Community Service

Make the world better with SRISA

SRISA believes in the importance of community service. The best way to become a part of a new environment is to immerse one’s self in it, and there are plenty of opportunities for students traveling to Florence to study abroad at Santa Reparata International School of Art to get involved.

Over the years students at SRISA have participated in numerous community service projects including two on-going projects in conjunction with UNICEF in Florence.

We encourage all students to get involved with the local Florentine community through the following initiatives:
Pigotta Doll Project: Every winter UNICEF organizes a competition and people from all over Italy participate by hand sewing “pigotte” dolls that are sold in December to raise money to immunize children all over the world.

During the Fall semesters, students are given the opportunity to take part in the doll-making workshop for UNICEF. Each doll is sold for 20 Euros and SRISA students have raised over 1,200 Euro for UNICEF by participating in the project.

UNICEF Greeting Cards Project: SRISA coordinates a project to create handmade holiday cards for charity. Students develop the text for the cards, and the greetings are then printed on SRISA’s own letterpress. The designs are enhanced by linoleum and woodcuts created by the students. SRISA students often help assist at the UNICEF booth selling both the Pigotte dolls and holiday cards, where all proceeds benefit UNICEF.

Local Orphanage: Students interested in working with children and art have the opportunity to combine their interests by creating art projects with local children in Florence who are housed in an orphanage in the city’s center.

Park Cleanup: In conjunction with the city of Florence, SRISA students work with the Comune to clean up two of the city’s parks, Piazza Indipendenza and Piazza D’Azeglio.

These experiences are a great opportunity to come together as a team and make an effort to give something back to the city that hosts us.