IMMERSE YOURSELF IN THE ARTS WITH ABBEY ROAD

Our recent photo contest was just one facet of an overall commitment on the part of Abbey Road to the arts. Abbey Road has always deeply supported arts education and the exposure of teens to art in a fun, low-key way. Abbey Road's foremost commitment to the students is an academic one, and art provides another route for students to engage in critical thought and dialogue and immerse themselves in a new culture. Abbey Road provides an environment for such modes of learning.
Abbey Road's Florence Art program integrates daily studio practices with the long, rich tradition of arts in Florence. Students take studio art classes, art history and on-site observational drawing classes, then go out into the city to museums, art galleries, private collections, walking streets studded with beautiful old buildings.
"One of the major benefits of the program is that we don't just do the major museums and major churches, we do it all," said William Binnie, a member of the Florence Art program staff. "We may go to the Uffizi in the morning and then hike up to a small hillside Romanesque church in the afternoon. Big museums often house astonishing collections of artwork, but we try to balance out everything, so it's not just a highlights tour but rather more of a 'nooks and crannies' tour mixed in with the major sites."
However, every Abbey Road program involves a great deal of art, architecture and art history, due to being based in major European cities with long histories and well-preserved art and buildings.
"Each program has access to some of the most unbelievable collections, both private and public, on the face of the earth," said Binnie. "However, artistic resources are hardly limited to museums and galleries, because simply walking around the city is like being in a museum in itself."

Indeed, Abbey Road parents note that cultural immersion happens every day on an Abbey Road program. "Sigal got to see and touch the Acropolis," said Sharon Azmon, whose daughter will take her second trip with Abbey Road this summer. "She walked the beautiful city of Florence and was completely taken by the warmth of its people and its beautiful art."
"The photography was what really sealed the deal for Michael, as he is an avid photographer at home and loved that taking pictures of his trip was built into the program," said Pam Mallon. "The museums and fine art blew him away."
"You simply cannot go on an Abbey Road program and avoid being completely overwhelmed by the richness of the cultural and artistic heritage of each city," Binnie said. - Katie Ginder-Vogel

THE ABBEY ROAD HOLIDAY PROMOTION IS HERE!

Enroll by December 15th, 2009 and you will receive a $500 discount on any program of your choice! To find out more information about program availability, program selection, or to ask any other questions you might have, please call our offices at: (888) 462-2239 or (310) 473-7300

NYC INFO SESSION - SATURDAY 5 DECEMBER 2009

Meet us in Manhattan!
Abbey Road staff will be holding an informational meeting in Manhattan on Saturday, December 5th.

Date: Saturday, December 5th, 2009
Time: 2:00pm
Location: Warwick Hotel
Address: 65 West 54th Street (6th Avenue), New York, NY 10019

Refreshments will be served!
RSVP is required!

888-462-2239
310-473-7300 (weekdays)
310-560-3312 (evenings and weekends)

OFFICIAL 2009 PHOTO CONTEST WINNERS!

Congratulations to the winners of the 2009 Summer Photo Contest! Thank you to all of those who voted for your favorite images! The people have spoken and the polls are now officially closed. After receiving nearly 200 votes in 4 days our winners have been decided! The prizes shall be awarded shortly. This was an amazing process from start to finish. To those who did not win in their respective categories, simply making it to the final round from the 700+ photos that we started with is quite a feat! Below are the winners of each category and notable runner-ups. You can click the images to enlarge them. Enjoy!

BEST OVERALL SHOT:


BEST SCENIC SHOT:


BEST ACTION/CANDID SHOT:


BEST GROUP SHOT:
.

NOTABLE CONTENDERS:




ABBEY ROAD PROGRAMS GROWS DESPITE TOUGH ECONOMY: Families Are Investing In Student Travel

In the face of these challenging economic times, Abbey Road Programs finds itself thriving. “In an economy like this, families are working hard to save money,” says Abbey Road Programs’ founder and President, Dr. Arthur Kian. “However, education remains an investment priority for many parents.”
Sharon Azmon sent her daughter Sigal to Italy and France with Abbey Road Programs. “The program not only made history three dimensional for her, it gave her the opportunity to experience new cultures, new people, new foods and hear native languages in an educational and safe environment,” said Azmon, whose daughter will return to Italy with Abbey Road Programs this summer. “Yes, this was expensive, but it was a great investment that we feel paid off.”
Lorrie Latzen almost didn’t send her daughter Elena to France due to the economic downturn but is glad she made the investment in the program. “When it came right down to it, things got difficult,” said Latzen. “The economy had fallen apart, and honestly, we were concerned about her safety while traveling outside the U.S.” The family ultimately decided Elena should have the opportunity to grow and learn overseas. “We had to carefully think this through, as it was a big investment,” said Latzen, “but we also knew that if we did this right, our return on this investment would be invaluable, and that is how it turned out.”
Over 600 students participated in Abbey Road programs in the summer of 2009.

PHOTO CONTEST 2K9: FINAL JUDGEMENT

This is it...after receiving over 700 (that's seven-HUNDRED) photographs from the students of AR2K9 (Abbey Road Programs - Summer 2009), we have managed to narrow them all down to 3-4 top choices in four separate categories. It has been a painstaking but thoroughly enjoyable process due to the many, many exquisite photos that were snapped all over Europe this past summer. We've made it to this point and now we seek your help in deciding the official winners of Photo Contest 2K9.
There are four categories: Best Scenic Shot, Best Action/Candid Shot, Best Group Shot, and Best Overall. The winner of the Best Overall category will be awarded a $100 Amazon gift card! The winner of each of the other three categories will be awarded $50 Amazon gift cards! Other prizes will be awarded since the photos are just all so outstanding.
All of the images in each category are posted below, which can be enlarged by clicking on each individual photo. On the right side of the screen you will see the corresponding polls for each category where the votes shall be cast. Upon the closing of the polls we will re-post the winners in a larger, more grandiose fashion, along with honorable mentions. It is now up to you! The choice is yours! ROCK THE VOTE!


BEST SCENIC SHOT:

1. Rooftop View

2. Sea and Sky

3. View of Sea (with trees)

BEST CANDID/ACTION SHOT:

1. On the River Seine (with Eiffel Tower)

2. Jumping in the Surf at Glyfada

3. Piggy Back Ride in Florence

BEST GROUP SHOT:

1. Group at Tuiliers

2. Girls at Delphi

3. Group at San Gimignano

BEST OVERALL SHOT:


1. Hanging Out on the Rail

2. Girls Laying on the Grass

3. Girls with Gladiators

4. Girls on the Lawn at the Louvre