The 2011 Alumni Reunion!!

Abbey Road’s summer staff and faculty cordially invite all 2011 Alumni to attend this year’s holiday Alumni Reunion event December 3rd, 2011 hosted at The Pond at Bryant Park in New York. Enjoy the gorgeous view and tasty food and refreshments from inside our private party room as you catch up with all your summer friends and staff. VIP entrance and ice skates will be provided to everyone attending. Your RSVP is required so please call 1-888-462-2239 or e-mail info@goabbeyroad.com to confirm your attendance. RSVPs must be received by November 22nd to allow adequate time for party planning. We look forward to seeing you at Bryant Park for what is sure to be a fun-filled evening in NYC!

Reunion details:
Date: Saturday, December 3rd, 2011 Time: 4:00pm – 6:00pm
Location: The Pond at Bryant Park, 41 West 40th Street, New York, NY 10018, (212) 661-6640
For more information and a preview of the venue visit: www.bryantpark.org/things-to-do/pond.html

Upcoming Informational Meetings!

Come join us! Abbey Road Informational meetings are a wonderful opportunity to meet our directors in person, learn more about our summer programs and ask questions. Meetings are open to prospective students and their parents, as well as teachers and advisors. Here is a short list of some upcoming info meetings! RSVP is required for all meetings. Please call 1-888-462-2239 (weekdays) or 1-310-560-3312 (evenings and weekends). To schedule a meeting in your area, please email info@goabbeyroad.com

Dallas, TX: November 16th
San Antonio, TX: November 17th
New York, NY: November 19th
Houston, TX: November 19th
Boston, MA: November 22nd
Los Angeles, CA: December 10th

2011 Alumni Photo Contest Winners!

A huge THANK YOU to all of the students who participated in this year's Abbey Road Alumni Photo Contest! There were so many amazing photographs submitted from this past summer! Congratulations to our winners and a big thanks to everyone who voted for their favorite finalists! The votes have been tallied and this year's photo contest winners are....

BEST SCENIC/ARTISTIC

Submitted by: Daniela M.
Florence

BEST CANDID

Submitted by: Elyse T.
Aix-en-Provence

BEST GROUP SHOT

Submitted by: Karina L.
St. Laurent-du-Var

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING

Submitted by: Thomas B.
Aix-en-Provence

The Polls are closed!

Hi Everyone! The polls for this year's Abbey Road Alumni photo contest have officially closed. A big thank you to everyone who voted! This year saw the closest race in contest history! Now the Abbey Road staff will tally the votes and the winners of this year's contest will be announced right here on the Abbey Road Blog Monday, October 24th. Once again a huge thanks to all who participated!


Rock the vote! Make your choice count!

The 2011 Abbey Road Summer Alumni Photo Contest has come to an end. This year we received nearly 600 submissions! After careful review we have selected five finalists for each category. Now it is your turn to the rock the vote and select a winner. To cast your vote, simply look to the right and click on the name and number of the photo in each category that you think should win!  It's that easy! The polls will be open for 1 week and will officially close on Thursday October 13th at 3pm. So don’t delay and make sure to be heard! A huge thank you to all who participated and good luck to our finalists!


Best Scenic/Artistic Shot

1. Eiffel Tower

2. Seaside Cathedral

3. Lovers Locks

4. Mirror Image

5. Rooftop

Best Candid Shot
1. Bust a move

2. Gettin' a drink

3. Blowin' bubbles

4. What's so funny?

5. Playground fun

Best Group Shot
1. Visit to Musee Picasso

2. Chillin' at the park

3. Cool breeze

4. Fountain fun

5. Harry Potter!

Experiential Learning
1. Street Music

2. Lecture on the steps

3. Shopping at the market

4. Old world learning

5. Fashion class







Program Updates

Just a quick overview of the amazing experiences our groups have been having!!!

