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The Urbino Project 2023

28 students from Cal State Long Beach, Colorado State University, James Madison University, and Temple University, developed multimedia stories to learn more the people and places of Urbino and the Marche Region of Italy.

Urbino & the Marche Region of Italy

Urbino is a picturesque Renaissance hill town in the Marche region of central Italy. Although Urbino was a Roman and medieval city, its peak came during the 15th century when Duke Federico da Montefeltro established one of Europe’s most illustrious courts. Its impressive Ducal Palace houses one of the most important collections of Renaissance paintings in Italy. Urbino’s historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

In the northern part of central Italy’s Marche Region, Urbino is nestled between the Apennine Mountains and the Adriatic Sea. Many say the Renaissance started here. The Duke of Urbino’s twin-turreted palace still houses an outstanding collection of period art. Other attractions include a unique botanical garden and the boyhood home of the Renaissance artist Raphael.

Students worked in groups to explore
the following areas for the summer of 2023

About the Urbino Project

Twenty-seven students created interactive content with text, photos and video. Students learned how to navigate as professional media producers in a foreign culture by working with Italian translators/interpreters and crafting ready-to-publish feature stories. They also studied “survival” Italian to learn about the history and culture of the region.

The Urbino Project was developed by the Institute for Education in International Media (ieiMedia) and students receive academic credit from James Madison University, the University of Jamestown or Rider University.

Students are mentored by an experienced group of content creators, including a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, a Washington Post photographer, and media professionals with experience in documentary storytelling and interactive design. Students explore writing, photography, videography and interactive design with emphasis on experiential learning.

Translators/Interpreters

Student reporters were not required to have Italian language background. Instead, they worked with University of Urbino foreign language students who served as translators/interpreters. They helped guide our reporters through the culture and worked with them during the story development process. Translators included Lorenza Abbondanza, Ilaria Caiazzo, Chiara Centauro, Mariateresa Chiovitti, Martina DeFilippo, Sara Gabellini, Linda Marangoni, Lucia Piazzalunga, Maria Silvia Pieri, Matteo Ridolfi, and Valeria Ritella. We are indebted to them all for their assistance.

The University of Urbino is situated in a Renaissance hill town in the northeastern part of central Italy. The university was founded in 1506, and currently has about 20,000 students, many of whom are from overseas. The university has no central campus as such, and instead occupies numerous buildings throughout the town and in the surrounding countryside.

12 Years Of Storytelling

Our Storytellers

They are the people working to provide you the best experiences.

Alli Bodenschatz

Alli Bodenschatz

Studying abroad in Italy has provided immense opportuni…

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Andrew Weinstock

Andrew Weinstock

Leaving the U.S for the first time, I arrived in Urbino…

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Ava Roberts

Ava Roberts

My time here in Urbino has been life changing. Studying…

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Azzan Shy

Azzan Shy

Studying abroad was something I used to always wanted t…

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Ben Schachterle

Ben Schachterle

Ever since I started my freshman year at CSU, I knew I …

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Brendan Roth

Brendan Roth

When first arriving in Italy I had no idea what to expe…

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Cecilia White

Cecilia White

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Charlie Jackson

Charlie Jackson

I am a Senior at Colorado State University, studying Jo…

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Chloe O’Hallaron

Chloe O’Hallaron

“This is the most interesting group of people I have ev…

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Dakota Kendall

Dakota Kendall

When I found this program as an online student, I thoug…

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Donovan Eveslage

Donovan Eveslage

At a young age, I always wanted to explore the world. E…

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Emily Caccamo

Emily Caccamo

Ever since I was young, my mother told me the stories o…

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Emma Ihara

Emma Ihara

In June of 2017 I visited Italy for two weeks with my b…

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Jacob Conda

Jacob Conda

I remember Nick and I were sitting at work and I asked …

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Kassidy Hudson

Kassidy Hudson

Traveling to Italy has been a dream of mine ever since …

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Kate Talley

Kate Talley

Before coming on this trip, I could only think about it…

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Lexie Burns

Lexie Burns

I am of the belief that there is no singular concrete p…

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Louisa Mattozzi

Louisa Mattozzi

Being in Urbino has taught me about myself, my interest…

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Maddie Kaitchuck

Maddie Kaitchuck

I am a Junior at Colorado State University, studying Jo…

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Madi Rohm

Madi Rohm

Living in Urbino the last month has been my first inter…

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Marlee Ebert

Marlee Ebert

As a recent graduate from Colorado State University wit…

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Nick Lau

Nick Lau

My name is Nick Lau and I am a senior at James Madison …

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Nora Jackson

Nora Jackson

I entered the Urbino study abroad program with no exper…

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Paige Mudd

Paige Mudd

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Samantha Cortes

Samantha Cortes

Nearly a month ago, I sat alone at the Rome airport, ne…

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Sarah Lockard

Sarah Lockard

You know what they say, time flies when you’re having f…

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Soren Scott

Soren Scott

Urbino Experience: University: James Madison University…

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