FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

** $20,000 Award to Student**

(WASHINGTON, DC – March 25, 2002) The National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) is offering a paid internship of $20,000 at the Chamber of Commerce in Bologna, Italy to a student possessing or pursuing a degree in economics or a similar field. Deadline for application: May 30, 2002.

As part of the internship the recipient must prepare a research project providing analysis of statistical data, organizational methods, production techniques and industrial districts in the province of Bologna in Italy. The research will be conducted for a minimum of six months at the Bologna Chamber of Commerce and at business associations in the Bologna province. A working knowledge of the Italian language is preferable.

To apply, applicants must submit the following: a cover letter detailing interest and background, curriculum vitae, and two letters of recommendations focusing on the applicant’s ability to perform the research. For more information on the internship, go to www.niaf.org/scholarships/other

Since 1976, the NIAF has awarded nearly $5 million in scholarship and grants to students across the nation. The Foundation’s newest scholarship, The Emanuele and Emilia Inglese Memorial Scholarship, is now available to Italian American undergraduate students who trace their lineage from the Lombardy region of Italy and who are the first generation of their family to attend college. Deadline for all NIAF 2002 scholarships is April 30, 2002. For information on all NIAF scholarships, go to: www.niaf.org/scholarships.