Click here for Details and Programma Ponte Application

Programma Ponte, initiated in 1997, is a scholarship program that enables qualified Italian American college students to participate in an intensive summer course of study on Contemporary Italy and European Institutions.  The program is made possible through AIAE's collaboration with Federazione Nazionale dei Cavalieri del Lavoro and Instituto Superiore per la Comunicazioni e l'Opinione Pubblica (ISCOP), associated with the Universita' Angelicum, St. Thomas Aquinus.  Funding for the program is provided through such collaborations along with private donations made available through a the following scholarships:

• The Bellucci-De Paoli Foundation  Scholarship 
• The Hon. New York State Senator Serfin Maltese Scholarship 
• The Hon. Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi Scholarship 
• The Federazione Nazionale dei Cavalieri del Lavoro Scholarship
• The Istituto  Superiore per la Comunicazione e l'Opinione Pubblica Scholarship
• The Mauro & Josephine A. Maietta Scholarship 
• The Anthony Brusco Scholarship
• The Francesco L. Di Stefano Scholarship 
• The Scotto Brothers Scholarship 
• The Leandro Rizzuto Scholarship
• The Association of Itizzuto Italian American Educators Scholarship
• The Valtech Research Scholarship

More than ninety students have graduated from the Program to date.  They are members of an alumni club whose purpose is to maintain a network of communication to support and facilitate continuous professional development and provide further opportunities for connections to Italy in future careers.

Since the Program's inception, a member of AIAE has served as a Director and accompanies the students throughout the Program's schedule in the US and Italy.