Canton High School Italian Language Program Overview

In 2022, a group of community leaders, including Dr. Paul Sergi and Dr. Domenic Amara of the Pirandello Lyceum, partnered with Canton Public Schools to introduce an Italian language and culture program at Canton High School. Supported by several Italian American organizations, the initiative aimed to expand world language offerings and strengthen cultural education.

After a year of planning and collaboration, the program officially launched in the 2023–2024 school year as a four-year cohort model. Due to strong student interest, two sections of Italian 1 were offered in its first year, both taught by Massachusetts-certified teachers.

The program is funded through a school-community partnership, with seed funding provided by the Cultural Italian American Organization (CIAO). Funding is secured through 2027, with the goal of long-term sustainability.

Students are encouraged to remain in the program throughout their high school years, building proficiency in Italian while gaining a deeper understanding of Italian culture and global perspectives. The curriculum follows state and national standards and emphasizes real-world communication skills, cultural competency, and immersive language learning.

Italian is now one of four world languages offered at Canton High School, providing students with valuable academic, cultural, and global opportunities, including the potential to earn the Massachusetts State Seal of Biliteracy.