Welcome to the 2024 edition of the Summer Italian Intensive Program for Early College Credit, a unique opportunity to improve your knowledge of Italian language and culture to advance your studies at both the high school and university levels, while experiencing campus life through a short-term residential experience.
This one-of-a-kind program designed for high school students on a university campus is available at Montclair State in an intensive summer format, including guest speakers and off-campus tours. In just a short summer session, it prepares students to move with confidence from Italian 3 to an AP or advanced Italian class, while granting 3 college credits at a very affordable price. Now in its seventh edition, the program represents a continuous service for high school students as well as recent graduates of New Jersey and the Tri-State Area interested in consolidating their learning from the past year and getting ready for their future university experience.
DATES: July 8-18, 2024 (classes run from Monday through Thursday; residential students live on campus Sun night through Thur afternoon) NOTE: Residential students move in on Sunday July 7 in the late pm AFTER DINNER ON THEIR OWN, and start the second week on Sun July 14 at the same time after dinner on their own.
TIME: 9:00am-3:00pm
9:00-11:00 class; 11:15-12:15 presentation/conversation between guests and instructor; 12:15-1:00 lunch break; 1:00-3:00 afternoon activity with guest. On the off-campus tour days, the time frame is 9:00am-3:00pm excluding travel, unless some of the long travel time is used as class time with language-based games and activities on the bus.
LOCATION: Schmitt Hall 110
COST:
- Residential students (tuition $825, shared room in Machuga Heights dorm $288, full board $222) = $1,135 Note: BRING YOUR OWN BED LINEN.
- Non-residential 1 (tuition $825, lunches $44): $869
Non-residential 2 (tuition only): $825
Note: Residential students will have breakfast at 7:45am and dinner together at 6:30pm as a group at Sam’s Place, and will carry a lunch box to class after breakfast.
PARKING: Free. Please send an email to Steven Jacobs jacobss@montclair.edu with the info listed in the FAQ PAGE (point 2)
ACCESS TO SPORTS FACILITIES (Rec Center with pool, gym, etc.): Free with student ID card
WERE YOU ACCEPTED TO THE PROGRAM AND ARE WONDERING HOW TO REGISTER?
Please look in your Inbox for the acceptance letter sent from earlycollege@montclair.edu with the subject “Montclair State Status Update” followed by an email saying “Activate Your Montclair State University NETID.” Once you do that, you can login to NEST to register for the course through Students Account. FOR MORE INFO SEE THE STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE.
IMPORTANT: Please look at the check-list for the various steps required to be fully registered and pay the bills. Note that Step 4 and 7 do not apply to the Summer Italian Program. Do you have any questions? Please visit our FAQ PAGE, and for further inquiries or technical issues, please contact Steven Jacobs at jacobss@montclair.edu and cc’ Teresa Fiore at fiorete@montclair.edu
Taught in the target language by an experienced native speaker, the course immerses students in the language and culture with an emphasis on verbal skills which allows students to break the communication barrier. Students will be empowered to express emotions and personal opinions more comfortably while preparing for upper-level Italian courses, including the Italian AP exam. The course ITAL 240 (Intensive Italian Bridge Course) includes thematically-structured units on such topics as: immigration and Italian identity; Made in Italy (food, fashion) and sustainability, and draws from authentic materials including films, advertising, YouTube videos, music, news, etc. Overall, students benefit from an engaging college experience on a campus that boasts a dynamic Italian program and proximity to New York City for enriching cultural activities and tours. Upon completion, they earn college credits that are valid at Montclair and cooperating universities.
