The Italian Language Foundation (ILF) has embarked on a years-long mission to promote and support high school and college Italian language education throughout the U.S.
It began in 2008 when the College Board cancelled the AP Italian Language and Culture Program due to economic factors. That same year, the ILF — a not-for-profit organization founded by Margaret I. Cuomo, M.D. and Louis A. Tallarini — was formed to save and relaunch the curricula in high school classrooms across the country and Canada.
A year later the College Board reinstated AP Italian, and since then, Cuomo and her team have introduced programs and initiatives that have opened the door to highly encouraging results and offerings.
- Teachers who are members of the ILF receive free professional development workshops.
- Students who score well on AP Italian exams receive cash Awards for Excellence.
The current College Board statistics in these areas:
- In 2016, AP Italian Language exam takers reached 2,774, surpassing the College Board’s requirement of reaching 2,500 exams within a 5-year period.
- From (2012-2018), the number of schools offering Italian rose from 385 to 468.
- From (2012 – 2018) there has been an increase in the number of Student Enrollment from 1,806 to 2,518.
- In 2020, ILF launched its new student internship program, in which companies and organizations that produce or distribute Italian goods and/or services offer internships to students of high school- and college-level Italian.
- Teacher Recognition Awards honor outstanding teachers of Italian at the elementary through college level.
The ILF welcomes the participation of teachers and students of Italian, and all those who cherish the Italian language and culture.
“The mission of the Italian Language Foundation is as compelling today as it was in 2008, when our organization was first established. We promote and support Italian language education and provide students and teachers with the resources they need to be successful,” ILF President Margaret I. Cuomo, M.D. said.
