What some past students, and parents, have to say about Study Abroad Italy and the Mediterranean Center for Arts and Sciences:

I loved everything about MCAS. All of the professors, whether they are yours or not, are glad to spend extra time out of class with you on anything--class, life... And even while I was having an incredible time getting to know them, I was also learning more than I've ever learned in one single semester. The knowledge I have now is especially priceless because all of it relates back to Sicily, which I now know to be the best place in the world. Besides the people I met (i.e. new American friends and Italians), the highlight of the experience is the opportunity I had to take my experiences I had with Sicilian people and their language, Sicilian landscape and sights, and Sicilian literature and history to form an idea of what exactly it means to be Sicilian. The whole semester was a highlight... there was never a moment that wasn't filled with too much fun with new friends, beautiful views, perfect food.
Paige, Fall 2008

The school, overall, could not have been a better experience. It is well-located in Ortigia, short walk from awesome sandwich shops, in the safety of Via Roma, and right up the street from the coast. The professors were some of the best, most knowledgable, and undoubtedly the friendliest teachers I have ever had. Because of the small, personal style of learning, professors bond with students in a way I had never experienced. I learned so much and the classes, though there was a lot of work to be done, did not force overexertion to the point of too much stress, enabling me to take advantage of the culture at the same time. SAI was a huge help throughout the semester. Any questions or concerns were handled so quickly and so well. I feel that I really owe certain individuals, in particular Micaela and Marcello, for a huge part of my experience in Sicily. Micaela really ensured I made it to Sicily without any problems and hooked me up with all my classes, the insurance plans, the student cell phones, etc. and Marcello was awesome for setting up some of the coolest and most beneficial experiences of my life: wine-tasting, cheese-making, scuba diving, rock climbing, and so many more incredible cultural experiences that really rocked my semester. The entire semester was really a priceless experience.
Zachary, Fall 2008

Thank you for all your help with organizing everything. Sicily was very beautiful and the trip was an amazing experience. Thank you very much for being so nice and helpful.
Brian, Summer I 2008

You definitely have some great professors and assistants on your hands and coming from another study abroad experience and basing my opinion off of that experience, I can't imagine any better staff than at my home institution. You really exeeded my expectations with this staff and with this city, I will truly miss everyone I met at MCAS.
Melanie, Spring 2008

I literally had the TIME OF MY LIFE in Ortigia. I could not have been more pleased with the study abroad Italy program at MCAS. The school was in great condition and classes were small and personal. The optional excursions that the school provided were FANTASTIC!! I will miss the people, both students/teachers as well as the Italians! I made friends in Italy that I will never forget. I could not have asked for anything more. Everything was 10 million times better than I ever could have imagined! My five weeks spent in Italy will always be very close to my heart. Christina, Summer 2007

I wanted to thank you for everything you helped me with. Having MCAS and the whole staff made my experience so wonderful. I miss it every second, it feels as though I'm incomplete without waking up there every morning!                                                
Celeste, Summer 2007

The program was a blast and really changed a lot of our lives, our perceptions of the world and foreign cultures.  We also made a lot of great friends for life.  I'm not the best at expressing myself verbally, but this was a priceless experience that most of us will never forget.
James, Spring 2007

Siracusa is a gem, as I have heard it described before. The culture is an assimilation of southern
Italian, Greek, and North African foods and traditions that make it a city worth seeing. In the main area of antiquity in the town are a mix of Greek and Roman ruins that are not to be missed. The climate is hot, dry, but breezy enough so that the heat is not unbearable. History, cuisine and a safe and fun environment for all types of people can be found in abundance in this small Mediterranean city.
Matt, Summer 2007

Everything about this island was fascinating and unique: the culture, the people, the food and the sight of the monstrous active volcano towering across the bay! The symbol of Sicily, with its
Medusa head, three legs and grain wonderfully express the island and its people and is one of the most interesting symbols of a country that I've run across. I loved the people that I met, the places we visited and let's not forget the great wine and Canolli! I miss them
already...
Shelley, Summer 2007

I want to thank you again for everything you did for us this past summer. It was truly a fantastic experience! Better than I could have possibly imagined. Everyone at MCAS and Linguaviva were so in touch with the students and just gave me personally an awesome feeling of acceptance. The whole program gets an A+ in my book, and I am actually considering doing it again sometime in the future.
Chris, Summer 2006

