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Overview
Overview
"Promuovere e insegnare l’italiano: strumenti per docenti tra politiche e pratiche"
"Promuovere e insegnare l’italiano: strumenti per docenti tra politiche e pratiche"
Saturday, October 24, 2026
8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
University of Southern California, Los Angeles
In-person professional-development event
for teachers of Italian at all instructional levels
AATI/AATI-CAL Member Employed Full-Time: $35
AATI/AATI-CAL Member Employed Part-Time: $25
AATI/AATI-CAL Graduate Student Member: Free
Nonmember: $65
*Registration Deadline October 9, 2026 at midnight
Join Italian educators from across California for a day of practical learning, collaboration, and advocacy. Through a keynote address, invited presentations, panels, roundtable experiences, and informal conversation, participants will explore strategies for increasing enrollment, strengthening curricular pathways, communicating the value of Italian, and sustaining Italian programs.
Learn practical approaches to recruitment, retention, and program advocacy.
Hear perspectives from elementary and middle school, high school, and university educators.
Exchange resources and strategies with colleagues across instructional contexts.
Contribute to—and receive—the developing AATI-CAL Advocacy Roadmap and Toolkit.
This professional development event has been designed as an in-person experience centered on conversation, collaborative learning, professional exchange, and statewide community-building. AATI-CAL members will subsequently have access to recordings of the keynote and invited speaker presentations, along with materials that presenters and participants make available through the panels and roundtables.
This professional development event is the Southern California component of AATI-CAL’s annual two-part professional-development series. The Northern California gathering will take place on February 6, 2027, at La Scuola International School in San Francisco. Future gatherings will be hosted by participating institutions throughout California.
Speakers
Speakers
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Dr. M. Marina Melita, Marist University’s Senior Lecturer of Italian at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, NY and AATI National President.
Dr. M. Melita teaches a wide range of Italian grammar and culture courses. Her interests include Italian women and gender studies, Black Italy and Afroitalianità, and Italian theatre and opera. She currently serves as the President of the American Association of Teachers of Italian (AATI) and is a Co-Founder of Diversity, Transformation, and Italian Studies (DTIS).
Dr. Melita has affiliations with the Modern Languages Association (MLA), the American Associations of Teachers of Italian (AATI), the American Association for Italian Studies (AAIS), the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL), the New York State Association of Foreign Language Teachers (NYSAFLT), and the American Association of University Women (AAUW).
Invited Speakers
Invited Speakers
Dr. Claudio Fogu, UC Santa Barbara
Professor of Italian Studies,
Director, Italian Studies Program
Claudio Fogu is a Professor of Italian
Studies and Director of the Italian
and Transnational Italian Studies
Program at UCSB.
Dr. Nancy Hong, Director of Dual
Language Immersion and Magnet
Programs at Benjamin Franklin
Elementary School
Nancy Hong, Ed.D. is the Director of
Dual Language Immersion Programs
and English Learner Services in the
Glendale Unified School District.
She is also a consultant and leads
professional
development on DLI programs for
the Los Angeles County Office of
Education, and teaches aspiring
leaders earning their administrative credentials.
Hilary Stern, Executive Director of
Fondazione Italia
Hilary Stern is the Executive Director
of the non-profit organization
Fondazione Italia, based in California,
where she has worked since 2015 to
foster connections within the
community and at educational
institutions to promote the Italian
language and culture.
Program
Program
Corso di aggiornamento
Corso di aggiornamento
“Promuovere e insegnare l’italiano: strumenti per docenti tra politiche e pratiche”
“Promuovere e insegnare l’italiano: strumenti per docenti tra politiche e pratiche”
Saturday, October 24, 2026
Saturday, October 24, 2026
8:00-8:30 AM Registration and Breakfast
WPH B28
8:30-9:00 AM Opening Remarks
WPH B27
9:00-10:30 AM Keynote Plenary Session
Dr. M. Marina Melita, Marist University’s Senior Lecturer of Italian and AATI National President
10:45-12:00 PM Invited Speakers
Dr. Claudio Fogu, UC Santa Barbara Professor of Italian Studies, Director, Italian Studies Program
Dr. Nancy Hong, Director of Dual Language Immersion and Magnet Programs at Benjamin Franklin Elementary School
Hilary Stern, Executive Director of Fondazione Italia
12:00-1:00 PM Lunch
1:00-3:30 PM Advocacy Lab Workshops
updates forthcoming
3:30-4:00 Conclusion
6:00-7:30 Private Tour and Aperitivo at the Italian American Museum of Los Angeles (IAMLA)
Planning Your Visit
Planning Your Visit
Check-in location and time
Check-in location and time
The Professional Development event takes place at Waite Phillips Hall (WPH) at the University of Southern California is 3470 Trousdale Parkway, Los Angeles, CA 90089.
Registration and Breakfast will be in WPH B28 starting at 8:00 am. Please take the elevator one floor down to find B28 located in the basement of WPH. Opening remarks will take place in WPH B27, next to B28, beginning at 8:30 am.
Please look above for more information about the program.
Campus map and directions
Campus map and directions
Parking location, cost, and instructions
Parking location, cost, and instructions
Consider the Royal Street or McCarthy Way Parking Structures as they are close to WPH.
Average daily parking costs are $20.
Public transportation options
Public transportation options
Although Uber is the most convenient way to get to your hotel and the campus, there are some public transportation options. Please consider investigating the E Line (formerly the Expo Line) with two convenient metro stops: Expo Park/USC and Jefferon/USC.
Nearby hotels with reduced rates
Nearby hotels with reduced rates
USC has negotiated rates for hotels in the greater Los Angeles area to support local business travel. Guests of the university who wish to book their own lodging at any of these hotels may receive the university’s special rates by contacting a Christopherson Business Travel (CBT) agent at 866.390.5131.
*Due to events taking place in Los Angeles, USC preferred rates for local downtown hotels are not available on selected dates, i.e. FIFA in June-July 2026. Please ask the hotel if there is an event scheduled during the timeframe that you are requesting.
Accessibility and accommodation information
Accessibility and accommodation information
USC is committed to a safe and accessible event experience for all visitors. If you need a disability accommodation or auxiliary aid—such as a sign language interpreter, real-time captioning (CART), or assistive listening devices—please contact communications.aatical@gmail.com as soon as possible before the event. We will make a good faith effort to fulfill requests received after this date, but cannot guarantee availability.
Meals and dietary requests
Meals and dietary requests
Please contact us at communications.aatical@gmail.com as soon as possible regarding meals and dietary requests if any.
Contact information for questions
Contact information for questions
For any questions please contact us at communications.aatical@gmail.com
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