Reggio Emilia Courses – 2026 Summer Session II
Academics
Reggio Emilia is known for its rich culture, welcoming community, and focus on quality of life—making it an ideal place to study education, psychology, and health. Its community-centered approach to learning brings psychological theories to life, especially those related to cognitive and emotional development. The city’s integrated view of well-being—linking education, health, and community—offers a unique framework for interdisciplinary studies.
You may enroll in three to seven credits during Session I and/or Session II. At least one 3-credit course is required each session you are enrolled. No prior knowledge of Italian is required for the program, though language study is strongly encouraged for those seeking a richer cross-cultural experience.
Courses Offered
Course availability is contingent upon scheduling constraints, meeting enrollment minimums, and is subject to change. View course details and descriptions.
Courses marked with an asterisk* are taught in Italian
Summer Session I
Italian Language & Culture
- Introduction to Italian Language
- Elementary Italian I*
- Italian Culture
Non-Credit Workshop
- Italian Cuisine
Health, Education & Human Development
- Education for a Changing World
- Gender and Communication
- General Psychology
- Italian/International Educational Approaches: Reggio and Montessori
- Nutrition Across the Lifespan
- Social Psychology: The Power of Social Groups
Internships
Summer Session II
Italian Language & Culture
- Introduction to Italian Language
- Elementary Italian I*
- Food and Culture
Non-Credit Workshop
- Italian Cuisine
Health, Education & Human Development
- Adolescent Psychology
- Gender Issues in Education
- Health and Wellness Communication
- Intercultural Communication
- Lifespan Human Development
- Models of Teaching
Internships
U.S. Visiting Professors
While most USAC courses are taught by local faculty, the following U.S. professors will also teach in this program:
Summer Session I, 2026
Course: Social Psychology: The Power of Social Groups
Jordan LaBouff, Ph.D., University of Maine
Professor LaBouff is an Assistant Professor of Psychology and Honors at the University of Maine. He is a Social Psychologist whose award-winning courses and research typically focus on creative research methods, conflict, and cooperation between groups, and the psychology of religion. Dr. LaBouff has taught abroad several times across his career and has seen first-hand how life-changing these experiences are for students. His courses abroad focus on learning core course content while developing skills as global citizens.
Summer Session II, 2026
Course: Health and Wellness Communication
Lorrel Toft, M.D., University of Nevada, Reno
Professor Toft is a cardiologist and Professor at the School of Medicine at the University of Nevada, Reno. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of California, Irvine, and completed medical school, Internal Medicine Residency, and Cardiology Fellowship at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Dr. Toft is a skilled educator who has been awarded both the Dean's Outstanding Educator Award and the University Trustee's Educator Award. She has even an Emmy for best instructional/educational program that teaches CPR to the public. She is passionate about becoming a global leader/citizen and helping students do the same.
USAC Course Descriptions
Click the course title to view course details, description and availability. To request a course syllabus: syllabus@usac.edu
- Summer Session IIPsychology 200-level 3 credits Taught in English
We’re excited to introduce this new course option as course details are being finalized. Please check back after 1/15 for full course details.
- Summer Session IGeneral Education 400-level 3 credits Taught in English
The course will address education's role in society by examining some major philosophical and sociological foundations related to educational theory and practice. It will include the evolution of US education systems and practices and the role of society in shaping those systems. Topics may include issues such increasing global influences, multiculturalism, language, culture, geography, immigration, environment, and government as they connect to education in a changing world.
- Summer Session IItalian World Languages and Literatures 100-level 4 credits Taught in ItalianSummer Session IIItalian World Languages and Literatures 100-level 4 credits Taught in Italian
This course is designed to help students acquire basic communicative competence by providing opportunities to develop basic language skills: listening, speaking, interacting, reading, and writing.
- Summer Session IIAnthropology Nutrition 300-level 3 credits Taught in English
Food is a topic with which every student of every ethnicity has personal experience; it is so common that its cultural connotations tend to be overlooked. Food is often an area related to strong identity, whether positive or negative, of one’s ancestry. Cuisines are not just about sustenance, but also about cultural symbols that bind together people in ritual and as a community. How one participates in the act of eating (when/how) and why certain foods are to be prepared are learned and understood at the table.
Food is of wide-ranging anthropological interest because, in eating, humans incorporate into our bodies the products of nature transformed into culture. This course explores connections between what we eat and who we are through cross-cultural study of how personal identities and social groups are formed via food production, preparation, and consumption.
The course will initially explore the general topic of food and culture to present a background in which to discuss the specifics of identity and meaning. The role of food will be examined in several different communities. Several films will be used to discuss specific topics, such as festivals/rituals and food as family/community. Moreover, our topics and readings will be eclectic: food taboos; gender and kinship, voice and identity, symbolic and expressive culture, feasts, festivals, fasts, famine, religion and spirituality, race and ethnicity, nationalism, class and social stratification, politics of globalization, among others. Then, we will focus on foodways in Italy, using the tools of anthropology, history, geography, sociology, journalism, and marketing. Furthermore, we will use food as a lens through which to deepen understanding of your new home and neighbors for this term in Reggio Emilia.
An additional element of the course will look at food and culture through film. Films viewed in class represent different cultures and practices and give us a wider view of the complex and fascinating topic of food and culture. Students will reflect on films we watch together and in independent research for a class project.
- Summer Session ISpeech Communications 400-level 3 credits Taught in English
Students will approach issues of gender and communication, both verbal and non-verbal, through critical analysis of stereotypes, socialization, and male/female interactions using theoretical perspectives. Various social interaction environments such as workplaces, families, media, and friendships will be explored. A special look at the host culture will also be considered.
