At CIMBA, we know that living in Italy will not only be a fantastic experience for you, but spouses and children will also have the opportunity to explore and learn! CIMBA is a family-oriented program; we encourage you to bring your family to Italy with you. Please let us know if you would like to speak with prior CIMBA professors who have travelled with their family.
Schooling: There are several options for educating your school-aged children. Children have attended nearby English International School, joined local Italian elementary schools, utilized distance education, and have been homeschooled during their time in Italy. Because options vary and the details associated with schooling are very detailed, you are encouraged to contact Chris Knudsen for information specific to your family’s situation.
Educational opportunities: If anyone in your family is interested in learning Italian, there are many bilingual instructors in the area that CIMBA can direct you to. Also, CIMBA offers a beginning Italian language and grammar course which covers the basics of the language as well as survival phrases for everyday life. With an advance request, faculty, spouses, and older children are welcome to participate in this opportunity.
Child necessities: Italian laws on car seats for children are very similar to those in the U.S. If you do not wish to bring yours along, car seats can be purchased from about 80-150€ at a nearby store. (Most airlines do not consider car seats luggage; it will be a free checked item and will not count against your total luggage count. Check with your individual airline for specific details.) Strollers can be found for approximately 70€ and are lightweight and good for travelling. If your child is small enough for a crib, we recommend that you bring a Pack ‘n Play for his/her bed, but we can also find those for sale for 100€ if you would prefer. In terms of formula, food, and other baby products (diapers, shampoo, lotions etc.) you will be able to find some of the American brands that you are used to such as Pampers, Huggies, Enfamil, Johnson & Johnson etc. Several members of the CIMBA staff in Italy have young children and can also help direct you to Italian brands that can be used.
Social activities: There are countless activities available for children in the area. Apart from spending time on the sports fields with the other CIMBA children, family members are welcome to use the on-campus resources such as books, computers, indoor athletic facilities, the pool, and the dining hall. Provided there is space available, they are also welcome to participate in the field trips to nearby towns and other cultural activities like pizza or pasta making.
You can bring a DVD player and movies as well as books. CIMBA has a library of books and DVD’s that can be borrowed (most of which will be in English), and you can also use the local library. Because the selection of movies and books in English from the local library will be limited, you may want to bring some from home.
Lastly, there are Italian sports clubs open to children of all ages that allow your kids to interact with Italian children. There is soccer, swimming, dance, volleyball, etc., and our staff in Italy can work to make arrangements with you upon arrival.