About ISF
ISF enrols approximately 400 students on its two campuses. Our student body is about one-third North American, one-third Italian and one-third from other countries. Our community is made up of families from over 30 different countries. Some are here working for international companies based in Tuscany, others are academics teaching in the many colleges and universities in and around Florence, still others are bewitched by the idea of experiencing a culture unlike their own, expanding their horizons and those of their children.
Host country families come to us both because they recognize the importance of an English language education for their children in today's increasingly connected world and because the pedagogy and child-centered education that ISF provides together with the Italian Program allows their children to experience the best of two worlds.
In adopting the International Baccalaureate programs, ISF is furthering its commitment to the ideas put forward in the IBO mission statement to "endeavour to develop the individual talents of young people and teach them to relate the experience of the classroom to the realities of the world outside" so that students "may become critical and compassionate thinkers, lifelong learners and informed participants in local and world affairs, conscious of the shared humanity that binds all people together while respecting the variety of cultures and attitudes that makes for the richness of life".
Our Resources
First and foremost of our resources, we count our faculty.
The wealth and scope of our programs is our second resource. ISF students can continue their education in the Americas, Europe or Asia, sit Italian State Exams, and, if they choose the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program, gain entry to universities throughout the world.
Our third inexhaustible resource, the city of Florence, is our pride. Our students are exposed to the city's museums and artistic history while fully savoring the twenty-first century rhythm of Italian life. Field trips are often planned for all age levels. Students can discover every aspect of Tuscan life, from picking grapes and making olive oil to visiting Leonardo's home and Brunelleschi's dome.
Beyond the Classroom
We also venture further afield when it is appropriate to classroom studies. Our yearly excursions include trips to Stratford-on-Avon for an in-depth Shakespeare "experience", to Munich and Dachau in conjunction with History and Theory of Knowledge studies, to Paris (sponsored by our French Department), and to The Hague and St. Petersburg where our students participate in the Model United Nations. During the latter of these two trips, students also spent a day of Community Service in a Russian orphanage.
Community Service is an increasingly important component of our program, required for IB diploma candidates and fully supported for students in other grades by the school's philosophy and administration. In recent years, our students have participated in Habitat for Humanity projects, raised funds through the IBO Schools to Schools initiative for Tsunami Aid and supported Soccorso Clown, a group committed to aiding hospitalized children. They also have promoted and participated in Corri la Vita in aid of breast cancer research, and the clean-up programs of Legambiente, the foremost ecological organization of Italy.
To conclude
The philosophy of ISF arises from its particular size and environment. No one is lost in the shuffle of vast numbers and huge spaces. Links among individuals occur naturally and eagerly. We believe that everyone should count and, at ISF, everyone is important.
