Our high school representatives still maintain the presence of the Ontario Association of Teachers of Italian, a non-profit organization begun in 1980s. With significant changes in the Ontario secondary school curriculum over time and revisions to course offerings, only a small group of Italian language teachers and students remain. For these teachers and students, the annual, end-of-year, Italian language contest represents an activity that teachers consider cornerstone to strengthening and increasing the profile of Italian. Not only does it represent a culmination activity, allowing students to showcase what they’ve learned, it recognizes and awards both student participation and overall excellence..
A small organizing committee of OATI members has emerged, whose purpose is to organize the annual Concorso di lingua e cultura. The Concorso is held in collaboration with the three major universities in the GTA where degree-granting programs of Italian are offered, namely, York University, the University of Toronto, St. George Campus and the University of Toronto at Mississauga.
The success of the language contest depends on the support we receive from school administrations, association members, students, parents, various organizations, and the business community. The funds received are used solely for the purpose of prizes, scholarships, and promotional materials for the teaching and learning of Italian.
It remains devoted to the promotion of the teaching and learning of Italian in Ontario and welcomes Italian teachers.