At Canadian College Italy (CCI) students are given an incredible and life-changing opportunity to attend an Ontario-accredited high school in the ancient town of Lanciano in Central Italy’s Abruzzo region, just three hours from Rome. The school is in a four-story Medieval house and student meals take place in a 500-year-old former inn. With a reputation for academic rigour and excellence, Canadian College Italy’s students go on to excel at the world’s top universities and colleges. While classes are taught in English, students are immersed in rich Italian culture and history, visit numerous art meccas in the country, and are offered European trips to expand their horizons. Students come from the world over to study at Canadian College Italy, forming lifelong bonds and friendships that enrich their lives and help contribute to an unforgettable high school experience that offers exceptional educational outcomes.
We questioned the school adminstration
1. Who are you, as a school?
"Canadian College Italy is one of Canada's top private boarding high schools abroad. Parents trust us for our reputation for academic excellence, small class sizes and personalized education. Students choose us for our life-changing cultural immersion and our beautiful and historic campus. For nearly 30 years, we have been empowering students with the confidence, character and skills they need to succeed at the world’s top universities and colleges. CCI is the only Ontario-accredited school in Italy."
Our campus is the historic centre of a beautiful and ancient town near the Adriatic Coast.
Our graduates earn the OSSD, recognized by universities in 165 countries, including Canada & U.S.
CCI attracts bright students from around world making for a stimulating multicultural community.
Our traditional university preparatory program values critical thinking and independence.
Students develop worldliness and maturity living in town and taking educational trips around Italy.
Students create their own customized extracurriculars, which include sports, skills and service.
All instruction is in English from certified Ontario teachers, except for Italian language class.
All students are assigned a tutor to assist with time management and accountability.
We are a co-educational high school for students in grades 9-12.
Students receive 24-hour supervision with an emphasis on well-being and mental health.
2. What do you do differently and uniquely well?
"As the only Ontario-accredited high school in Italy, CCI is able to offer students a rigorous English-language academic program in a beautiful and culturally rich setting. As a...(more)
"As the only Ontario-accredited high school in Italy, CCI is able to offer students a rigorous English-language academic program in a beautiful and culturally rich setting. As a traditional university preparatory boarding school, our program fosters time management skills, responsibility and independence through a balance of academics and enriching extra-curricular activities."
3. What tradeoffs has your school made to serve families in this way?
Information not yet available.
4. What key junctures in your school's history have most shaped its present?
Information not yet available.
5. What type of student is a good fit for your school?
Information not yet available.
6. Under what conditions would you advise a family against choosing your school?
Information not yet available.
7. To your knowledge, why do families choose your school over others?
"Parents and students choose CCI because we are a small, family-run boarding school where each student receives the personal attention that cultivates success. We value building...(more)
"Parents and students choose CCI because we are a small, family-run boarding school where each student receives the personal attention that cultivates success. We value building personal relationships with CCI families, which creates a sense of community and belonging that larger institutions may not be able to offer."
8. How would you characterize your school's image amongst the public?
Information not yet available.
9. What aspect of your school is underappreciated?
"CCI was founded in 1995 by a Canadian teacher who noticed how her own children benefited from travelling and living in Europe."
"CCI was founded in 1995 by a Canadian teacher who noticed how her own children benefited from travelling and living in Europe."
10. What might families find surprising about your school?
"It's not surprising that studying abroad can enrich one's outlook, broadening one's sense of worldliness and compassion. However, CCI students will tell you that they left CCI...(more)
"It's not surprising that studying abroad can enrich one's outlook, broadening one's sense of worldliness and compassion. However, CCI students will tell you that they left CCI with a surprising sense of independence and confidence, arming them a unique maturity going off to university."
11. What improvements or changes has your school made recently?
Information not yet available.