The Aix group has been having a blast practicing their French at the market and on the beach, and have been immersing themselves in French culture at Les Rencontres D'Arles Photography Festival and the Vasarely Foundation Museum.

The Barcelona group explored Girona, a preserved Medeivil city, and have watched some Spanish films.

The Cadiz group has been enjoying the beach, the local cuisine, and a national park where they went surfing and kayaking! They also volunteered their time to help with a beach clean-up.

The Firenze group has been soaking in the beautiful weather, spending time doing outdoor activities like frisbee, biking, and volleyball. They've also had some great cultural opportunities like visiting il Museo di Bargello where chamber music played while they looked at art.

The Nice group has been exploring the city and surrounding cities, taking dance lessons, snorkeling, and other fun activities. They even got to see fireworks on Bastille Day!

The St. Laurent-Du-Var group has visited a modern art museum, gone shopping in Cannes, gone kayaking, and has been exploring the surrounding region.

The Western Civ group has started out in Athens where they could enjoy the ancient Greek ruins, great Greek food, and eplore the region and learn about its incredible history.

The programs have been off to a fantastic start! Keep coming back to the blog for more updates and check out the Abbey Road Programs facebook page!

2011 PROGRAM BLOGS READY TO ROLL!

Our fresh batch of program blogs just sprouted up right in time for summer!  The blogs won't really become active until the programs all start next month so stay tuned for all of the exciting news from each of our programs!  Much, much more to come!  We are shaking with excitement and can hardly sit still waiting for the programs to begin!  We're all greatly looking forward to another amazing summer with Abbey Road and watching all of our diligent planning come to glorious fruition.  When the time is right, check out what's happening on our programs by following the links below!  Also, we'll have a number of student ambassador blogs documenting their experiences while on their respective programs, so stay tuned for information on those as well!  We'll post those links very soon! Be excited, be very excited.

SUMMER IS SO CLOSE!!!

ABBEY ROAD ON FOX'S MONEY 101!

Abbey Road's Student Relations Manager, Western Civilization staff member, and Summer Programs Manager extraordinaire, Emily Tzouanakis, was recently interviewed by Emily Driscoll for a piece for Fox Business!  The article entitled, "Dip Your Toes Into Campus Life Through a Summer Program", discusses the benefits of a summer program experience, be it studying abroad on one of our European programs or a domestic program such as our Leadership Academy at Stanford or College Prep in Boston.  Pretty sure we might get in trouble if we paste the article here on the blog, given the "This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. © 2011 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved" on the Fox site, so we'll just post a link below for you to follow to the article.  Certainly don't want Bill O'Reilly knocking on our door with a cease and desist order! Enjoy!
Read the article HERE!

THREE MEMBERS OF FLORENCE ART STAFF IN GROUP EXHIBITION IN TEXAS!

Abbey Road isn't just something that brings our fabulous staff together during the summertime!  Three art instructors on our Florence summer program are participating in the same group exhibition in Dallas, Texas.  William Binnie, Lindsay Mapes, and Antonio Puleo- all painters of very different styles and living in different parts of the world- will each have paintings of theirs on display in the exhibit entitled Play Dead: 23 Artists on Death & Dying.  Don't let the grim theme distract you though- all three of them are just about as cheery a bunch as you can find anywhere!  William, who teaches the drawing major alongside fellow artist Lindsay every summer, also curated the show which is set to open on May 7th.  The show includes over twenty artists from Los Angeles, New York City, London, Massachusetts and Texas.  
Here at Abbey Road, our staff aren't merely hobbyists; each and every one of our art instructors are accomplished practicing studio artists who have had their work collected and displayed all over the world.  They are able to bring their passion that they employ the other 11 months of the year to Florence where they can share their love of art with students eager to immerse themselves into the art world, from pre-Roman architecture to cutting-edge contemporary.  And that notion is certainly not restricted to the arts by any means: all of our staff, regardless of the area of specialty, are experts in their respective fields, which is why Abbey Road loves them and they love Abbey Road.
William is a painter currently living and working in Dallas.  He studied art and art history at the Claremont Colleges, graduating in 2008. Willie recently had work shown at Art Los Angeles Contemporary and will have work on display at the Whitney Museum of American Art's 2011 Art Party in late May.  He has shown works in New York, Los Angeles, and Texas.  This will be his third summer with Abbey Road teaching drawing with Lindsay as well as the Tuscan Cuisine elective.
Lindsay Mapes received her BFA from San Francisco Art Institute and a Post-Bacc. Degree from SACI in Florence, Italy. She completed her MFA at the Slade School of Fine Art - University College London- this past year and is currently living and working as an artist in London.  This will be Lindsay's fifth summer teaching both the drawing major and the drawing elective on the Florence program.
Antonio Puleo, an Abbey Road veteran of more than 6 years, teaches oil painting in Florence every summer.  Antonio received his BFA from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design and went on to complete  his MFA at UCLA.  He currently lives and works in Los Angeles where he creates wall-sized paintings and sculptural installations.
Abbey Road is thrilled to see summer staff members work together throughout the year.  They are all very excited about another summer in Florence with Abbey Road!


