Benvenuti! Welcome to the home page of the Rhode Island Teachers of Italian (RITI). We are a professional organization of educators who teach the Italian language and culture in elementary, middle schools, high schools, colleges and universities throughout Rhode Island.

RITI, as we are known, is dedicated to the promotion and advancement of the beautiful language and culture of Italy through many diverse venues such as: 

the AATI National Italian Examination, the annual RITI Fundraiser Scholarship Dinner, Book Awards, scholarship in memory of Mary Borra, scholarship in memory of Professor Remo J. Trivelli, Advisory Board Scholarship, Renaissance Alliance Outstanding Awards, the Women’s Youth League of RI Scholarship, and free AATI/RITI membership for first-year teachers.

If you are a teacher of Italian in RI and wish to be a member of RITI, please contact bruna.boyle@verizon.net.  If you are an Italophile and wish to know more about our organization, we welcome you to join us at one of our many activities listed on our calendar of events page.

Thank you for your interest and please browse our website to get to know us.

Grazie dell’interesse.

To promote and support the study of the Italian language, its literature, and its culture from the elementary level through post-secondary education.

As you already know, AATI has changed its renewal membership procedure.  Current teachers of Italian who renew their AATI membership will automatically join their local AATI-RITI Chapter.  You NO LONGER pay a membership fee directly to RITI. To renew your AATI-RITI membership, please visit

http://aati-online.org

 The purpose of this change is to build a more cohesive, strong and connected group of teachers and professors who will work together to support the Italian language and culture in their state/region.

The new procedure also signifies that teachers/schools automatically become members of the Società Onoraria Italica and will be able to participate in the AATI National Italian Examinations without having to register separately to each organization.

The new AATI membership fee is $50; however, a percentage of each membership will be reimbursed to the local chapter, in our case, RITI.

We encourage you all to join AATI-RITI.

  • January 3, 2019 Open dinner FUNDRAISER meeting
  • March 1-31, 2019 AATI National Italian Exams
  • March 15, 2019 RITI Awards & Scholarship Applications/Deadline
  • May 15, 2019 AP Italian Language and Culture Exam (12 PM)
  • May 2019 Spring Meeting in conjunction with RIFLA
  • May 18, 2019 RITI Scholarship Fundraiser Dinner at Lancellotta’s
  • October 3, 2019Wine Tasting to celebrate Heritage Month
  • October 2019         RITI/RIFLA Workshop
  • November 22-24, 2019 ACTFL Conference – Washington, DC
  1. Monetary awards granted to students who place amongst the top 3 in the state of RI on the AATI National Italian High School Contest Examination
  2. RITI Scholarship in memory of Prof. Remo J. Trivelli
  3. RITI Scholarship in memory of Mary Borra
  4. RITI/Renaissance Alliance Outstanding Merit Awards
  5. Five Book Awards in memory of Luigi Petrarca
  6. RITI Advisory Board Scholarship
  7. Women’s Youth League of RI Scholarship

2018 Recipients of the AATI National Italian Examination Rhode Island Chapter

Level 1 Category A:

First:                 Christina Charie                        68        R. DiMascio      LaSalle Academy

Second:            Zachary Palermo                       67        E. Marion          Bishop Hendricken High School

Third:               Michelle Oung                           65        M. Papino         Warwick Vets Memorial Jr. HS

Level 1 Category B:

(Must score higher than equivalent place in level 1 category A to be awarded the same place)

Third:               Aaron Cabrera                          67        E. Marion          Bishop Hendricken High School

Third:               Lucia Trubiano                          67        A. Coutcher      South Kingstown High School

Level 2 Category A:

First:                 Yashaswini Mandalam               68        J. Taliani           Toll Gate High School

Second:            Daniel Marella                           63        K. Kelley           Cranston High School West

Third:               Will Giguere                              62        M. Verzellesi     The Wheeler School

Level 2 Category B:

(Must score higher than equivalent place in level 2 category A to be awarded the same place)

Second:            Carlos Fragoso                         68        E. Ruggiero      Johnston High School

Level 3 Category A:

First:                 Gregory Violet                           60        J. Trevisiol        The Prout School

Second:            Isabella Roy                              58        J. Trevisiol        The Prout School

Third:               Delia Carlino                             57        J. Trevisiol        The Prout School

Level 3 Category B:

(Must score higher than equivalent place in level 3 category A to be awarded the same place)

First:                 Logan Chin                               67        D. Shields         Cranston High School West

Second:            Ana Mercado                            64        J. Zhukavets     Classical High School

Third:               Rosendo Alvarado                     58        J. Zhukavets     Classical High School

Level 3 Category C:

No contestants in 2018

Level 4 Category A:

First:                 Kailyn D´Elena                          66        D. Shields         Cranston High School West

Second:            Alexander Gavitt                       59        J. Taliani           Toll Gate High School

Third:               Abigail Gencarelli                      58        J. Trevisiol        The Prout School

Level 4 Category B:

No prizes awarded due to all students scoring lower than the third place score in level 4 category A.

