Sixteen high school juniors from public schools in New York, Los Angeles and Detroit are heading to Florence, Italy, for a fully funded, monthlong immersion in Renaissance art, history and culture — an experience that organizers describe as a potentially life-changing opportunity.

The students, along with four teacher-chaperones, are this year’s recipients of the Palazzo Strozzi High School Renaissance Award, a scholarship created by the Palazzo Strozzi Foundation USA in partnership with the Departments of Education of New York, Los Angeles and Detroit.