We the Italians July 18, 2016 - 81 | Page 60

th tH # 81 JULY 18 , 2016 # 81 juLY 18 , 2016 the one of interior design. Thanks to the undistinguishable Italian design, the advanced technology, the “green” side in the production, and the competitive prices, the Italian design is being very much appreciated. Moreover, aside from the We know that the “Made in Italy” has “Art Basel Miami Beach”, we have a new great success in the South-East of the parallel event exclusively dedicated to States. Is there a sector which is particu- design, where our companies are having great success. larly growing? institution (university or school) to fund the whole program. This is a very important opportunity of employment for the young teachers interested in teaching Italian. ganize dedicated exam sessions for the AP (Advanced Placement), which many students use to get more credits for their college admissions. Also in this sense, we increased the number of students. Between 2013 and 2015, we got from 1,980 to 2,570 units. Apart from its fascinatio n, our language also shares its roots with Spanish, which is widely spoken here in Florida. In this way, those students who speak already Spanish clearly choose Italian as their additional language. As a matter of fact, every year around 30,000 American students decide to go to Italy to study at a university level, a significant datum, which also comes from the Italian teaching experience they get here in the States. institutions with programs in Italian. In this way, we obtained didactic programs starting from primary education and gradually going to the end of high school. As part of the several missions I am carrying out with the ICE, the Italian Chamber of Commerce, the Società Dante Alighieri, and the ODLI, we also expanded the teaching opportunities in the North of the country. And I have to say that when I tried to promote the “Sistema Italia” (lit. “Italia System”) in regular schools or universities, I have always had great enthusiasm and openness. Therefore, we are now working in Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina and Bahamas, which are the first States that demonstrated an interest in the language. The process goes in this way: the ODLI A significant shift occurred in 2015, when is the one that pays the teacher for the the Commissioner of Education of Miami first year, who starts the activity; from the signed a contract to include 20 teaching second year on, it is up to the American The most popular sectors are the ones of hi-tech and IT, which generate intense collaborations and exchanges. These also include the world of sophisticated research and the one of the health industry. The United States give great consideration to the world of the Italian research; I personally met, in fact, some Italians in Georgia, Atlanta, where there is a very interesting technological center at the Georgia Tech University. After coming here for an exchange university program, and succeeding on an academic level, these students found a job and got recognized as “valid researchers”. Finally, I think we should put a bit of emphasis upon the role of Miami, the city in which the General Consulate operates. It would be a bit restrictive if we only looked at the city as a mere destination for vacations, pleasant weather… Nowadays, Miami is a primary economical center, the second in the States after New York, where major companies can find a strategic point – between the North and South of the continent – for contemporary art, design, naval industry, and celebrated international expositions, which take place and recur every year. Of course, the broader sector is the one of the new technologies. But, apart from this, Italy is among the first producers of luxurious goods in the world. Florida has gradually specialized in the production of high-quality products, of which we, as Italians, cover the branch of the naval industry and yacht, where we got a rate of 66% more than last year. We are currently the first naval provider in the States, surpassing Canada, which was first until 2012. Another sector in which we significantly grew – more than 30% from 2014 – is 60 | WE THE ITALIANS WE THE ITALIANS | 61 www.wetheitalians.com www.wetheitalians.com