Benvenuti!
Updated September 1, 2010 ShareHelp Save the AP Italian Program!
The Order Sons of Italy in America (OSIA) is currently holding a campaign to raise funds to continue the Advanced Placement (AP) Program in Italian. Despite its popularity in U.S. schools, the AP Program in Italian is currently suspended and is in danger of being permanently eliminated for lack of funds. The Sons of Italy has joined a coalition of organizations (such as NIAF, UNICO, Columbus Citizens Foundation and the American Society of the Italian Legions of Merit) working to preserve the AP Program in Italian and has launched a nationwide fund-raising campaign to help fund this important language program. A donation from you would greatly assist in achieving the goal of preserving the AP Program in Italian. Use the donation form (pdf) to make a contribution today.
Festivale Italiano in Hurley, WI
Looking for some fun Italian festivals to go to this summer and fall?
Here's a sneak peak at some of the festivals to enjoy great food, music, raffles, bocce and lots more.
September Festivals:
- Festivale Italiano in Hurley, WI: September 4-5
- Italian Expo 2010 in Chicago, IL: September 17-19
Changes in WisItalia Board and Representatives
Elizabeth Mitchell was appointed as WisItalia Treasurer, effective July 1, 2010. She is currently the Director of Development and Dean of Students at Trinity Academy, a K-12th grade independent school in Pewaukee, WI. She is also the Italian Language Chair in the High School and teaches Italian I, II, III, and IV to grades 9-12. Elizabeth was the recipient of the WisItalia Teacher of the Year Award in 2007. Thanks to Frank Alfano who served as the WisItalia Treasurer from April 14, 2008 to June 30, 2010.
Other changes:
Effective July 1, 2010, Frank Alfano became the Madison Representative. Thanks to Giovanna Miceli Jeffries who previously served as the Madison Representative. Giovanna continues in her lead role on the WisItalia Education Committee, and will be joined by Tom Balistreri who will co-chair the committee with her.
Effective August 1, 2010, Al Rolandi assumed the position of co-chairing the WisItalia Advisory Committee, along with Peter Barca. Tom Balistreri will also be the Milwaukee Representative. Thanks to Al for previously serving in the Milwaukee Representative role.
Effective January 1, 2011, Rita Prigioni will serve as the WisItalia Secretary, along with her role as the WisItalia webmaster. Thanks to Joanna Stenson for her continued role as the Secretary until her term expires.
View the summaries of the other WisItalia Board Members and Area Representatives >>
WisItalia Summary Meeting Minutes and Photos
On July 24, 2010, WisItalia held its general meeting at the Roma Lodge Italian Festival, 501 Lake Avenue, Racine, WI 53403. The summary minutes and photos from the meeting are posted on the Meeting Dates page.
Use PayPal to Make a Donation
Do you think teaching Italian to Wisconsin students is a worthwhile endeavor?
Try out the new "Donate" button and show your support. Donations are tax deductible as allowable by law:
WisItalia depends on funds from the Italian government and private donations to support the Italian language programs and teachers in Wisconsin.
Your support is needed during these tough economic times, as many school budgets have been cut and providing Italian teaching materials can be expensive. Also, due to budget cuts from the Italian government for this fall, WisItalia will be short several thousand dollars in providing the grant funds to our Italian language programs/schools.
Here's where we need your help. We need your donations and sponsorships to help keep the Italian language programs going. And, your donations are tax-deductible.
To make it more convenient for you to make monetary donations or to pay for your web sponsorships, WisItalia has a PayPal account.
It's an easy and secure way to make your donations, and you DO NOT need a PayPal account yourself, as the system takes credit or debit cards.
View the Donations page for more information.
View the Sponsorship page to become a sponsor on our website.
Sons of Italy Announces Partnership with the Doug Flute, Jr. Foundation for Austim
WASHINGTON, DC, July 28, 2010 - The Order Sons of Italy in America (OSIA), through its philanthropic arm the Sons of Italy Foundation (SIF), will join the Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation for Autism, Inc. in its mission to promote awareness and improve the quality of life for individuals with autism and their families.
Read the press release >>
Non-Credit Italian Language Classes
for Fall 2010
Whether you are a continuing adult student or wanting to learn Italian for the first time, there are a variety of Italian class options. There's even an online course available if you do not live in these areas! Information can be found in the upper right-hand corner of your computer screen under Schools & Italian Language Programs, or on the left-hand side bar on every page.
View the list of Fall 2010 Italian Language Classes >>
Former Students of Italian, Where are You Now?
Do you ever wonder what the former students, who received Italian instruction in WI's school system, are up to these days?
Recently, there was an article in Milwaukee's "Italian Times" newspaper about one such former student, Michael Balistreri. In an interview with Bob Ruggieri, "Midshipman Michael Balistreri has had some very interesting stuff going on in his life recently, and it's as the result of his having learned and built upon his ability to speak Italian.
"Michael, the son of Italian Community Center Board member Tom Balistreri and his wife, Barbara, received his first instruction in Italian at Rufus King High School, then had the benefit of private tutoring. Upon entering the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, MD, he was one of the founders of the Italian American Midshipmen Club at the academy. That club now has 80 members and Michael is its president.
"The interesting stuff? During their spring break, Michael and three classmates visited L'Accademia Navale (the Italian Naval Academy) in Livorno (a port city in the Tuscany region, between Florence and Pisa) and were given a tour by Italian officers attending a preflight course there. The Americans visited the academy's sea-navigation simulator, academic classrooms and planetarium."
Ruggieri went on to say, "Michael's experiences thus far are one indication of how the ability to speak another language – in this case, Italian – can be of great benefit as the world gets smaller. So kudos to WisItalia, whose efforts have led to Italian being taught in more and more Wisconsin schools."
Read the full article (pdf) to learn more about Michael's experiences.
How You Can Help Spread the Word
If you received Italian instruction from the school system in WI, or know of other former students of Italian who would like to share their experiences of how learning Italian has influenced their lives, please contact Rita Prigioni at wisitalia.info@gmail.com. We'd like to feature their stories and accomplishments on the website.Article and photos from the WisItalia Awards Banquet
WisItalia celebrated its 7th annual Awards Banquet on May 22, 2010, at the Italian-American Society of Kenosha, 2217 52nd Street, Kenosha, WI. Awards went to Joanna Stenson - Teacher of the Year; Vincent F. Ruffolo - President's Award; and Rita Prigioni - Outstanding Service Award.
Read the article >>
View photo album >>
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 May 2010, WisItalia distributed $11,150 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 >>
Thinking about an Italian Immersion Experience?
Have you sometimes thought about taking an Italian immersion course in Italy? The experience can be very rewarding, according to someone who recently "immersed" herself in the Italian culture. Read the recent testimonial (pdf) by Mariann Millard, who attended Ovit-Milano in Milan, Italy in November 2009. As she describes it, "There’s no substitution for daily interaction in class, participating in extra-curricular school activities and conducting everyday, mundane functions like going to the grocery store and mingling with the natives." For information on this school and other immersion schools in Italy, visit the Schools in Italy page.
As mentioned in her testimonial, Ms. Millard has a trip planning business, Meander with Mariann. View the Trip Planning page to contact her or other trip planning resources.
Plan your 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 Trip Planning page >>
View the School-Sponsored Trips page >>
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 Notebook
Learn a little bit about the history or contemporary events/issues in Italy (exit WisItalia).
WisItalia on Facebook
WisItalia Brochure
The WisItalia brochure was revised July 2010, 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 >>
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.
