Washington. The name of Peter LoJacono will echo throughout the classrooms in all of of the schools spread across the United States for the prestigious recognition received yesterday in Washington.
LoJacono has been awarded "Teacher of the Year" during a ceremony of the most important annual convention of the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF), in its 32 year, in which over 3,000 persons attended.
Peter LoJacono teaches Italian language and culture at Hutchinson Central Technical High School in Buffalo New York, where he has studied every idea imaginable to stimulate the interest of his students to draw them closer to Italy notwithstanding their own diverse ethnic and linguistic backgrounds.
The Principal of the school, David Greco refers to him as a model teacher. LoJacono dedicates his time and his energies to his students through a variety of scholastic and extracurricular activities throughout the entire academic year.
To accomplish his mission -explains the Principal- LoJacono meets with community leaders, participates in activities of the Italian-American groups keeping up with events in the local Italian community.
In addition to the certificate proclaiming "Teacher of the Year", he receives a grant to continue studies at the University of Perugia for Foreigners in the Summer of 2009. The course is specifically designed for those teaching Italian abroad with updates on language usage and teaching techniques.
The Buffalo teacher is a font of initiatives to stimulate the study of our language. Among the latest of his findings was the performance on stage of the trial of Sacco and Vanzetti in Italian and English.
He has created an exchange program with the city of Torremaggiore, however it has been bittersweet; while the Italian students have come several times to visit Buffalo, the American students cannot reciprocate the visit due to a decree by the Board of Education after 9/11 prohibiting overseas travel.
We asked him what talents one would have to possess to earn this sought-after prize. Peter LoJacono said "I’m only doing my best to teach not only language, but also Italian culture to my students."
This means participating in the social events of the Italian-American community in Buffalo. By creating the exchange with Buffalo and Torremaggiore, which eventually led into a sister-city relationship that for me has been a marvelous experience because it became a reality. The students exchange letters, e-mails, speak to each other via webcam and have made friends in Italy. I find this initiative quite successful because it involves students on both sides of the Atlantic simultaneously.
The actual exchange for the moment is still only on the Italian side.
For us, we are still unable to travel overseas which bothers me. I hope they will change the decree enabling us to visit Italy. I’ve spoken already numerous times with the Mayor of Buffalo who has been very open to our ideas and has offered his help. Our students remain disadvantaged in respect to other districts that travel freely. I am an optimist and hope that they will soon change their policy on travel.
He explains that his students of Italian origin are third and fourth generation. My great- grandparents came here in 1891. Many of these students do not speak Italian at home but they still celebrate Italian traditions and religious feasts. The only remnant of the Italian language in most cases are some words in dialect from their hometowns in Italy that have been past down.
Also in Buffalo the battle is underway to keep Italian from disappearing from scholastic programs.
We have lost many Italian teachers due to retirements. Several of those teachers were replaced with French and Spanish teachers due to fewer requests for Italian. We must show interest for this living, vivacious, dynamic Italian language. It must be acknowledged that Italy is a world leader in fashion, culture, cinema and science (to name a few). I think I attained a little success in the promotion of the teaching of Italian. Always remaining positive I believe that from one thing another is born from which we grow and learn.
When asked the question why he decided to bring to the stage the trial of Sacco & Vanzetti LoJacono explains that he found it necessary to explain the troubled lives of the Italians. To explain foremost that the Italians who came to this country also had many hardships to face, and that their road was not an easy one; even if today being Italian is an asset. Also he adds, to cement the twinning with Torremaggiore and to pay homage to that city, the birthplace of Nicola Sacco.