Culture, Community & Environmental Action in Italy for Teenagers

This project is perfect for ambitious teens who want to experience the very best of Italian culture while getting a head start on their personal and professional development—giving you practical volunteering exposure that will elevate your university or job applications.

Learn new practical skills as you assist with environmental initiatives in Tuscany and community development in Naples. When you’re not volunteering, you’ll be enjoying iconic sites like the Vatican, Colosseum, and Mount Vesuvius as you explore the celebrated cities of Rome, Pisa, Pompeii, and Florence too.

Double-down on your cultural immersion with an introductory Italian-language lesson then put this to good use by chatting to locals and the community centre staff you’ll be supporting.

You’ll gather real-world experience as well as new communication skills. Develop your independence and confidence at the same time as dipping your toe into community service and environmental work. All this, plus you’ll be enjoying life under the warm Mediterranean skies, fully supervised and surrounded by your new friends from around the world.

Our High School Programmes run over fixed dates during school holidays. This means you’ll be volunteering and travelling alongside people your age who share your passion for culture and social impact. The best part? It doesn’t interrupt your studies, so you can keep learning while you explore the world.

As a volunteer on this Italian adventure, you will be rotating through exciting cultural excursions and meaningful community and environmental service work.

Uncover Roman history and iconic landmarks  

Explore an incredible lineup of historic sites, including tours of the Colosseum, Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, and St Peter’s Basilica in Rome. You will also see the Leaning Tower of Pisa, take a guided art tour of Florence, walk the preserved streets of Pompeii, and hike Mount Vesuvius National Park. 

Live an authentic cultural experience 

Get a real taste of life in Italy. You’ll learn the basics of the Italian language to help you interact with the community, visit local food producers for an ingredients masterclass, and have a go at creating authentic dishes during your cookery class. You’ll also explore Naples in a unique way through local storytelling and a guided street art tour.

Beyond your deep-dive into Italian culture and history, you will:

Conduct field-based environmental work

Based at an eco-camping site in Tuscany, you will join crucial conservation initiatives to preserve coastal and river ecosystems. Working in teams, you will track invasive fauna during canoe trips, build birdhouses and seed bombs to support native biodiversity, evaluate river quality, and map coastal lake health using the Index of Potential Biodiversity.

Join community-led initiatives in Naples

In southern Italy, you will work closely with a local community centre to plan and run educational games, sports, arts and crafts, and English language sessions for local children. You’ll also assist with community garden efforts and visit neighbourhood initiatives to see how local people collaborate to improve opportunities for youth.

The main aims of this project are to uncover the culture of Italy through its ancient history, contemporary culture, natural landscape, and communities. 

Explore Italian culture and language

Through guided exploration you will truly go “beyond the guidebook” to immerse yourself in Italian culture. 

As well as sightseeing, and environmental / community work, you will enjoy:

• City tours and sightseeing, such as the Colosseum, Mt. Vesuvius, Leaning Tower of Pisa, Vatican City, and more
• An Italian language lesson
• Visiting local producers to source ingredients for your cookery lesson
• Street art tour using storytelling
• Dining at local restaurants
• Free time to go shopping and explore independently
• Train travel

Protect coastal ecosystems in Tuscany

Human activity pressures Italy’s regional ecosystems. In Tuscany, you will support local conservationists to collect data on water quality and landscape health, helping monitor environmental degradation across coastal lakes, shores, and marine habitats.

Empower youth in Naples

Urban communities in cities like Naples seek positive opportunities to empower young people. Here, you’ll work alongside a local youth association to run educational activities and creative workshops. You’ll help maintain a safe, positive space that provides local children with essential enrichment and cross-cultural learning.

Return home with real-world confidence

This experience gives you a deeper global perspective and practical skills, setting you up for success in education, work, or similar. No matter your path, it will leave you more confident, capable, and ready for what comes next.

Your safety and security is our prime concern. We have many procedures and systems in place to ensure you have all the support you need as a young person travelling abroad. 

Our Projects Abroad staff are available 24/7 to provide support and guidance. They will also make sure you feel comfortable and safe at your placement and accommodation. 

Find out more about safety and backup.

This placement is fully researched, safety audited, and risk assessed in accordance with the British Standard BS8848 for the Adventure Travel Sector.