- Summer Session IIEducation 400-level 3 credits Taught in English
In this course, students will explore gender issues in K-12 and postsecondary education and analyze several significant events related to gender inequality in the contemporary world. Topics include gender-based stereotypes, the intersection among different social identities and how they affect education and opportunities, and suggestions on how to cope with gender issues in educational contexts. Examples will be drawn from various countries, focusing on the U.S. and Italy. In addition, students will develop the theoretical knowledge to evaluate gender issues' impact on society effectively.
- Summer Session IPsychology 100-level 3 credits Taught in English
The course will present an overview of the main topics related to the study of the mind and behavior. It will first provide a historical background of general psychology, describing the origin and evolution of the most important theoretical paradigms and illustrating how they have differently defined the objects and methods of scientific psychology. The discipline’s main areas of inquiry will then be examined: sensation and perception; learning; memory; thinking, reasoning and problem solving; language; motivation; emotions; and personality. Special attention will be devoted to the developmental aspects of some of the subject areas addressed and to an introduction to clinical psychology.
- Summer Session IIGeneral Health Sciences Speech Communications 300-level 3 credits Taught in English
Students will explore the theory and practice of health communication and the areas where small group and organizational communication occurs. Students will also analyze how mass media influences engagement in these forms of communication. This course covers topics including the history of health communication, the complexity of patient-caregiver communication, social and cultural issues associated with health communication, and public health and its relationship with media. Students will develop skills in analytical and critical thinking through discussions and debates.
- Summer Session IISpeech Communications 300-level 3 credits Taught in English
This course will focus on major issues in intercultural communication and help students develop the skills necessary to build and maintain positive communication and relationships across cultures. Students will explore the definition, nature and manifestation of culture while examining their own values, traditions, and beliefs. Through active in-class and out-of-class activities, students will learn about the similarities and differences in communication behaviors and explore language usage, nonverbal style, and perceptions to see how they influence face-to-face communication between individuals of different cultures in the United States, Europe and the rest of the world. The course will also consider the ways that race, class, ethnicity, sexuality, age, region and physical ability inform the way in which identities and communities are shaped in a world saturated by media.
- Summer Sessions I & IIInternships 300-level 3 credits Taught in EnglishDescription not available at this time.
- Summer Session IItalian World Languages and Literatures 100-level 1 credit Taught in English and ItalianSummer Session IIItalian World Languages and Literatures 100-level 1 credit Taught in English and Italian
This course will introduce students to Italian language topics, including a general introduction to everyday vocabulary, grammar, and syntax. Students will learn and practice speaking and pronunciation in groups and with guidance from the instructor.
- Summer Session ISummer Session II
Each session will start with a brief intro to the day's recipes and ingredients, followed by plenty of time to dive into cooking and food preparation. Together, we’ll learn to create classic and modern Italian dishes, including antipasti, pasta, main courses with veggie sides, and desserts. You’ll also get tips on pairing each course with the right wine.
Our focus will be on enjoying the experience, with attention to traditional Italian dining customs. Sharing meals together will be one of the best parts of the workshop!
This workshop is not suitable for students on a gluten-free or vegan diet, as many recipes will feature traditional dishes from southern Italy or the Emilia Romagna region.
This workshop has an additional fee.
This workshop requires a minimum enrollment of 4 students to run.
- Summer Session IItalian World Languages and Literatures 200-level 3 credits Taught in English
This course analyzes various aspects of Italian culture through lectures, readings, discussions, and observation research projects. The main course objectives are to develop an understanding of contemporary Italy, encompassing its recent history, regional differences, social institutions, and contemporary issues. Students will be asked to reflect on their cultural upbringings and beliefs, and to share their Italian culture experiences in class. Particular attention will be given to breaking down commonly held stereotypes and revealing the realities of contemporary Italian life.
- Summer Session IGeneral Education Human Development and Family Studies 400-level 3 credits Taught in English
The aim of the course is to discuss international education approaches with a focus on the two major ones related to childhood education (pre-K, K, elementary): Montessori and Reggio.
The course will include lectures, inquiry-based dialogues and discussions, audiovisual presentations, critical thinking activities, and projects. This course introduces participants to the experience of the city of Reggio Emilia, in northern Italy, in designing and sustaining infant-toddler centers and schools for children ages 3-6 that have astonished the world with the children’s competence. The high quality of the experience provided for children and families illuminates what it is possible for a culture to support and serves as an inspiration to many cultures to re-imagine education for young children in their own language and culture. We will study features of their experience closely, in particular the environment as a third teacher, documentation, materials as graphic languages of expression, inquiry as theory-building, and collaboration.
- Summer Session IIHuman Development and Family Studies 200-level 3 credits Taught in English
We’re excited to introduce this new course option as course details are being finalized. Please check back after 1/15 for full course details.
- Summer Session IIGeneral Education 400-level 3 credits Taught in English
This course is the study of various models of instruction with an emphasis on application in classrooms. This course provides students with the theoretical and practical understandings of how to use models of teaching to both meet and exceed the growing expectations for instructional practices and student achievement. This course employs the use of the following teaching methods: in-class discussions, technology application, group work, and class presentations.
- Summer Session INutrition 300-level 3 credits Taught in English
This course addresses nutrition from both social and biological perspectives and will challenge students to conceptualize its effects at each stage of the human life cycle. Students will analyze how nutrition is influenced by cultural, environmental, psychosocial, physical, and economic factors. Students will also develop skills to identify the needs of people in in various age groups. This course is designed to engage unique perspectives to build upon theoretical concepts within the field and provide students with a unique experience to study how nutritional needs vary among people of different cultures.