News
Professor Lindia Receives AATI 2020 Distinguished Service Award
September 16, 2020
Professor Lucrezia Lindia is being recognized by the American Association of Teachers of Italian for her commitment to promoting, advancing, and preserving the study of Italian language, literature, and culture. Lindia is one of two AATI 2020 Distinguished Service Award winners. She is being recognized along with Ryan Calabretta-Sajder.
Lindia is an adjunct professor of Italian at Westchester Community College and also works as a foreign language liaison of early college education high school partnerships. She was a language teacher and department chair at Eastchester Union Free School District for 31 years and also a teacher and supervisor of foreign languages at New Rochelle Academy and Montessori Grade School.
Lindia is nationally known for her extraordinary efforts in promoting the goals and objectives of the American Association of Teachers of Italian K-14. For four decades, she cultivated a passion for learning that extended far beyond the classroom. She engaged and encouraged her students to participate in numerous educational and cultural programs in Westchester, New York City, and in Italy. She served as President of the ITA-AATI for close to 20 years where she initiated an Annual ITA essay contest, the ITA Carnevale Celebration in February; she edited the ITA monthly newsletter, and she fostered collaborations with the Italian Cultural Institute and the Italian Consulate in New York to support Italian Language Programs in the New York Metropolitan Area and Westchester. She was a New York Public Library Mentor for the Encounter. For 18 years, she has been a Consultant to the New York State Education Department for the Italian Regents and the Proficiency Exams. She has contributed to the AATI National Italian Examination, the New York State Learning Standards for Languages Other Than English and the ACTFL’s Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century.
Lindia served on a committee for the Italian Consulate in NYC initiating the AP Exam and she engaged in personal outreach to high schools in New York State inviting them to initiate the AP Italian Course in their schools. In addition, she was a member of the Committee that composed the AP Vertical Team Guide in World Languages, published by the College Board; She was also hired by the College Board to write the AP Italian CPPG #2, and served on the College Board’s Italian AP Committee as a reader and on the SAT II Test Development Committee, chairing it the last two years. Lindia is the author of Edmondo DeAmici’s Cuore “Tre racconti,” Ed. Soleil; Cultura Italiana di regione in regione, Edizioni Farinelli; Co-author of Italian for Communication Textbook and Workbook, Curriculum Press; Cinque film italiani, Ed. Soleil; La donna arbëreshe ieri, oggi, domani…tra sacro e profano, Edizioni Il Coscile.
Among other initiatives, Lindia served as President of the Westchester Association of Foreign Language Educators, an affiliate of the New York State Association of Foreign Language Teachers (NYSAFLT). She was also elected to serve as regional representative of NYSAFLT and regional representative for AATI for a few terms. She is the President of the National Italian Honor Society/Società Onoraria Italica, Board Member of the Italian American Committee of Education (IACE) and Board Member of the Italian Heritage and Culture Committee (IHCC, Inc.); Westchester Coalition of Italian American Organizations, and Trustee of the SOI, Garibaldi Lodge. Over the years, she gave more than 200 workshops at the local, state, national and international levels, and continues to offer her professional expertise to colleagues representing secondary schools and colleges.
To conclude, this description by one of her colleagues who recommended her for this award encapsulates her contributions perfectly: “Professor Lucrezia Lindia is the ultimate professional and always a lady proud of her Italian heritage. Her amazing ability to share that love with everyone who comes in contact with her is clearly evident in the lasting impression she has on generations of students, many of whom have been inspired by her example and have even followed in her footsteps to become teachers of the Italian language and culture.”
Discover more about the AATI on their website.
About Westchester Community College
Westchester Community College provides over 24,000 full-time and part-time students with an award-winning education at one of the lowest tuition rates in New York State. The college offers over 60 degree and certificate programs, including innovative programs in such high-demand fields as Cybersecurity, Health Information Technology, Respiratory Therapy, and Digital Filmmaking. The college reflects the rich diversity of its region, and was the first SUNY campus to be designated a Hispanic Serving Institution.