The Siena Project
Fast Facts
GENERAL LOCATION: Le Marche/Umbria region of Italy and Siena Italy
ENROLLMENT CAPACITY: 20
FOCUS: International reporting and migration studies with deep cultural immersion acquiring intercultural competencies and enhancing communication skills, including writing, interviewing, journaling, blogging, videography, photography and storytelling.
COOPERATING UNIVERSITIES: University of Jamestown.
PROJECT COST: $5,345 + airfare
INCLUDES: Travel insurance; transportation from Bologna airport to Siena and return; welcome and farewell dinners; local museums and cultural activities; housing in local host families facilitated via the partnership with SIS Intercultural Study Abroad; project activities and cultural events.
DOES NOT INCLUDE AIRFARE. ACADEMIC CREDIT IS OPTIONAL.
ACADEMIC CREDIT: Academic credit can be purchased for The Siena Project. Course credit is optional. The Siena Project offers 6 credits for a cost of $150/credit. Students choosing this option must indicate so in their application. After applying, student will find procedures in our Student Portal to request academic credit through our school of record, University of Jamestown.
PARTENER ORGANIZATION IN SIENA: ieiMedia has partnered SIS Intercultural Study Abroad, an organization based in Siena, Italy offering unique and high-impact study abroad programs designed for students that want to live their experience abroad to the fullest. Since 2004, SIS has been an innovator among full immersion and service-learning programs in Italy
APPLICATION DEADLINE: Application Deadline is December 15, 2025. If you do not have the necessary access to submit your application by the deadline, start a conversation with us by clicking the Get Started button below. Please refer to the Application Deadline Details below for more information.
PAYMENT DEADLINES:
see Payment, Cancelation and Refund Policy for information on deposit deadlines and amounts.
ENROLLMENT CAPACITY AND WAITLISTS:
ieiMedia projects have a defined capacity limitation for applicants. Since there is a limited number of applicants who can attend, you can only be guaranteed a spot when you (1) have paid your Application Fee and (2) made payments on time according to the Costs and Payment Schedule.
THE SIENA PROJECT
Students will travel to Siena by chartered bus. At the end of the project, students will return to Bologna for the last night, in order to be able to catch their flights back home.
Led by a team of award-winning journalists and professors with international experience, students will explore the unique contemporary crossroads where an ancient city with rich cultural history is faced with the modern challenges of migration in Europe.
Siena has recently become home to one of Italy’s critical situations regarding migrants. Starting in 2021, the relatively small city of Siena, with a population of roughly 55k, began seeing an influx of migrants, mostly from Pakistan. In a little more than one year, the number of Pakistani migrants in Siena reached 1,500 individuals, mostly young men. Many found homes through local police and were referred to CAS housing facilities near Siena. Many others were less fortunate and found shelter in places like a parking lot or behind the train station in Siena.
The sudden arrival of migrants is something that the city administration was never prepared for. While it’s easy to criticize politicians, there are many involved with the local administration in Siena who are actively working with local organizations to help. Currently there are a number of initiatives that are providing essential services and gaining recognition. SIS Intercultural Study Abroad, an independent study abroad program for international university students seems like an unlikely protagonist in this particular situation, however staff, faculty, and students have been working tirelessly to organize courses that provide the necessary tools for cultural integration.
As a reaction to the migratory crisis in Siena, SIS, together with its sister organization the Nuova Associazione Culturale Ulisse, created the volunteer project called Home 4 The World (H4W) in 2021. H4W organizes a number of free courses open to any migrants in Siena. These include Italian and English language courses, assistance to help study for the national driver’s license exam, cultural guidance, citizenship education and more. Home 4 The World works directly with the local public administration, the local police and immigration authorities, as well as all of the other organizations in Siena that provide support for migrants. Fundraising has recently been added to the initiatives that H4W has taken upon itself to organize. The participants involved with H4W include the students, staff, and faculty of SIS Intercultural Study Abroad, local volunteers, and more recently volunteers from within the Pakistani community of migrants itself. One outcome to which the project aspires is to enable individuals to be cultural mediators for the communities that they represent and the culture native to Siena.
