The course provides an exciting opportunity for students to immerse themselves in the rich culture of Florence, using the WWAC method: Walks Without a Classroom.
The Pomario
The Pomario Botanical Retail store is FUA’s most recent CEMI (community engagement member institution) initiative. Pomario is operated by students and faculty members of the School of Business at FUA, where students are given the opportunity to learn about urban ecology in both the classroom and through a hands-on professional approach as well. Pomario allows students to interact with the local community to educate residents through botany, sustainability, and horticulture.
At its core, Pomario aims to support and spread knowledge on how to lead a greener and more sustainable lifestyle. Much like many of FUA’s CEMI initiatives, Pomario is built on the institution’s commitment to education through experiential learning.
Some of the services and products offered by Pomario are:
- Ongoing selection and curation of plant varieties
- Special expansion of vegetables
- Collaborations with other local entities
- Development of events that feature hands-on learning experiences
- Green retail management
- Sustainable marketing and promotion
- Involvement in green/sustainability events hosted at the Palazzi Community Center
Pomario offers a vast selection of plants and gardening items; however, it is much more than just a retail store for purchasing plants. With a focus on supporting community seminars that place emphasis on horticulture themes, Pomario organizes multiple sustainably-friendly initiatives and activities that are open to anyone who wishes to attend. Thanks to the store’s Via Ricasoli location at the Palazzi Community Center, students, faculty, and visitors alike can benefit from the center’s Cafaggio del Vescovo gardens featuring citrus trees, herbs, and plants of many varieties.FUA is constantly redefining and reinventing what it means to learn in an international setting. Going beyond the classroom and immersing students in the community, FUA cultivates and helps to develop students’ global perspective by exposing them to new ideas, issues, and solutions through the city of Florence. Through an experience-oriented approach, FUA students are transformed into citizens of the world with a greener global outlook.
Connecting to Florence’s LGBTQ+ Community with IREOS
In divisive times, IREOS aims to support vulnerable groups through its “Unveiling Pride” night at Palazzi Community Center's Fedora Garden.
A Walk Through One of Florence’s Hidden Treasures
This course promotes physical activity for FUA students and also pushes them to see sides of the city they probably would not otherwise.