The Inserra Chair is strongly committed to fundraising in the community in the service of students in the Italian Program at Montclair State University, and in collaboration with the Montclair State University Foundation/Advancement Office. Over the years, this effort has included a targeted and successful proposal to our main donor, Lawrence R. Inserra, Jr., which has led to the creation of a Scholarship Fund for paid internships with an international component. For several years, the Columbian Foundation has been a partner in supporting Montclair State University students of Italian as program assistants, and, as of recent, a large endeavor with the New Jersey Italian Heritage Commission has enhanced the outreach of innovative bridge programs with local high schools. Please read below for more information.
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Lawrence R. Inserra, Jr. Scholarship Program for paid internship with an international component
Mr. Inserra and his family have provided a unique form of support in ground-breaking pre-professional opportunities for our students between 2017-18 and 2019-20 ($30,00 over three years). Their donation has allowed the offering of paid internships (with support ranging from $2,500 to $5,000 per student) in partnership with major Italian and American institutions. Internships are organically linked to major areas of focus in the Italian Program at Montclair State, from Italian Business/Made in Italy to Translation for Opera and Italian Teaching Abroad. These internships constitute a unique opportunity not just because they provide a stipend (in the form of tuition cost defrayal) but mostly because they embrace a stay in Italy whether in the form of a business trip, a residence at an international festival, or a summer program for middle and high school students. The extraordinary generosity of Mr. Inserra was recognized at the 2019 Montclair State University Annual Gala where he was celebrated as the Honoree of the Year.
Columbian Foundation Scholarships
The Inserra Chair in Italian and Italian American Studies, along with the Italian Program at Montclair State University and the Montclair State University Foundation, is pleased about the continuous support of the Columbian Foundation. For the sixth year in a row, the organization has renewed a generous $2,000 donation via the Inserra Chair in Italian and Italian American Studies. Charles DiLorenzo (Executive Secretary, Columbian Foundation) is pleased to meet every recipient in person and pays an annual visit to Montclair State University to bestow the donation to students.
“The renewed support coming from the Columbian Foundation is a reminder of the important role of the community in tangibly endorsing the field of Italian Studies and valuing its role in the education of American students. Montclair State University offers quality education at an affordable price, and such gifts further help students earn their degree. We are very grateful to the Columbian Foundation,” Dr. Teresa Fiore, Inserra Chair, states.
- Columbian Foundation scholarship 2018-19 (Francesca Oliveri)
- Columbian Foundation scholarship 2017-18 (Emma Rush & Rosanna Coviello)
- Columbian Foundation scholarship 2016-17 (Brittany Savill)
- Columbian Foundation scholarship 2015-16 (Emma Rush)
- Columbian Foundation scholarship 2014-15 (Emilia D’Albero for Inserra assistantship)
- Columbian Foundation scholarship 2013-14 (Emilia D’Albero for Inserra assistantship)
New Jersey Italian Heritage Commission
The New Jersey Italian Heritage Commission continues to show its generosity toward students of Italian at Montclair and in increasingly more tangible ways. After a donation of $1,500 in 2018, the NJIHC has become the leading provider of scholarships for the Summer Italian Intensive Course for College with a donation of $10,000 in support of the third edition of the course in 2019.
“The New Jersey Italian Heritage Commission is constantly in pursuit of our mission to educate and raise the awareness of our culture and positive achievements. The development and implementation of the Summer Italian Intensive Course for College Credit by the Italian Program and Inserra Chair in Italian American Studies at the University is an example of a perfect project that coincides with our mission and is inspirational in our vision: we commend Teresa Fiore, Patti Grunther and Marisa Trubiano for their untiring efforts to bring this project to fruition. We know that funding is a necessity for young students, so we seek ways to channel donations to programs such as this one,” Robert DiBiase, Chair of NJIHC, commented.
“I am profoundly grateful to the New Jersey Heritage Commission, in particular to Mr. Robert DiBiase with whom I have conducted a very interesting and productive conversation about teaching and learning Italian in New Jersey, both in the High School and the University system through a bridge program such as the Summer Italian Intensive Course for College Credit. This partnership reflects the overlapping of the mission of the Inserra Chair in Italian and Italian American Studies/Italian Program at Montclair State University and the New Jersey Heritage Commission for the promotion of Italian language and culture in our area,” Dr. Teresa Fiore, Inserra Chair, remarks.