More information can be found at this website that was created as a collaboration between students attending SIS and volunteers from the Pakistani community: https://home4theworld.wixsite.com/home4theworld
Siena Italy
The incredible city of Siena is located in the heart of Tuscany, and is the perfect city in Italy for study abroad. Just far enough off of the beaten path that it isn’t overrun with tourists, it is close enough to major cities like Florence and Rome making experiencing Italy and Europe right at students’ fingertips.
During the Middle Ages, Siena was arguably one of the most influential cities in the region, comparable in size and prestige to both Florence and Paris. What’s even more incredible is how some of these medieval traditions have survived contemporary cultural shifts, and nothing illustrates this more than the traditions surrounding the famous Palio, the yearly horse race held in Piazza del Campo. The city is continuously ranked among Italy’s safest and most liveable cities. Its historical center was nominated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1995, and is geographically in the middle of three of the world’s most important wine producers: Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano.
Palio Experience
Students will be present for Siena’s iconic Palio horse race. Tradition and celebration that spans four incredible days, from June 29th through July 2nd. For the people of Siena, there is absolutely nothing that is more important to them than The Palio. SIS staff will make sure that students are exposed to and understand the festival and the emotions that are associated with it so that everyone can experience the incredible Palio in a way that respects the local traditions and people. SIS staff will be your guides during the four marvelous and intense days of the Palio, showing students where to see specific events as well as explaining its historical and cultural significance.
- Understand the role of communication and culture and build your intercultural competence working with diverse populations.
- Develop an awareness and sensitivity to cultural norms and expectations as they are similar to and different from American cultural values, then use this learning in the development of a multimedia project on some aspect of the community
- Demonstrate the mechanics and artistry of communication media, then use these skills to tell a narrative about the community in web format.
- Learn a more "backpack" style of journalism with the idea of being a journalist on-the-go, and doing documentary style of journalism.
Academic Credit
Students have the option to earn six credits of upper-division journalism elective for The Siena Project. The credits will be issued by the University of Jamestown, and we will work with you so they are easily transferable to your university. Transfer credit ultimately depends on a student's home university. The cost is $150/credit - the academic credit is $900 for The Siena Projects (See the FACT SHEET at the top of the page for Project Cost).
Available Cultural Activities
- Wine tasting
- Beach day
- Museums and cultural centers
Travel Opportunities
ieiMedia and the SIS Staff will help students plan day and weekend trips to nearby cities that could include Florence, Rome, and much more! There are two free weekends while you are in Siena. That allows for an easy bus/train trip to nearby cities. Many students also use this time to continue work on their stories or bus to Gubbio, Perugia or Assisi. On warm days, you can relax in the cool streams within 10 minutes of your apartments. If you would like a longer getaway, consider some add-on extended travel at the end of the project, when classmates might want to join you.
Italian Conversation Instruction
Most Italian language and culture instruction will be provided by by our partner SIS Intercultural Study Abroad.
Interpreters
When working on stories, you will be assigned an interpreter to help you with your Italian and to facilitate your interview. The art of working with an interpreter will be a skill you will pick up.
Accommodations
Project participants will stay with host families facilitated by our partner SIS Intercultural Study Abroad. See more about the host families here: https://www.sisstudyabroad.com/about/host-families/
Equipment
Students should bring their own laptop computers and mobile phones, as well as digital or video cameras and audio recorders if they have them.
Faculty TBA
Project Cost
The cost is $5,345 USD + airfare and includes travel insurance, accommodations, cultural and project activities, and festival/concert access for reporting. Academic credit is optional.
Application Deadline Details
Our application deadline for Summer 2025 projects is December 15, 2025. Applications submitted after the deadline will be accepted on a rolling basis dependent on project capacity.
Submitting your application by the priority deadline means you will be accepted to a priority spot on the project of your choosing, as well as secure additional time to prepare for payment deadlines and scholarship and financial aid opportunities.
If you do not have the necessary access to submit your application by the deadline, please reach out to admissions@ieimedia.com to speak with an advisor.
Get started now to reserve your place in The Siena Project. Or contact Admissions at: admissions@ieimedia.com.
APPLICATION DEADLINE: Application Deadline is December 15, 2025. ROLLING ADMISSIONS UNTIL PROJECT IS FULL. Applications received after the deadline can be accepted until project capacity limitations are reached.
TRAVEL ADVISORY: ieiMedia will be monitoring The US Department of State Travel Advisories and will provide status updates to those who sign up for the project regarding important information.
Past information session recordings and slides can be viewed here.
