To All Advocates of Italian Language Education:

As a bright new year approaches, the advocates of Italian language education can reflect on many significant accomplishments in 2008.

The Italian Language Foundation, Inc., was established on July 3, 2008, and received its IRS approval on August 8, 2008, as a 501(c)3 not-for-profit corporation. The ILF dedicated itself to the fundraising effort for the support of the Advanced Placement Program in Italian Language and Culture.

Individual American and Italian donors and not-for-profit organizations in both countries understood the importance of the mission of the Italian Language Foundation, and provided over $650,000 in funds and contingent commitments since July. We are grateful to all of you who contributed, and who encouraged others to follow your example. This official effort served to galvanize the community of Italian language educators and advocates in an unprecedented and highly organized manner.

Originally, the College Board's financial requirement was $9.5 million in total funding over a 10-year period. $4.5 million for this support was due in 2008/09 to convert AP Italian to an Internet model (similar to that funded by the Chinese and Japanese governments for AP Chinese and AP Japanese) that would have enabled the College Board to offer AP Italian at lower cost.  However, the College Board was also willing to retain the current scoring model for one more year, which would have reduced the financial requirement to $1.5 million for 2008/09, but would also have increased the funds needed for years beyond 2008/09. With a substantial increase in enrollment of students taking the AP Italian Exam, that financial requirement would be reduced accordingly in future years.

The cataclysmic change in the economic climate since July 2008 has adversely affected this vital fundraising effort. The full financial partnership that was required from the Republic of Italy has not been forthcoming. All of the financial commitments made to the Italian Language Foundation by Italian American organizations were conditioned upon support from the Republic of Italy.

Therefore it will not be possible to meet the immediate financial commitments and guarantees of future funding in 2009 required by the College Board for the continuance of the AP Italian Language Program past May 2009.  We remain hopeful that the Republic of Italy will review and reconsider its position.  While it is now too late to fund AP Italian for the 2009-10 academic year, the College Board has agreed to reinstate the AP Program in Italian Language and Culture in 2010-11 or beyond if and when financial support becomes available from the Republic of Italy.  The ILF is confident that the same Italian American organizations will step forward again with funding commitments if we receive equal support from the Republic of Italy.

The Italian Language Foundation, Inc., is dedicated to the support of Italian language education. We will continue to support Italian language education through professional development workshops and summer study in Italy experiences for teachers of Italian. Plans are in progress for a 2009 summer institute for teachers hosted by the University of Palermo in Sicily. We will encourage study abroad programs for high school students of Italian through the San Vigilio Foundation in Trento. 

In the months ahead, we will continue our fundraising efforts in the hopes of meeting the financial goals presented by the College Board for the support of the AP Italian Language Program.

We realize that we will all share a deep sense of disappointment after the diligent and tireless effort on the part of the Italian Language Foundation and yourselves. However, we will continue to fundraise because we believe that our children and grandchildren and all American high school students deserve the opportunity to experience a first-class Italian language education in the United States of America.

With sincere appreciation,

Margaret I. Cuomo, M.D.
President

Louis Tallarini
Chairman