A group of 15 Berry College students traveled to Florence in July 2008 to learn how to report in an international, intercultural context, then to develop stories told via a Web-based multimedia platform that combines and converges media, while also learning Italian language, history, art and culture. Students learned international journalism at the grass roots level working as foreign correspondents as part of a larger, intense immersion experience. Also included were practica in multimedia and Web development, including photography, videography, photo and video editing, writing, reporting and site and page design.

The group was based at Scuola Lorenzo de'Medici, where instruction and production took place. The project could not have happened without LdM. The 15 students each were members of three teams, as a reporter on one, photographer on another, and videographer on the third. Students did their own field work, edited their own work and published to the Web using templates inside which they designed their own layouts.The project was taught by:

Kevin Kleine (reporting, writing and photography)
Curt Hersey (videography and editing)
Brian Carroll (Web design and project direction)

The editorial team (students) included:

Briona Arradondo
Anthony Ciavarelli
Jessica Gilker
Megan Gilker
Kathleen Higgins-Thomas
Savannah Jones
Rebekah Larisey
Dustin McCormick
Jennifer Mischler
Katie O'Kelley
Ben Popple
Amanda Powers
Hannah Watwood
Lauren Wright
Caroline Anthony

The Project would like to thank Carla and Fabrizio Guarducci, leaders extraordinaire of LdM, Italian langage instructors Francesa Nappi and Francesco Mansi, language coordinator Laura Lamponi, housing coordinator Elia Nichols and lab guru Francesco Mugnai.

A very special thank you to Stefano Farina, a historian and author who was more than generous with his time, his expertise and his quick wit.

Of course we would also like to thank and salute Michele Gaeta in the LdM Cafe, who nourished, caffeinated and cheered us every day. Tu sei l'uomo! Berry College IT and CIT's Jerry Trammell and Dan Boyd, helped us get content up on the Web. GO! Travel put our flight itineraries together. Communication chair Bob Frank and administrative maestro Diane Land provided support back home. To those we have inadvertently failed to thank, scusi, e grazie a mille!

Banner photography by Hannah Watwood. Banner design by Lauren Wright.

"Chi se accontenta, gode.”

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