Professor Dews Receives Award for Italy Reads from the National Association of Italian School Principals
Professor Dews with Italy Reads Scholars Prof. Annamaria Sartori and Prof. Cinzia Cetraro
JCU professor Carlos Dews, founder and Director of the Italy Reads program, was awarded the Premio Romei for commitment to the education of younger generations by the Italian National Association of School Principals and Professors (Associazione Nazionale Dirigenti e Alte Professionalità della Scuola – ANP). The Premio Romei is awarded each year to recognize teaching excellence in Italy.
JCU has invested in this program that began as the NEA-funded Big Read Rome in 2009. Since 2010, Italy Reads has been JCU’s English language and cultural exchange program and has grown from 20 teachers and their students to over 130 teachers, their students and the local English-speaking community. Last year, Italy Reads received support from the Embassy of the United States of America in Italy in recognition of the effectiveness of the program.
John Cabot University is proud to offer concrete support to teachers and students of English language and literature within the local community. Each year, JCU awards five scholarships to Italian and international high school teachers to attend a course at the university on the works of the author selected for the following year. In addition, teachers are invited to attend a day-long Teacher Training Workshop on how to teach the novel. This is a day when colleagues can network and share ideas about teaching.
Each year, The English Theatre of Rome puts on a production, open to the general public, of an adaptation of the selected work of American literature. JCU librarian Livia Piotto works with Professor Dews in compiling a wealth of online resources for teachers and Italy Reads Volunteers.
Italy Reads Volunteers are JCU students from across the globe who read the novel and train to engage students of English and the novel in discussions (in English) about the work, the author, and matters of general cultural interest.
