EDUCATION
FROM CLASSROOM TO COMMUNITY:
Educational Pathways Through the Italian-American Lens
Welcome to our educational resources page! Here, you'll find a wealth of information about teaching the Italian-American experience across K-16 education. Explore lesson plans, materials, scholarship and grant opportunities, and internships with The Italifornian™.
Our pages serve as a live repository, and we encourage educators to contribute their own materials, lesson plans, and class projects. If you have suggestions or would like to submit your students' work, please contact The Italifornian using this link.
We’re excited to collaborate and expand our resources together!
LESSON PLANS &
TEACHING RESOURCES
Silenzio: The Effects of World War II Policy on Italian-American Identity
Luca Signore / 2014
Silenzio: The Effects of World War II Policy on Italian-American Identity explores how World War II policies, such as internment and surveillance, impacted Italian-American communities. It highlights the tension between preserving cultural heritage and assimilating into American society under wartime scrutiny. The article reveals how these experiences shaped Italian-American identity and their role in post-war America.
The Italian Immigrant Experience in America (1870-1920)
Curriculum Unit 99.03.06 / by Joan Rapczynski
The Italian Immigrant Experience in America (1870-1920) is a curriculum unit designed to explore the historical experiences of Italian immigrants during this period. The unit aims to help students understand the challenges faced by Italian immigrants, their role in shaping American society, and the lasting impact of their cultural heritage.
Written by Marianna Gatto with Hayley Moore / Special thanks to Lawrence Di Stasi and Alyssa Gordon
The document outlines a curriculum unit designed to educate students about the historical experiences of Italian-Americans in the internment camps in the United States during WW II. Through personal stories and historical analysis, the units highlight this often-forgotten chapter of American history.
Feature documentary film from executive producer John Turturro
Potentially Dangerous (2021) is a documentary directed by Zach Baliva. It tells the “untold story of Italian immigrants interned and persecuted as America's "enemy aliens" during World War II.”
California has long been home to the largest number of immigrants in the United States
More than a quarter of California residents are immigrants, while nearly one in four residents is a native-born U.S. citizen with at least one immigrant parent.
https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/immigrants-in-california
SCHOLARSHIPS
Scholarships and Grants for Italian American Students
Italian American Heritage Foundation San Jose
https://www.iahfsj.org/scholarships
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Sons of Sicily, San Jose
http://sonsofsicilysj.com/scholarshipapplication.pdf
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Patrons of Italian Culture Casola Prize
http://www.picla.org/about.html
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National Italian American Foundation
https://www.niaf.org/programs/scholarships/
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The U.S. - Italy Fulbright Commission
http://www.fulbright.it/fulbright-us-student-program/
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Scholarship Handbook for Italian American Students
https://calandrainstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/scholarships_2020-1.pdf
Resources for Learning Italian
L’Italo-Americano Newspaper (a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization). A biweekly publication serving the Italian-American community throughout the United States. Established in 1908, L’Italo-Americano is the oldest Italian-American newspaper in the US with a mission to promote and preserve Italian culture and heritage.
https://italoamericano.org/category/lifestyle/word-of-the-day/