FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:   Elissa Ruffino (NIAF) 202/939-3106 or elissa@niaf.org

**Illinois budgets $300,000 for ItalIdea in 2002**

(WASHINGTON, DC – February 12, 2002) The State of Illinois included a line item in the 2002 budget of $300,000 for ItalIdea, a program for kindergarten through 12th grade high school students(K-12) to study Italian language and culture.

“This is a giant step in promoting the Italian language and culture in schools throughout the State of Illinois,” said Gene Farina, NIAF regional vice president for the Midwest. The State of Illinois sends a clear message about the importance of learning a foreign language and providing cultural awareness,” added Farina.

ItaIldea was co-funded by the Italian Ministry of Education, the Italian Consulate in Illinois and the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF). The program was established in 1997 by Italy’s Ministry of Education. Last year, the NIAF contributed funds to an elementary school in Rockford, IL for over 100 children to study the Italian language and culture.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Illinois has 730,000 Americans of Italian heritage or six percent of the state’s population.

The Italian government provides through their Education Ministry matching funds toward the teaching of Italian in Illinois schools. Through Italldea, the State of Illinois also plans to expand the program throughout the Chicago metropolitan area, all public schools throughout the state who express an interest in the program, as well as, encourage public schools to offer Italian as one of the foreign languages in the K-12 curriculum.