Seminar and Practicum Courses
Umbra Community Engagement Seminars and Practica are 3-credit elective courses divided into two parts – the seminar, or in-class lectures, and the practicum, or applied work experience with a local institution in Perugia. Both components complement one another to provide hands-on experience and theoretical knowledge in your chosen field of study.
CESP 351: Fair Trade Practices: Seminar and Practicum
Get an inside look into the Fair Trade practices and its social, politcial, and economic implications while gaining hands-on experience working with Ponte Solidale, a social cooperative with a fair trade bottega. Based on your interest and the cooperative’s annual calendar, you will assist with store operations, event preparations, and seasonal activities; web site and promotional material development; conduct research for a women’s empowerment project; and customer service. You will also help at Ponte Solidale’s monthly stand at Umbria Terra Viva, an organic market in Perugia’s city center.
Ideal for Majors in: Economics, Environmental Studies, Business
Prerequisite: Intermediate Italian language proficiency level
CESP 352: Museum Studies: Seminar and Practicum 
Dive into the life of the Palazzo Sorbello House Museum, a historic house museum with 18th and 19th art collections and an impressive multilingual library and the Museo Capitolare di San Lorenzo, the Perugia Cathedral Museum. Learn first-hand the ins and outs of operating a museum, from creating promotional materials to giving guided tours and preparing exhibitions. During your practicum, you will collaborate directly with staff to make Italy’s remarkably rich and varied artistic and cultural heritage more accessible to international visitors.
Ideal for Majors in: Museum Studies, Art History, History, International Marketing
CESP 353: Education in Italy: Seminar and Practicum – Spring Semester Only
In this course, you will examine educational psychology, pedagogical models, and English language teaching methods. You will work with either a local public scientifico, a middle school, or an elementary school working closely with English language teachers and Italian students. Depending on the placement and the teacher’s needs, you will either assist with lesson planning and classroom instruction or design and implement English language workshops with a specific theme such as music or travel.
Ideal for Majors in: Education
CESP 354: Critical Disabilities Studies: Seminar and Practicum – Fall, Spring, and Summer Semester 
In this course, you will examine theories and models on critical disability studies from an international and cross-cultural perspective.
Fall and Spring Semester: You will work with VIVA Sports Association, the first athletic program for kids and adults with motor and/or intellectual disabilities in Perugia. You will assist the staff in managing the athletic activities, helping people with a variety of disabilities play sports including fencing, ping pong, and basketball to develop social and motor skills.
Summer Semester: You will work at Taralla group home’s synergistic garden where social farming and synergistic agriculture is used as a form of therapy. You will interact with resident and non-resident patients while helping the staff maintain this self-sustaining garden. You will also help either VIVA Sports Association (see description above); Fontenuovo Elderly Residence Home that hosts aging adults suffering with Alzheimer’s and Dementia where you will assist residents with their daily activities; or, “Volta la Carta”, (“Turn the Card Over”) a project designed for adults with intellectual disabilities where you will help participants create accessories (i.e., bags, wallets, purses, etc.) and artwork made from recycled materials. These artisan products will be sold at local markets and proceeds will help fund new aid programs.
Ideal for Majors in: Communications, Human Development, Special Education, Disability Studies