Benvenuti!
Updated February 6, 2010Haiti Earthquake Relief Funds
The recent earthquakes that have occurred in Haiti have been devastating to the people and their country. For those who are interested in contributing to this worldwide relief effort, Department of Homeland Security Secretary, Janet Napolitano said in a press release statement (exit WisItalia), "Monetary contributions from individual Americans are the best way to immediately support the relief efforts of those who are working around-the-clock to help save lives in Haiti—and will help sustain these efforts over the long-term. The rebuilding process for the people of Haiti will undoubtedly be extremely difficult. I encourage every American who is interested in giving to participate in this response effort by providing support to those in need. You can visit www.whitehouse.gov/haitiearthquake (exit WisItalia) to make your contribution."
At the request of President Obama, former Presidents' Bill Clinton and George W. Bush are partnering to help the Haitian people reclaim their country and rebuild their lives. They have formed the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund (exit WisItalia). To learn more about this fund and how it works, view their Frequently Asked Questions (exit WisItalia).
Since this is a worldwide relief effort, there are many organizations accepting donations. Please be wary of online or telephone scams. View the list of reputable organizations (exit WisItalia) compiled by InterAction, a global organization that has guidelines on the most appropriate way to help those affected by overseas disasters.
Pick 'n Save, Copps & Rainbow Stores Raise More than $46,000 for Haiti. Pick 'n Save, Copps and Rainbow stores owned by Roundy's Supermarkets launched an effort to help earthquake-ravaged Haiti. The stores provided an opportunity for customers to donate to the relief efforts while shopping. Robert Mariano, Roundy's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer stated, "Our customers have always been generous, and we wanted to provide them with a convenient way to donate if they want to help Haiti." Thanks to customers and employees, Roundy's Supermarkets, Inc. is pleased to announce that it will be sending a check for $46,316 to the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund operated by former presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. The money is the result of a ten-day relief effort to help the victims in earthquake-ravaged Haiti. View the press release for more details (exit WisItalia).
For information about appropriate disaster relief volunteering offers, visit the Center for International Disaster Information (exit WisItalia).
Belle Notizie - AP Italian Language and Culture
Latest News - January 21, 2010:
"The Government of Italy has authorized the allocation of US $500,000 in support of maintaining the Advanced Placement Program in Italian Language
and Culture. It was made possible through the direct efforts in Italy by the Prime Minister¹s Office and by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the support of the Embassy of Italy in Washington. Major Italian American organizations also lent significant support to the effort."
Note: WisItalia was recognized as one of these organizations. Special thanks to Giovanna Miceli Jeffries and Ralph Annina for their participation in this effort.
View the entire e-mail (htm) by Anthony Tamburri >>
View the English and Italian version >> (pdf)
View previous AP status articles >>
WisItalia Teacher of the Year Nominations
WisItalia would like your nominations for the annual Teacher of the Year award. This award will take place on May 22, 2010, at the annual Spring WisItalia banquet to be held at the Italian-American Society of Kenosha, 2217 52nd Street, Kenosha, Wisconsin.
The nomination period is now open until March 13, 2010. You may either e-mail the nomination form (Word) back to wisitalia.info@gmail.com or send it through the US mail (address on the form).
Candidates should be teachers or instructors of the Italian language in Wisconsin's schools (elementary school, middle school, junior high school, senior high school, college or university) or Italian programs (after school, evening or weekend programs).
View the link to the previous award winners.
If you have any questions regarding the nomination process, please contact Giovanna Miceli Jeffries at italink@charter.net or 608 238-1991.
Searching for Older Italian Speakers
Alice Astarita, a Doctoral Student in Second Language Acquisition at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is looking for older native Italian speakers. The goal is for these Italian speakers to interact with learners who are seeking to improve their Italian skills and cultural knowledge. If you know of any older immigrants or heritage speakers of Italian who may reside in local Wisconsin nursing homes, assisted living facilities or in their own homes, please contact Alice Astarita at astarita@wisc.edu or 608 890-1428. The general topic she would like to investigate, as a part of her doctoral dissertation, is Service-learning and how it can be used for the development of linguistic skills and cultural awareness. View a summary of Alice Astarita's request (htm).
Non-Credit Italian Language Classes
for Spring 2010
It's time to think about signing up for an Italian language class. Spring registration is already available for many of the non-credit Italian language programs. Whether you are a continuing adult student or wanting to learn Italian for the first time, there are several options depending on where you live in Wisconsin (Appleton, De Pere, Kenosha, Madison/Portage, Milwaukee and Racine). There are also classes for children in Kenosha, Madison and Milwaukee. Information can be found in the upper right-hand corner of your computer screen under Schools & Italian Language Programs.
View a List of the Spring 2010 Italian Language Classes >>
Student Scholarship Applications Available
Scholarship funds are available from a variety of sources for students.
Students, check with the college or university where you will be or are attending, as they may offer scholarships for your area of study.
Here is a listing of some scholarships targeted to students of Italian descent, students interested in the Italian language and culture, and/or students intending to further their education by majoring in Italian studies.
