The teaching of the Italian language in schools in Okaloosa County (Florida - USA) is part of a broader project of the Italian Consulate General in Miami, pursued in coordination with the Italian Embassy in Washington, with the support of the Managing Body ODLI and of the Italian Military Representation (RMI - Eglin AFB).
The project, which took shape for the first time in 2017, allows an ever-increasing number of primary, middle and high school students in Okaloosa County to study the Italian language and culture, promoting and strengthening ties with the Italy.
In confirmation of the excellent response achieved by the pilot project, the renewal of the MOU is in recent days, which extends the duration of the project to a further 3 years, consolidating the climate of collaboration both in the scholastic / cultural sphere and in the broader social sphere.
"The commitment of the Consulate General of Italy in Miami in supporting Italian language teaching initiatives represents one of the fundamental aspects of promoting Italian culture in the South East of the United States", commented the consul general of Miami Cristiano Musillo. “There are over 12500 students from this area of the world who, through learning our language, get closer to Italy, its traditions and its history. The renewal of the Agreement with Okaloosa County, therefore, is one of the greatest expressions of this commitment that we share with our colleagues in Defense and in particular in the RMI. The consulate and my personal thanks go to them and their families for the tireless work they have done in giving this agreement an increasingly rich social fabric of reference and a harbinger of new and productive developments ".
Despite the difficulties represented by the pandemic moment, there are many initiatives on the horizon, all focused on strengthening the close link of the local community with the promotion of the Italian language and culture.
"All the staff of the RMI are making an important contribution to this enlightened initiative", commented Colonel Daniele Mastroberti, commander of the RMI. “Ours is a small Italian community that has established a precious and unique union of great cultural value with the local US reality. Also guided and supported by the projects promoted by the Italian consulate in Miami, the staff and families of the representation, humble ambassadors of the excellence and image of our country, are a very active part of this process, gradually becoming a natural point of cultural and aggregation reference focused, but not limited to, the activities of fellow countrymen present in the area ".
