Sandy Hook resident Ricky Grasso is not only studying abroad this semester, but he is also sharing a special part of his home with residents and tourists in Rome.

Ricky (NHS ’11), who has taken a photojournalism course, has decided to place Sandy Hook Ducks — white and green rubber ducks that have come to symbolize Sandy Hook Elementary School and the town of Newtown — at locations around the city. And then he sits back with his camera and waits for reactions. He received “some pretty unbelievable feedback,” he said in a recent message.

Many people do not know the symbolism behind the ducks, but most at least smiled when they discovered them, said Ricky. One man circled back to take a photo of a duck that had been perched on a railing near the Tiber River (upper photo, right). In another moment, a woman could not help but smile when she found one near the Trevi Fountain (lower photo).

Ducks of Sandy Hook have also found their way into The Church of Santa Maria, The Vatican, and outside The Coliseum, among other locations. From a collection of 50 images he created, Ricky posted his eight favorites in a Facebook album he called Sandy Hook Duck Experiment.