I just returned from visiting (my daughter) and I was duly impressed with everything. I also met several staff members and they were all very warm and gracious. We stumbled across this program while searching the Internet for (Italy Programs) and what we found is exactly what Shoshanna was looking for and her semester has been fantastico.
Parent of a Spring 2006 student

I miss MCAS so much! I miss everything! The school, the people, my friends, and the view! I miss the old historic buildings and streets, I miss the culture, and I miss the MARKET!!!! You all were so wonderful to me and I had the best time of my life there!
Regina, Summer 2005 

I just wanted to thank you so much for everything you did for me while I was at MCAS. My times in Sicily were truly some of the best days of my life. Sicily has not left my mind for a second. It has had such impact on my life and where I want my future to go and I have never been more grateful for anything before in my life as I am for my opportunity to spend some time there this summer.
Peter, Summer 2005

First of all, I wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed my experience at MCAS. It was definitely everything that you described it to be.
Sarah, Spring 2005

I had such a good experience in Sicily. Thanks so much for your help in the process of getting there and just being morally supportive!
Monica, Fall 2004

I can't thank you enough for helping me arrange my experience in Sicily. I am so happy I did it. In fact, I really think you all should consider "promoting" the program more to people like me, i.e. college graduated adults that are simply looking to enrich their lives through an educational experience.
Mitra, Summer 2004

Thanks for doing such a great job this past summer. I think we all had a fantastic time at MCAS.
Pete, Summer 2004

I had the time of my life in Italia thanks to you and the rest of the staff at MCAS. I’ve never missed something so much in my life! Thank you a million times over!
Jonathan, Summer 2003

Jason is having the time of his life in Sicily. He told us he has the best professor ever, extremely knowledgeable in the political science field. We are so glad he selected your program it seems to have worked out better than we could have hoped for.
Parent of a Spring 2003 student

I had a really great semester at MCAS and I was blessed to be at a place with faculty such as you and the others. You guys were very patient and accommodating with us.
Laura, Spring 2003

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What some past students have had to say about Study Abroad Italy's Service Learning Program:

I’d say without a doubt this was one of the most positive and helpful educational experiences I’ve had. Working with Italian children and being able to communicate in Italian and English has both given me an incredible burst of confidence in my lingual ability and shown me how I can make an educational impact on someone other than myself.
Dorian, Spring 2008

Culturally, my experience working at the primary school was invaluable. I was able to get to know the students, professors and other faculty at the school and interact with them several times a week. There was a definite connection with everyone at the school that carried over into my daily experience as well. Seeing my students or professors out on the street was a great way to acclimate to the environment and fell part of the community.
Aaron, Spring 2008

Spectacular!!! Some of these experiences are the highlights of my life. Through my internships I not only became more confident in myself and more proficient in speaking Italian, but also made many Italian friends. I do not believe I would have been invited by Italian locals for coffee or dinner at their houses as much as I did without these internships.
Donald, Spring 2008

This was one of the most positive aspects I believe to studying abroad. I loved making personal
relationships with local Italians. Seeing my students and their families out in Ortigia and saying “ciao” was one of the best things. Also, knowing that I was able to make an impact on these kids, just as much as they had on me was very uplifting. I really feel like this program helped me to really experience the larger Italian culture. I would recommend it to all study abroad students.
Rosemary, Spring 2008

My time spent in the preschool here in Ortigia will be some of the most important memories I’ll have from my study abroad experience. Not only did it make me feel more comfortable with the community and living in a foreign country, but it was also a way to relax and just enjoy my time here. The kids in the school were amazing and I completely fell in love with them. I would highly recommend the internship program for anyone coming to Ortigia in the future.
Catherine, Spring 2008

By volunteering at the elementary school, I was able to get a better feel of how the rest of Italy lived through seeing the kids all the time. I think this internship was an essential part of studying abroad. This experience has been priceless; being able to see your kids at the local shop and even saying hi in passing in the street really makes you fell like you are a part of the community. The only hard part is leaving the kids you have bonded with for the past 10 weeks.
Linh, Spring 2008

This is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity. The collaboration of family, culture, teaching and
personal growth made this experience something that will stay with me forever. There is nothing
greater than seeing your students out on the town, this personal relationship brings you into the
community impacting your life as much as theirs.
Samantha, Spring 2008