Image of four students standing outside of Schmitt Hall, posing for the camera.

Projects with High Schools

Image of a crowd smiling and holding hands in a group activity.

1.SUMMER INTENSIVE ITALIAN PROGRAM FOR COLLEGE CREDIT
2. EVENTS FOR HS TEACHERS
3. WORKSHOPS FOR HS STUDENTS
4. INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES FOR HS STUDENTS
5. ON CAMPUS VISITS OF LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL HS GROUPS

1. INTENSIVE ITALIAN PROGRAM FOR COLLEGE CREDIT

Graphic of a person on a scooter. Text in image says "From High School to Higher Education... in Italian! Earn 3 College Credits in Only 3 Weeks This Summer."
2019 summer course group pic

The only Italian program in the US designed in an intensive summer format for high school students on a university campus includes guest speakers and off-campus tours, a residential option, intern opportunities and a wide range of scholarships. A collaborative effort at all levels, the course relies on a network of high schools and the support of the Italian government and the Italian American community. Read more about Summer Intensive Italian Program
2. EVENTS FOR HS TEACHERS

Hs teachers at theater workshop

Professional development credits are offered for every program on the Inserra calendar, effectively featuring an event every month since 2011. Events are free, open to HS students as well, co-sponsored with organizations supporting HS initiatives like IACE, and are scheduled at a time that allows teachers to attend without requiring special permission. The events’ interdisciplinary nature and the historical span they cover offer cultural enrichment for a wide array of participants with different interests, and provides ideas and materials for the expansion of the curriculum at any level of the education system.
Programs specifically addressing HS teachers have been offered over time, in order to strengthen the ties between their system and the university one, highlighting the benefits for both sides:
ONLINE WORKSHOP – Bridging the University and HS Systems Through World Languages: New Approaches to Italian Teaching (Feb. 2019)
PANEL – Innovation in Language Education: Linking High School, University and Pre-Professional Experiences through Italian (Nov. 2018)
3. WORKSHOPS FOR HS STUDENTS

Eataly 2019

The Inserra is working in partnership with local high schools so that qualified students can participate in select cultural programs. These activities are unique opportunities for HS students to be exposed to Italian culture through well-known artists and also to interact with university students and professors.
An example of these programs is the theatre workshop with the pluri-awarded Italian company Le Albe (Feb. 2014) as well as the multiple on-site visits and activities organized for high school students during the summer program, ranging from food preparation to interactive tours (see list here).
4. INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES FOR HS STUDENTS
Montclair HS Student of Italian Lara Funderburk Interns for Inserra Chair and Italian Program at MSU (May-June 2019)

Montclair high school
MONTCLAIRHIGHSCHOOL02 ESSEX MONTCLAIR 05/27/2017
Montclair High School, 100 Chestnut St., facade
PHOTO BY ADAM ANIK

Working under the supervision of Dr. Teresa Fiore (Inserra Endowed Chair), and alongside HS teacher Patti Grunther, Lara Funderburk, a Montclair High School student of Italian, completed an internship with the Inserra Chair in Spring 2019 after attending the Summer Italian Intensive Course in 2018. Lara’s internship project was aimed at collecting information about the first two editions of the summer course (2017 and 2018) and, in particular, about the impact of the course on the students’ subsequent choice of studying Italian in the last year of HS or after their HS diploma.

5. ON CAMPUS VISITS FOR LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL HS GROUPS

While on campus visits are regularly offered through the Admissions Office, the Inserra Chair and the Italian Program are pleased to welcome individual students and whole classes for targeted tours and meetings with students and professors of Italian.

2016 Campus Visit: St. Peter’s Prep, NJ and Gonzaga High, Palermo, Italy

On April 25, 2016, a group of students of Italian from St. Peter’s Prep, NJ, and Italian students from Gonzaga High, Palermo, Italy, visited our campus as part of their exchange program. Both professors and students of the Italian Program at Montclair State University welcomed them as they toured the facilities and learned about the academic offerings on campus.

Their positive reaction speaks to the ever growing opportunities offered to local and foreign students interested in combining Italian and other academic subjects for their undergraduate studies at our university.

Image of a large group of students and faculty standing in a group standing outside of Conrad Schmitt Hall.

2019 Campus Visit: Nutley High School

On Monday April 8, 2019 a group of students from Nutley High School visited Montclair State University with their teacher Prof. Gaetano Sollazzo, an alumnus of the Montclair State University Italian program himself. Professors and students of the Italian Program were pleased to welcome them as part of a rich half-day program.

Students attended a presentation about the vast opportunities offered by the program next to its major and minor, such as Internship Opportunities, the Summer Italian Intensive Course for College Credit and the newly introduced Language, Business and Culture Major. Through a meet and greet with Italian majors, students were also given the opportunity to ask questions and hear about actual experiences. The program included a class visit and a campus tour where students learned more about academic offerings and university services on campus. Refreshments for the students were sponsored by the Inserra Chair in Italian and Italian American Studies.

nutley high school
nutley high school

Nutley High School offers a wide variety of classes: Italian 1, 2, 3 Honors, 4 Honors, AP, and a brand new course called Italian Language and Culture through Literature and Film. The program’s faculty includes Ms. Elizabeth D’Angio along with Mr. Gaetano Sollazzo. Besides, Nutley High School also runs an Italian Honor Society to recognize the achievement of its students and offer programs based on its fundraising efforts.