2009 Italian Summer Camp for Children
Campo d'italiano: il prato verde e il lago azzurro
By - Giovanna Miceli Jeffries
An Italian Language Immersion program was held for two weeks (June 15 – 26, 2009) in Madison with the participation of 6 children, age 4-9. “Il prato verde e il lago azzurro” (Green meadow and blue lake), the name of the camp, was hosted at the home of Giovanna Miceli Jeffries, who organized and taught the program with the assistance of another teacher, Tony Manzo. The proximity of Spring Harbor Park and Beach allowed for the recreational outdoor aspect of the program. For two hours each morning, students were immersed in active listening and production of Italian through songs, games, indoor and outdoor language activities: they went shopping to various Italian stores, visited Roma and dropped coins in the Fontana di Trevi. They played Italian children games, bocce and became acquainted with various Italian traditional festivals, such as the Palio di Siena, the Regatta Storica in Venice.
They took walks to the nearby park and beach while observing and recognizing, in Italian, plants, animals and the environment. Each day, at the end of the period, they filled in a journal, in Italian, describing their activities. 
One of the highlights of the day was “merenda,” their mid-morning snack which they helped prepare while practicing and retaining new vocabulary: their merenda included a variety of fresh fruit, typical Italian snacks of fresh bread with Nutella, panini with salame and mozzarella, home-made individual pizza, “pasta al burro e parmigiano,” and even “brioche al gelato,” a typical Sicilian summer treat made with a sweet bun filled with gelato. 
The last day of the camp, proud parents and grandparents came to watch the children introduce themselves to the audience, performer the songs they had learned and receive their “diplomino,” (certificate).This is the second time that an Italian Immersion Camp has been offered in Madison under the auspices of WisItalia. The first was held in the summer of 2003 and was equally successful.
Based on the positive results, the plan is to offer the program again, and to extend it to three weeks. View the copy of the lesson and activity plan found on the WisItalia Educational Resources Curriculum page.
Photos from the Summer Camp
To see more photos of the summer camp, view the online web album.
Updated March 6, 2010