Calendar of activities (conversations with guest speakers, afternoon workshops and off-campus guided tours)
Week 1
Mon July 8: Emilia D’Albero, and Francesca Oliveri, alumnae of the Italian Program at MSU
Tue July 9: Giulia Baldini, Afro-Italian fashion blogger teaching in New York
Workshop: An attire for a trip to Italy
Wed July 10: TBA
Thur July 11: The Met Museum (Italian painting and sculpture) and iconic Italian monuments of NYC – guided tour led by Francesca Zambon, CIMA Fellow
Week 2
Mon July 15: Maria D. Rapicavoli, Italian multi-media artist based in New York
Tue July 16: Off-campus tour TBA
Wed July 17: Mila Tenaglia, journalist and documentary producer
Thur July 18: Final presentations and pizza lunch
FACULTY AND STAFF
Program director and instructor for 2024: Teresa Fiore
Teresa Fiore (Inserra Chair in Italian and Italian American Studies and Professor of Italian) is a widely published scholar; coordinator of interdisciplinary cultural programming; and the recipient of awards and grants. As a faculty member, she is strongly committed to curriculum innovation and pedagogical experimentation in dialogue with the high school system. Since 2017, for the summer program she has served as the supervisor for content and activities, the active liaison with a variety of offices on campus as well as with supporting institutions and individuals off campus. To learn about the projects she has spearheaded and coordinated over the years (and continues to support via the Inserra Endowed Chair) in order to strengthen the relationships between the HS and university systems, see here.
This program was originally designed by Patricia Grunther who served as coordinator between 2017 and 2023 before retiring. Marisa Trubiano served as co-director of the first three editions of the program.
Coordinator and RA for 2024: Steven Jacobs
Ciao! I’m a Ph.D. student in the Italian Department at Rutgers University. I have a wide range of experience in summer programs: I have worked as a camp counselor, a site monitor for the City of New York’s Summer Youth Employment Program, and an Italian instructor for the Rutgers in Rome program. By day, I guide eager minds through the intricacies of grammar, vocabulary, and texts, trying to ignite a spark of curiosity and appreciation for the Italian language and culture. But when the sun sets, I trade my books for basketballs and hiking boots. In my free time, I enjoy shooting hoops, experimenting with new Italian dishes in the kitchen, and exploring the great outdoors. Join us this summer for an enriching experience that combines academic rigor with cultural exploration and a sense of community!
Intern for 2024: Nick Sardina (Watchung Hills Regional High School)
Nick, an alumnus of Montclair’s Summer Italian Intensive Program, is a seventeen-year-old Italian-American from Watchung, NJ. In high school he achieved the Seal of Biliteracy in Italian and is a proud member of the National Honor Society for Italian. Nick’s passion for the Italian language is present in almost every facet of his life as he speaks it at home, work, and school. He is currently employed at the Stirling Hotel in Stirling, NJ, as an expediter, aiding his coworkers to success by helping them learn better customer service, communication, and efficiency.
Guest speakers and tour guides
Julian Mossuto has extensive knowledge of Italian soccer in terms of both its social significance and its history. Born in Italy where he lived for the first eight years of his life, he subsequently moved to the U.S. for the remainder of his childhood and schooling. He holds an A.A. degree from City College of Portland, Oregon, the city where he worked as Team Sales Manager for Far Post Soccer Supply Company for three years. He is currently living in New Jersey and is an Adidas Soccer Brand Marketing Specialist for the Northeastern Region covering New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania.
Maria D. Rapicavoli is an artist and educator. She was born and studied in Catania (Italy), where she earned her BA in Fine Arts, and received her MFA in London (Goldsmiths University). She now lives and works in New York, where she is an Artist Member at the Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts. She has exhibited in several group shows in Italy, Germany, and the U.S. (notably The High Line, Socrates Sculpture Park in New York and Magazzino Italian Art, Cold Spring, NY). She received several awards and grants (including Residency for Experimental Arts Education, Children’s Museum of the Arts, New York, and the Renaissance Prize Award at the Italian Cultural Institute, London), taught at NYU and Accademia di Brera in Milan, and gave lectures at the University of Catania, CUNY BMCC and Montclair State University
A documentary story producer and journalist with a decade of experience in the film industry, Mila Tenaglia specializes in art-focused documentaries, TV segments, and broadcast features. Connecting people and artists through social and cultural conversation and the art of journalistic storytelling is her primary interest as a writer, producer, content creator and photographer. She is also the Film Festival Executive Director of NICE (New Italian Cinema Events) in the US.
Short link: tinyurl.com/MSUmmerITAL2024
USEFUL DOCUMENTS and FORMS
- Checklist for the various steps required to be fully registered (skip step 4 and 7)
- Step-by-step guide on how to register for ITAL 240 after acceptance
- How to upload photo for ID card
- Montclair State U media release form
- FARE form (for allergies)
- Attendee emergency contact and medical history form
- Field trip approval form
- Liability form
- Minor youth participant form