to Palazzo Taverna.

"These are not 'student housing' buildings or dorms — your immediate neighbors will be Italian families and locals," Urso said. "This is an opportunity for full immersion into the patterns of daily life as a local in the city."

By the end of the trip, students will have had the opportunity to put their skills to the test with multinational corporations while visiting culturally significant sites, Urso said.

"Within this unique experience, students will develop important intercultural skills, further their project management skills and welcome a new set of leadership skills that will accelerate their career for years to come," Urso said.

The priority application deadline is Dec. 22, and applications close Feb. 1, 2024. Students must have a minimum GPA of 2.5 to apply. The cost estimate for the trip is $8,103, with roughly $5,100 in program fees and $3,000 in additional costs, which include airfare, meals, passport and personal expenses.

The trip will count toward three credit hours and is associated with the class WCBO 330V.

About the McMillon Innovation Studio: Our mission is to develop future leaders, entrepreneurs and innovators. The McMillon Innovation Studio is an initiative of the Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Funded by Doug and Shelley McMillon and others in the community, the studio provides students with the opportunity to work with real-world organizations and solve problems using human-centered design. This methodology is applicable to many different fields and careers and is a great foundation for students of all disciplines.