The National Italian American Foundation awards scholarship to Boca teen

FROM STAFF REPORTS

Heather Vidi of Boca Raton, Fla. has received the NIAF II Circolo Cultural Society of the Palm Beaches Scholarship. Vidi attends the University of South Florida and is majoring in Music Performance/Business Administration.

"NIAF has awarded $10 million in scholarships and grants across the country since its inception, including $1.15 million in 2007 alone," said the Hon. Marie L. Garibaldi, chair of the NIAF scholarship and grants committee.
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The NIAF celebrates its 33rd anniversary this year. The scholarship program has grown from four scholarships of $250 each to nearly 100 annual scholarships that range from $2,000 to $15,000 each in the humanities, medicine, business, engineering, music, Italian language and culture and other specialized fields.

Scholarship winners are selected based on academic merit and are academically outstanding, with an average GPA of 3.95. The average scholarship was more than $4,000. In 2006, NIAF also offered $10,000 in financial need-based scholarships to students ages 12-18 who wished to attend Lago del Bosco an Italian Language Village in Minnesota and the only such language and cultural immersion camp in the United States.

In 2007, NIAF also funded university grants to Italian clubs and cultural and educational grants. The NIAF grant program promotes, preserves, and protects Italian-American heritage and culture by offering financial awards to individuals, organizations, and institutions for projects that advance those goals.

Contributors to the NIAF scholarship program include corporations, individuals, and organizations across the U.S. NIAF will consider matching scholarships with other organizations.

To establish a NIAF scholarship, contact Serena Cantoni, NIAF director of scholarships and grants, at 202/939-3111 or serena@niaf.orq. Apply online for a 2008-2009 NIAF scholarship at www.niaf.orq/scholarships.
Application deadline: March 7, 2008.