St. John's University's Office of Global Programs and The School of Education (SOE) collaborated with local educators from I.C. Claudio Abbado Giovanni XXIII Middle School and I.C. Claudio Abbado Ermenegildo Pistelli Elementary School in Rome, Italy, to facilitate a study abroad program for the Spring 2025 semester.

The initiative involved public school teachers and SOE faculty guiding undergraduate education majors through weekly student teaching assignments in local schools. This partnership fostered an exchange of educational philosophies between Italian and American systems while also focusing on teaching English as a foreign language.

Throughout the spring semester, students from The School of Education participated actively in their studies, benefiting from a comprehensive learning environment. They attended classes at the Rome campus and engaged with online courses offered by the Queens campus. This combination allowed them to gain knowledge while maintaining flexibility in their educational pursuits.

Participants included Valeria Asquini, Elisa Bracalente, Simona Ciavolella, Samuel Rivera, Daneiela Bermudez, Gwyneth Boccio, Amelia Wojtkowski, Kaitlyn F. Messina, Caterina Visocchi, Sophie Liu, Cristina D’Amico, and Mary Ann Maslak.