Program areas at ICCC
Italian Language School: The ICCC considers the Italian Language School and its related activities essential to its mission. The Italian Language School has existed at the Cultural Center since 1989. The school offers 7-week sessions throughout the year for adults, kindergarten and children's classes, teen classes, and ongoing private & semi-private classes. Classes include grammar, conversation, a tourist guide to the basic Italian Language, and a look at Italy's contemporary life. The school also offers cultural Art History, Architecture, and Opera courses. Classes are in-person and online at the Italian Cultural & Community Center. The Language School serves approximately 340 students a year.
Scholarship Program: Since 2000, the organization has granted over $281,000 scholarships. In 2023, ICCC awarded $18,000 scholarships to deserving young men and women. Since 1982, the ICCC has awarded $1,000 each for new and renewing annual scholarships to high school seniors based on merit & financial need. In 2023, two new scholarships were awarded to high school seniors, and six were renewed. See Schedule O for further Scholarship Program details.Since its inception, we have awarded four scholarships to eligible undergraduate, MBA, or Ph.D. students for study abroad programs in Italy, totaling $10,000. The program began in 2020 (overseas travel was unavailable in 2020/2021 due to Covid). We awarded one (1) one-time non-renewable $5,000 scholarship to college students currently enrolled in an undergraduate, graduate, or Ph.D. program, majoring or minoring in Italian Studies, Concentrating in Italian History and Culture.
Cultural Events: Since 1988, the public has enjoyed continuous events highlighting Italy and Italians' vast global contributions. During 2023, programs were conducted to highlight Italy's cultural, historical, educational, and traditions. The programs included wine lectures and tasting series that focused on regional wines and the history of the wine-growing regions in Italy, a contemporary Italian Film Series during which films were shown monthly for eight months, educational lecture workshops, and cultural classes. Total attendance for all the Cultural Events exceeded 1750 people. Other events focus on Italian tradition, such as La Befana for the children.
La Voce - Initially named "II Domani," the newspaper began publication in 1989 to inform the public and Italian-American community of events at the Italian Cultural & Community Center and report the member clubs' news. In 2020, the publication went electronic and was emailed bi-monthly to approximately 4,500 followers. It can be downloaded free from our website, as can prior issues.
Library: The Library houses books in Italian for our Language School students & the community at large for research & study. Additionally, the library collection includes books about Italian-American history and authors of Italian-American descent.
Heritage Book: To record history and preserve the memory of Italian-American life in the greater Houston area from the late 1800s until now, the organization has underwritten the publication of two large, glossy-paged volumes of Houstonians of Italian-American Descent: Volumes I & II. The project was from 2001 to 2006. During that time, 100% of Vol. I printed books and 99% of the Vol. IIs were sold or donated to libraries and heritage organizations requests for Vol. II continue to be filled, albeit only a few copies are left.
Italian Mass: For most Italian immigrants to America, Sunday recalls morning Mass in Italian, followed by a family gathering for lunch. Since 1989, the organization has sought to preserve this tradition with a Mass in Italian once a month followed by an equally well-attended pasta lunch. Mass is generally attended by about 30-50 people, many of whom may be visitors from Italy or those whose native language is Italian and members of the Italian-American Community. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we were not able to conduct the Italian Mass from March of 2020 to December 2021, but the Mass resumed in 2022, with the gathering for lunch after Mass starting back again in 2023.