Level 4 Category C:

No contestants in 2018

Level 5 Categories A and B:

Only first prize awarded due to small group size.

First:                 Flora Grilli                                 65        J. Trevisiol        The Prout School

2018 recipients of the RITI scholarships

RITI Scholarship ($150.00) in memory of Prof. Remo J. Trivelli – Excellence in Italian for Level I students

Student                        School                          Teacher

Francesca Conlon        LaSalle Academy             Roberto DiMascio

RITI Scholarship ($150.00) in memory of Mary Borra – Italian II  

Student                        School                          Teacher

Victoria Pelit                West Warwick School       John Giovanelli

RITI/Renaissance Alliance Lodge Outstanding Merit Award in Italian Studies ($100.00)

Student                        School                          Teacher

Clara Cruz                     Bay View Academy          Graziella Giampaoli

Lola Calotychos            Classical High School        Jennifer Zhukavets

Jessica Sullivan            Cranston HS West           Kathryn Kelley

Kaylyn Ciesielski           La Salle Academy            Jerry Papitto

Gregory Violet              The Prout School             Jennifer Trevisiol

Luigi Petrarca Book Awards

Student                        School                          Teacher

Elizabeth DelVecchio   Cranston H S West          Daniel Shields

Mariah King                 The Prout School             Jennifer Trevisiol

Samantha Proulx-Whitcomb

                           St. Mary’s Academy Bay-View    Graziella Giampaoli

Mollie Maggiacomo       LaSalle Academy             Jerry Papitto

Sophie Tesson              Classical High School      Jenny Zhukavets

Lily Rosa                     South Kingstown H S       Lidia Carroll

Advisory Board Scholarship Award ($300.00) Italian IV/V student

Student                                  School                                 Teacher

Samantha Proulx-Whitcomb  St. Mary’s Academy Bay-View  Graziella Giampaoli

Women’s Youth League of Rhode Island ($250.00)

Student                        School                          Teacher

Rosa Adimari               Westerly High School        Nancy Magliari

Congratulations to Jenny Zhukavets and Sophie Tesson! 

Jenny, an Italian teacher at Classical High School in Providence, R.I. is the recipient of a two-week scholarship in Recanati, le Marche during the month of August. 

Sophie Tesson, an AP Italian student of Jenny Zhukavets, is the recipient of $1,000 dollars for having received the highest score on the AP Italian Language and Culture Exam in Rhode Island.

Both awards were offered by C.A.S.It (Centro Attivita’ Scolastiche Italiane) in Boston.

Board of Directors

BRUNA P. BOYLE

President

University of Rhode Island

bruna.boyle@verizon.net

DANIEL SHIELDS

Vice President

Cranston High School West

dshields@cpsed.net

MARIA SANDA

Secretary

Winman Junior High School

sandam@warwickschools.org

JENNIFER TREVISIOL

Treasurer

The Prout School

sandam@warwickschools.org

Executive Council

ROBERTO DIMASCIO, LaSalle Academy
JAMES DRANCHAK, Hope High School
JULIE FELCI-LAFAZIA, Classical High School
JOHN GIOVANELLI, West Warwick High School
DANIELA F. JOHNSON, Narragansett High School
MARIA C. MANSELLA, Community College of I.
MATTHEW PAPINO, Warwick Vets Memorial JHS
EMILIA RUGGIERO, Johnston High School
NATALIE URBAN, Emerita
MARCO VERZELLESI, The Wheeler School

Advisory Board

CAROL BONOMO ALBRIGHT, Editor, Italian Americana
ROBERT CATAURO, Emeritus
DEBORAH DELSESTO, Honorary Vice Consul of Italy
DIANNE C. FONSECA, Emerita
DORA WATERS, Emerita
DONATO ZIURELLA, Forum Lodge

Sons of Italy in America