View Scholarship Information >>
Plan your Spring, Summer or Fall 2010 Italy Trips!
Now is the time to start planning for an upcoming spring, summer or fall Italy trip. Whether it's for fun and/or language learning, the experience will be magnificent.
View the School-Sponsored Trips page >>
View the Trip Planner page >>
An End-of-the-Year Message from Italy's President of the Republic
December 31, 2009 - with an year-end message from the President of the Republic to the Italians, the Quirinal will launch its official channel on YouTube. Accessible at www.youtube.com/presidenzarepubblica (exit WisItalia), the channel will collect footage of the most significant activities of the Head of State. The YouTube channel of the Presidency of the Republic will be opened by a welcome message by President Napolitano: "We open the doors of the Quirinal to the many users of new media not only to broaden and make more efficient and modern means of our communication but also to promote and be ever closer and more transparent with the public. The new technologies know neither borders nor barriers. We meet in this space together to build opportunities for participation in democratic life." (AISE)
In italiano: CON IL MESSAGGIO DI FINE ANNO DEL PRESIDENTE NAPOLITANO PARTE IL QUIRINALE SBARCA SU YOU TUBE - ROMA - 31 dicembre 2009, con il messaggio di fine anno del Presidente della Repubblica agli italiani, il Quirinale lancerà il suo canale ufficiale su YouTube. Accessibile all'indirizzo www.youtube.com/presidenzarepubblica (exit WisItalia), il canale raccoglierà filmati degli interventi più significativi dell'attività del Capo dello Stato. Il canale YouTube della Presidenza della Repubblica sarà aperto da un messaggio di benvenuto del Presidente Napolitano: "Apriamo le porte del Quirinale ai tanti utenti dei nuovi media non solo per ampliare e rendere sempre più efficienti e moderni gli strumenti della nostra comunicazione ma anche per promuovere e favorire un rapporto sempre più stretto e trasparente con i cittadini. Le nuove tecnologie non conoscono né barriere né frontiere. Ci incontreremo in questo spazio per costruire, insieme, occasioni di partecipazione alla vita democratica". (aise)
WisItalia Grant Recipients: 2009-10 School Year
WisItalia, in conjunction with the Consul General of Italy and the Italian government, is able to give certain Wisconsin schools/programs that teach the Italian language, grant funds for their language programs. These funds can be used to purchase teaching materials, to augment teacher or teaching assistant pay, or for any legitimate and academically sound activity that furthers the study of Italian language and culture.
As of December 2009, WisItalia distributed $8,500 for the 2009-2010 school year.
WisItalia also grants funds to be used to assist educators with offsetting the costs of education/licensure expenses so that these teachers become licensed to teach Italian in the public schools in Wisconsin. This school year, WisItalia has awarded a total of $2,000 in grant funds to four teachers.
View the Full Article >>
There are also other grant opportunities available at the national level to assist educators and University Italian clubs.
View Other Grant Opportunities >>
Searching for Family Immigration Stories
Great Chicago Italian Recipes.com is currently searching for family immigration stories or just Italian family stories that can be included in their "Italian American Heritage Preservation" section of their website. The section has been up since June of 2007 and they are looking for more stories. If you or members of your organization would like to contribute, all that needs to be done is to submit stories to be published on that site. It’s easy to do and it’s completely free. View the online Italian American Heritage Preservation form for details (exit WisItalia). This link has been added to the WisItalia Links page for future reference, under Miscellaneous Links.
Italian Teacher Job Openings
Looking for an Italian teaching job in Wisconsin? There are Italian teacher job openings at the following schools:
- (Winter 2010) Mt. Carmel-St. Therese Elementary School, Kenosha
- (Fall 2010) East, Southwest and West High Schools, Green Bay
- (Fall 2010) Indian Trail High School and Academy, Kenosha
WisItalia on Facebook
WisItalia now has a Public Page on Facebook. Become a fan of WisItalia.
If you are a member, login once you're on the WisItalia Facebook page.
If you are not a member of Facebook, you can still view the page at www.facebook.com/pages/WisItalia-Inc/84589159502 (exit WisItalia).
WisItalia Brochure
The WisItalia brochure was recently revised, with the content written by Rita Prigioni, and the layout and graphic design provided by Nathan Godding. View the WisItalia Brochure (pdf) to learn about the services and activities supported or provided by WisItalia. It may be useful for use at Italian-American Club, Festival or School events. The brochure contains a summary of the information contained on the WisItalia website and is now summarized on an About WisItalia page. The link for About WisItalia is located on the left-hand side bar, as well as on the Mission page.
View About WisItalia >>
Sign Up for WisItalia Web Updates >>
Italian Notebook
A free daily email from Italy for Italy lovers everywhere!
View the archives (exit WisItalia) often to learn a little bit about the history or contemporary events/issues in Italy.
PDF Files
Some documents on this site have been converted into a .pdf format. You will need the free Acrobat Reader® (exit WisItalia) software to view and print portable document format (PDF) files.
