On March 10 in Rome at Palazzo Firenze, the headquarters of the Dante Alighieri Society, an important agreement was signed between President Andrea Riccardi and Robert Allegrini, President of the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF). This agreement marks a pivotal step in promoting the Italian language and culture in the United States, a shared goal for both institutions.

Allegrini highlighted that the Italian language is a cultural heritage that needs to be preserved and valued. "There is a strong desire in the Italian-American communities to reclaim their language, even though it has been somewhat lost over the years," he stated. "This agreement provides an opportunity for Italian-Americans and their children to reconnect with our beautiful language."

Riccardi emphasized the importance of keeping the Italian language alive as an educational and communicative tool. "We live in an era where words can be easily distorted," he said. "It is essential that Italian remains a language that educates, teaches communication, and promotes reasoning. We do not intend to impose a way of thinking but rather remind people that Italian is a language with a universal perspective, seen as a language of the future by the children of emigrants and Italian-Americans."

The agreement includes the implementation of online Italian courses through the platform www.dante.global, an innovative initiative combining physical and digital teaching. This "phygital" approach will be complemented by hybrid classroom courses and teacher training programs, as well as joint scholarship opportunities. The agreement also aims to promote Italian culture through events and activities, including those with a scientific focus, supporting Made in Italy and Italian business culture in Italian-American communities.

During the ceremony, Nicola Bertinelli, President of the Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium, represented a strategic partner of the project, highlighting the importance of collaboration between institutions to strengthen Italian culture in the United States.

Teaching Italian in the U.S. serves a vast community of about 20 million Italian-Americans, represented by NIAF. Founded in 1975, NIAF has already awarded over 10 million dollars in scholarships and annually allocates one million dollars to promote Italian culture and Made in Italy. Every year, the foundation selects a "Region of Honor," and for 2025, Lazio has been chosen, coinciding with the Jubilee, due to its potential in tourism and economic development. NIAF actively collaborates with the White House and the U.S. Congress, organizing prestigious events attended by 1,200 prominent figures from various sectors, including politics, finance, and culture, from both America and Italy.