Tuscany in One Image

This year, the Tuscan American Association held the second edition of their photography contest, open to all students at American universities currently studying in Tuscany. More than 230 students submitted their photos, including those from the University of Minnesota program in Florence.

Students had been exploring the world of photography through the course “Photography for Social Media,” taught by professional photographer Alessandro Galatoli. The course introduces students to the principles of photography for social media and of visual storytelling. Students focus on creating and curating professional contents for diverse social media platforms with the goal of engaging users, delivering messages and building networks.

As one of their assignments, students had to present 10 photos that narrated their life in Florence and their experience studying abroad. Through these assignments, students reflected on their time in Italy while learning how to create engaging visual content that could be shared on various online platforms.

The students’ participation in the TAA contest was extremely successful. Three students—Grant Cegielski, Madeline Kogler, and Caitlin O’Rourke—had their photos selected among the 50 to be part of a temporary exhibit. These photos will then be printed in a dedicated publication, whose sale proceedings will go to the Red Cross. Grant also won the first honorable mention in the contest. He was awarded in front of the selection committee, which included the governor of Tuscany Eugenio Giani. These students’ success is even more impressive considering they were up against students of advanced photography and studio art courses, taking pictures with professional cameras and not just their phones.

Galatoli’s course is part of the “Study in Florence” semester-long program, where students explore a range of topics by engaging in rigorous coursework. This spring, courses focused on various contemporary issues, such as entrepreneurship in Tuscany, the sociology of Italy, food and identity in the Mediterranean, and many more. All courses are closely connected with the local reality, bringing students onsite to explore first-hand the host city.

Accent has collaborated with several partner institutions to develop semester-long programs, hosted in the local Accent Study Centers. Courses are designed in cooperation with administrators and faculty on campus to meet student needs and strategic objectives. Courses are taught by local faculty, who have years of experience in the design and delivery of experiential courses in a U.S. education abroad context. To start a conversation about developing your university-branded semester program, please contact development@accentglobal.com