Introduction

 

In December 2025, ten Dartmouth students will travel to Italy to take part in an eleven-day immersive program of study led by the Dartmouth Sustainability Office. Through experiential study, they will engage in an examination of the effects of climate change on food systems in both urban Rome and the Italian countryside. The program will align with the Dartmouth Food Convening in Rome, a three-day conference at the American Academy of Rome, which will focus on food systems and sustainability. A key goal of the program is to advance the Dartmouth Climate Collaborative’s mission to cultivate climate-conscious citizens through hands-on learning and to
explore a new potential focus for the Collaborative around food and sustainability.

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Trip Overview

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• Dec. 1: Travel from United States to Italy

• Dec. 2-4: Rome

  • Attend Dartmouth food systems conference at the American Academy of Rome.

  • Explore food in Rome: Meet with chefs, researchers, and government agencies (FAO, US Embassy) to understand nested scales of food systems and international approaches to food systems resilience in the face of a changing climate. 

• Dec. 5-10: various locations in rural agrarian Italy 

  • Understanding rural lands and food traditions: experience ancient and modern food traditions and understand how land and climate shape a food system and culture. 

  • Visit farms, participate in ongoing science and/or volunteer in a historic revitalization project. 

  • Collaborators to include Jim Fornari and Amy Gillenson, Località il Piano

  • Concluding reflections

• Dec. 11: Return to United States

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Eligibility

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• Must be on campus for the 25F term to participate in preparatory education sessions. 

• Must have ability to travel internationally- valid passport and visa approvals (for international students- please meet with OVIS to see if your visa will permit you to travel internationally.) 

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Learning Outcomes

 

Learning Outcome: Food Systems 

• Contrast sustainable food production with dominant industrial agriculture models

• Assess the impact of climate change on food production — and how food systems can be part of a solution

• Partake in practical, place-based applications of agroecology 

Learning Outcome: Cultural landscapes and changing climate

• Understand the role of terroir, technique, and tradition in establishing cultural landscapes

• Distinguish between evolving and durable terroirs, techniques, and traditions

• Assess the importance of climate, topography, mobility, migration, and the built environment in cultural landscapes

Learning Outcome: Urban, rural, and beyond

• Consider varied geographies and food systems, blurring and problematizing the polarity of urban and rural

• Explore changemaking at the local scale in urban markets and rural production sites

• Explore changemaking at the international scale at organizations including FAO, WFP, and IFAD

 

Cost 

 

An estimated $250 covers all travel expenses, programming, housing, and food for the entire duration of the trip. Need-based financial aid is available up to 100%. We work to grant aid in partnership with the Financial Aid Office after acceptance on the trip.

 

Participants should be 

 

• Curious and self-motivated learners

• Have a demonstrated passion for sustainability or Arctic studies

• Sense of adventure

• Ability to cooperate with others

• Comfortable sharing thoughts and discussing with others

• Ability to adapt to new and sometimes challenging situations that may put you outside of your comfort zone. 

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*Applications are due by SUNDAY SEPT. 21ST, 2025 at 11:59pm*