NEW SPORTS ELECTIVE IN FRANCE + ITALY!

We're thrilled to announce our new Sports + Games elective which we have just added in France and Italy! Study abroad and enjoy soccer, tennis, sailing, swimming, kayaking, cycling, volleyball and more every week in Nice, St-Laurent, Aix and Florence!

FLORENCE: OSA Soccer Academy (Elective)
Train like a real Italian pro-athlete! During this exciting tri-weekly soccer elective students will be exposed to the training techniques and soccer style of the acclaimed OSA Soccer Academy and Florence’s own ACF Fiorentina professional soccer club. Each week, accredited OSA coaches will work directly with students to enhance their skills and training techniques through group and individual practice, drills and scrimmages. Students will also have the unique opportunity to tour the Coverciano complex, home to the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), visit its museum as well as tour the ACF Fiorentina stadium. Participants of the course will receive an official training kit of socks, shorts and shirt along with an official diploma upon completion. Students must bring their own soccer, running shoes and shin guards. Previous knowledge of soccer encouraged.

AIX-EN-PROVENCE: Sports and Games (Elective)
During this exciting exploration of the sports, games and leisure activities enjoyed by French teenagers throughout Provence, students will be exposed to the local culture of Aix from a thrilling new perspective. Each week, classes alternate between cultural sports and/or games native to Southern France such as pétanque, tarot and belote, and 2-3 internationally enjoyed sports such as volley ball, soccer, swimming, tennis, bicycling, and squash. In addition to being a great way to stay physically active this summer, this elective provides exciting opportunities for cultural and language exchange with local French teenagers who will often join us in our play. Qualified instruction and equipment (with the exception of running shoes and cleats) are provided to all participants. No previous athletic experience is required.

NICE & ST-LAURENT-DU-VAR: Riviera Sports and Games (Elective)
Experience local French culture from a thrilling new perspective as you participate in the sports and leisure activities enjoyed by French teenagers throughout the sunny Côte d’azur! Each week, classes alternate between cultural sports and/or games native to Southern France such as pétanque, tarot and belote, and 2-3 internationally enjoyed sports including beach volley ball, soccer, kayaking, sailing, tennis, catamaran, squash, the martial arts, and wind surfing. In addition to being a great way to stay physically active this summer, this elective provides exciting opportunities for cultural and language exchange with local French teenagers who will often join us in our play. Qualified instruction and equipment (with the exception of running shoes and cleats) are provided to all participants. No previous athletic experience is required.

MEET US IN YOUR TOWN! 2011 INFO MEETINGS!

