Two campus buildings renamed in recognition of J.J. and Janet Cafaro and Family
Two buildings on the Youngstown State University campus will get new names in recognition of a donation from John J. and Janet Cafaro and their daughters, the Honorable Capri Silvestri Cafaro and Renee Lynne Cafaro. “Our heartfelt thanks to J.J. and Jan for this generous gift and continued strong support for the university, our students and the ent...
Barbanente to head DuPage school district
Dr. Jean Barbanente has been appointed interim superintendent of DuPage High School District 88, which encompasses Addison Trail and Willowbrook high schools. She is the district’s first female superintendent as well as the first to speak multiple languages. Barbanente has been with District 88 for more than 25 years and worked with past superinten...
New education director arrives in Chicago
Dottoressa Marina Lenza is the new director of the Education Office of the Italian Consulate of Chicago. Lenza was born near l’Aquila in the Parco Nazionale del Gran Sasso e dei Monti della Laga, the largest mountainous area of Abruzzo. She graduated from La Sapienza, the University of Rome, and has held roles in the Ministry of Education as a teac...
Italian American Chamber of Commerce of Michigan Awards 2021 Scholarships
The highlight of the June 2, 2021 meeting of the Italian American Chamber of Commerce of Michigan (IACCM) was the presentation of the 2021 scholarships. This year eighteen submissions were received and thirteen scholarships were awarded, totaling $13,000. The main source of funding for the scholarships is a golf outing held annually. Even though...
Now Hiring Italian Immersion Elementary Teachers!
If you love speaking Italian and have experience teaching in an elementary school, consider joining our team. This is your chance to share the gift of the Italian language with the youth of Milwaukee! Contribute your talents to help build one of a select few Italian Immersion schools in the country. Qualifications - Elementary Education Teaching Li...
Seton Catholic School Hosts "A Night to Remember...In Venice"
The coronavirus pandemic upended America’s school systems over the past 13 months as most schools in the nation closed their doors for an extended period to combat the spread of the virus. “Virtual learning” became an everyday term in our households, sports and extracurricular activities were cancelled, major fundraisers were delayed, and school bo...
RCS Celebrates Italian minor Maria Silva for acceptance to UW-Madison Ph.D. Program in Italian
The Department of Romance and Classical Studies is very pleased to celebrate Maria Silva, Italian Minor in RCS, for her fully-funded acceptance to the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Ph.D. Program in Italian. This program is notable for having a large focus on interdisciplinary studies, i.e. bridging art history with Italian language and culture,...
Italidea names first executive director
A 501(c)3 charitable organization, Italidea-Midwest fosters the study of the Italian language and the promotion of Italian culture. The organization works in conjunction with the Chicago Italian Consulate and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 10 Midwest states. Cavallero is an adjunct professor of Italian in the Modern Languages Department at DePa...
Embracing Italian Language and Culture
In the heart of Wicker Park lives a little hidden gem of a school where children and their families gather to celebrate their love for Italian culture. At Scuola Italiana Enrico Fermi (SIEF), children learn according to the Reggio Emilia tradition in a welcoming and friendly environment, embraced by the Italian culture. Established in 2016, SIEF we...
JCCIA bestows several major scholarships
Two years ago, the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans took its scholarship program to a new level by concentrating the annual interest income from the Nick & Helena Patti and Frank J. Vigilante scholarship foundations into a few big-ticket bestowals. The following are this year’s beneficiaries. Mia Rumps (Patti scholarship) is a student at...
Making history, one Italian class at a time
At first, it was just Anna Vincenzi, assistant professor of history, who made her home teaching at Hillsdale College. Now, she’s joined by her husband, Lorenzo Bonaiti. And they’re bringing Italy to Hillsdale. After moving to the United States six years ago, Anna and Lorenzo now teach in Hillsdale’s history and language departments respectively. L...
University of St. Thomas installs statue of its namesake as part of building project
During a somewhat simpler time, before anyone stateside had uttered the words COVID-19, the University of St. Thomas commissioned world-renowned Canadian sculptor Timothy Schmalz to craft a bronze image of a famous philosopher — St. Thomas Aquinas, the St. Paul-based university’s namesake. There were only two initial requirements. Aquinas, an Itali...