12. How will your school change in the next 5 years?
Gr. 12 — Our daughter really wanted to study in Europe as a part of her high school experience. The only option for her would have been to study at a Canadian-accredited high school, and without any academic interruptions. Through her own research, she came across and introduced us to CCI. After my first meeting with the principal and owner, who took the time to personally meet me for coffee, I was convinced that CCI was going to be an excellent experience for all of us. We found the entire interaction, from day one to graduation day to be personable, warm, direct, and reassuring. We all felt we were being taken care of by family. The quality of care, of the students, of the teachers, and the structure was all entirely authentic and real. Not only did our daughter make some amazing friends from around the world, but she also experienced the best academic spell of her high school journey and had a real taste of life in Italy. We recommend it to all our friends and family who are thinking of a similar arrangement.
Gr. 11 — My experience at Canadian College Italy shaped who I am today. The opportunities I was afforded during my time at CCI would not have happened if I didn't take the leap to attend. They shaped how I approach traveling, new jobs, and learning and speaking different languages. It has also given me the courage to pursue global career opportunities. I am so fortunate to have been given a safe space with supportive peers and teachers to reflect on and learn who I was at this pivotal life stage. I would send my children without a doubt and would hope that anyone with an opportunity to do so would make the same choice. This experience is unparalleled in helping young people grow to become empathetic, curious, and capable adults.
Gr. 12 (current) — CCI is an amazing place to step out of your comfort zone and start discovering who you are. You are completely immersed in Italian culture as soon as you step out of school buildings, which can honestly be intimidating at first. The language barrier for most is the biggest challenge, however, all of the students are in the same boat and it ended up being one of the things that bonded us all together during my time there. The school is very structured when it comes to school work, we have study hall every night from Sunday through Thursday to ensure that we are up to date on our work. The biggest thing that I would change about the school is how fast-paced everything is. Given that we have the same 4 classes every day, the material goes by extremely quickly and can sometimes feel very drowning.
Gr. 9 (current) — CCI is a great place where people can learn and connect with other incredible people. Besides being the top private boarding school in Italy, the experiences you face are truly amazing. If I could have changed one thing about the school it would be the residences, being slightly crowded in my opinion, but it’s mostly based on taste. On the other hand, CCI gives you some experiences you can’t even describe or think of. From crazy trips to places such as Amalfi, Florence, and Rome, to mesmerizing dances and meals. One thing I wished I knew before coming to CCI was the method of teaching. Coming from an Eastern European country the methods are really different. However, I’m saying that in a good way. The teaching method is truly great!
Gr. 12 — My time at CCI remains a high point in my life, both personally and professionally. I made some of my lifelong best friends during my stay in Lanciano, and many friendships still going strong 20 years later. I made my first movie while at school with help from all the students and faculty, and filmmaking has become my livelihood. The culture and the visits to Rome, Venice, Ischia, Naples, Capri, and smaller towns near Lanciano were wonderful. It was absolutely a privilege to live in such a beautiful part of the world and with such a dynamic and friendly community. Weekends going to the beach by train, the Venetian Ball hosted by the school, the church bells, and the incredibly steep hills we climbed every day to get to class. All of the traveling I did after graduation was just a treat. Everyone was so welcoming. It was my first time away from home and I was very anxious but within hours of arriving, I had been greeted by all students and staff, had been invited to parties, and even a weekend getaway to Rome. It was a very special place, where I felt I could be myself more than I had ever felt at home.
Gr. 12 — Attending CCI was transformative, it was the catalyst for emerging from the chrysalis of youth into something more, something greater. To be placed in a new environment, one steeped in history, tradition, and knowledge, and to experience all the monumental events of adolescence within this space, has an almost-mystical effect on the psyche. Even now, more than twenty years later, many memories shine golden in my mind, forever etched in the warm vibrant colors of a Kodachrome-like vision. Speaking practically; the small classes afforded great attention to individual students, the community of students became more like family, given that meals and all aspects of life were shared together, and the extra-curricular activities and weekend trips certainly exceeded what would be experienced back at home.
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