Abbey Road informational meetings are a wonderful opportunity to meet our directors in person, learn more about our summer programs and ask questions. Meetings are open to prospective students and their parents, as well as teachers and advisors. Here is a short list of some upcoming info meetings!   More to come! RSVP is required for all meetings.  Please call 1-888-462-2239 (weekdays) or 1-310-560-3312 (evenings and weekends).  To schedule a meeting in your area, please email info@goabbeyroad.com

Boston, MA: April 2
Dallas, TX: April 2
New York, NY: March 26, April 9
San Francisco, CA: April 9

HAPPY ST. PATTY'S DAY ABBEY ROADERS!

Lads & Lassies, here's a wee grip 'o our favorite St. Patrick's Day comics!

Our personal favorite! Click to enlarge!
©Mark Parisi
©Mark Parisi
©Mark Parisi
©Mark Parisi

TO THE LONE STAR AND BACK AGAIN!

Howdy Y'all!  Abbey Road just got finished trekking all throughout the great big State of Texas and boy, oh, boy did we have a blast!  It was a real treat meeting all of the fine folks of the Lone Star State and spreading the good word about Abbey Road to every soul who would lend us an ear.  We did the grand triangle tour, starting in Dallas, heading down to Houston, out west to Austin, and back up through the hill country to Big D once again.  We met a whole bunch of wonderful people and sampled plenty of regional fare ranging from country fried steaks, to brisket tacos, to chile rellenos for breakfast!  We covered a lot of ground and had a grand ol' time.  Thank you to everyone we came across along the journey!  We'll see you next year, Texas!  Until then, ciao ciao!


MEET US IN YOUR NECK O' THE WOODS!

EARLY 2011 INFO MEETINGS!
You're invited! Abbey Road informational meetings are a wonderful opportunity to meet our directors in person, learn more about our summer programs and ask questions in a casual and relaxed setting. Meetings are open to prospective students and their parents, as well as teachers and advisors. Come join us!
Atlanta, GA: Jan 27
Boston, MA: Jan 29
Chicago, IL: Jan 15
Los Angeles, CA: Jan 22, Feb 12
Miami, FL: Jan 16
New York, NY: Jan 22, Jan 29, Feb 5, Feb 12, Feb 26
San Francisco, CA: Jan 15, Feb 5
Abbey Road will also be embarking on our second annual Tour de Texas very soon! We had a grand 'ol time last year and can't wait to get back and visit with all of the kind folks in the Lone Star State! Dates and locations coming soon!
MEET US IN MANHATTAN!
Abbey Road hosts regular weekend info brunches in The Big Apple. All interested families are encouraged to attend to learn more about our summer programs and have their questions answered. See upcoming dates listed above.
MEET US IN YOUR AREA!
Schedule an informal meeting with our staff in your neighborhood. We will tell you more about our programs and answer all of your questions. With staff members all across the United States, we can accommodate many locations.
RSVP is required for all meetings. Please call 1-888-462-2239. To schedule a meeting in your area, please email info@goabbeyroad.com

EARLY BIRD SPECIAL!

THE ABBEY ROAD NEW YEAR PROMOTION!

In celebration of the New Year and in anticipation of a fantastic summer, Abbey Road is offering a very special promotion to all families that enroll on an Abbey Road Summer Program by February 15th, 2011. Sign up by February 15th and you qualify for one of the following flight options:

• Students traveling from San Francisco, Los Angeles, Houston, Dallas, Miami and Boston qualify for a free domestic flight booked through Abbey Road and STA travel!

• Students traveling from non-major airports will receive an automatic $300 credit good towards any program tuition to help get them across the U.S!

Call us at 1-888-462-2239 or chat with us online at www.goabbeyroad.com!

Abbey Road is proud to offer special annual discounts and promotions to prospective and currently enrolled students and their families, as well as to our fabulous Alumni. Be sure to check out the Program Scholarships page for more details!

*Restrictions apply. Student must be fully enrolled with at least half of their program tuition paid prior to flight booking.

MMXI!


(I promise this will be my last cheesy holiday post...until Valentine's Day)
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