Italian School NJ’s mission is to provide students of all ages and backgrounds with the tools they need to speak, write, and read in Italian, while having fun doing so! Our program integrates small class sizes, a full-immersion teaching philosophy, a highly qualified staff, and an Italian-style curriculum. We focus on the individual, while at the same time creating an interactive learning environment. We seek to provide every student with practical skills that can be used to take that overdue trip to Venice, to gain a competitive advantage in the workplace, or to simply enhance the knowledge of the Italian language and culture. Italian School NJ offers a broad range of programs that allow our students to tailor their educational experience to their individual needs and schedules.
Italian School NJ is open to anyone that wishes to explore the Italian language and culture. We are proud to serve Morris County, Union County, Essex County, and Somerset County, and the smaller townships of Morris, Parsippany, Mendham, Bernardsville, and Summit therein. Some of our students come from as far away as Fort Lee, Montclair and Newark to learn with us, and we take pride in being able to work with students from every county.
About Our Founders
As Italian natives living in New Jersey and mothers of bilingual children, we recognize that having a structured environment where children can learn proper Italian language skills while interacting socially can greatly enhance one’s sensitivity toward the Italian culture. Our school is a 501(c)3 Not-for-Profit Italian Language and Culture school.
Marilisa Zanarella
Marilisa Zanarella was born in Vicenza. She graduated from the Technical Institute A. Fusinieri in Accounting and Foreign Commerce with a degree in Business Administration. She worked as a business administrator and an accountant in Vicenza and ultimately in New York. Marilisa lives in New Jersey with her husband, her three boys graduated college and high school but often come visit their parents and friends.
Natalia Bernini Carri
Natalia Bernini Carri grew up in Campobasso, Italy and graduated from the University of Perugia with a degree in "Ingegneria per l'Ambiente e Territorio." She received a Master of Science Degree in Environmental Engineering from Brooklyn Polytechnic under a scholarship program and worked as a leading engineering on major metropolitan projects in the New York area. Natalia now resides in New Jersey with her husband and children
About Our Staff
Our staff of teachers strive to encourage every student to reach their potential and are devoted to make their students love the Italian Language and the culture.
Carla was born and grew up in Milan (Italy). She earned a Bachelor Degree in Pedagogy in Milan and a Master’s Degree in Intercultural Education, both at the “Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore”, Milan. Carla has extensive experience in teaching at various levels and in different sectors: In Italy she worked with kids with learning disabilities in the public schoolsystem as a teacher for special needs and instructed students on regular lessons in areas such as history, math and literacy but also impart lessons on self-sufficiency. She worked for CEPU as a tutor in Italian for foreigner’s students, philosophy, psychology and pedagogy. She also worked as a social worker with youths and families in need in a Non-profit organization, in cooperation with Social Services of Milan. She volunteered for “Telefono Azzurro” (a helpline for children victims of abuse). Always passionate about making experiences abroad, in 2011 she moved to Grand Rapids, (MN) for 3 months and to Worcester, (MA) for other 3 months, for an exchange training program, where she worked as social worker and youth counselor; then in 2012 she got married and now she lives in New Jersey with her family. She loves teaching children and adults and her greatest passion is reading classic novels.
Carla has been teaching at the Italian School of NJ for 6 years.
Elena was born in Pavia, a small University town close to Milan. She graduated with a Bachelor Degree in Law in 2003 and worked as a Civil Lawyer for more than ten years in Italy. Elena first moved with her family to Hong Kong, where she lived for two years, and then to the United States in Miami. She now lives in Summit, New Jersey with her husband and two children. Here she came in contact with the Italian School NJ and she discovered her passion for teaching Italian and sharing the love for her heritage and culture. Elena still cultivates her passion for the arts as she attended classes at the Summit SVA and her passion for ballet. She joined our team a year ago and she is now currently teaching with enthusiasm both children and adults classes.
Emanuela Schianodicolawas born in Naples, Italy and resided there until the age of twelve. She immigrated to Brooklyn, NY and lived there for twelve years, during which time she obtained her Degree in Travel and Tourism Management. For several years, Emanuela worked for a travel agency based in a predominately Italian community in Brooklyn, where her knowledge of Italian served as a great tool in satisfying the agency’s needs. In 2000, Emanuela and her family moved to Flanders, NJ, where she still resides with her husband and two daughters. Emanuela joined the ISNJ family in 2013, since then she has thought youth classes from 2.5 years old and up to all levels and adult classes. In addition, she is the Italian teachers for all levels and grades K-8 at St Bartholomew Academy,. Emanuela adores teaching her classes: her love of the Italian language and culture distinctly transpire in her lessons and drives her to perfect her teaching skills. Emanuela has helped ISNJ to improve its youth classes curriculums since she joined our team. The Schianodicola family shares her passion for Italian culture —Emanuela and her husband own an Italian restaurant in town and spend every summer vacation together in Italy with their extended families and friends in a picturesque village on the coast of Naples.
Born near Lake Como, Italy, in 1994 Giulia is an avid reader. She loves languages and art and graduated from a linguistic/touristic high school in Italy. Due to her passion for the English language, she traveled a lot to England during her high school years and after her graduation she decides to move to the United States of America where she got an Associate Degree in Liberal Arts with a focus in Spanish. Here, she got in contact with the cultural environment of New York which increased her interest in translation and languages even more. In 2017, she moved back to Italy to study Intercultural Mediation at Altiero Spinelli in Milan, a school for interpreters and translators. Currently, she collaborates with magazines and newspapers, and with the InScena! Festival.
Adriana was born in Milan and graduated with a Bachelor Degree in Economy and Finance in Alessandria (Italy). She earned a certificate to teach Italian as a second language at the “Universita’ per Stranieri di Siena” (Italy). She worked for more than 12 years as Area Manager for an Italian company and in 2009 she moved to Switzerland and worked there as Operations Manager for a baby food startup. She lived in Switzerland for 7 years before moving to NJ in 2016 with her husband and her 3 children. She did her teaching internship in the Italian classes at Ridge High School in Basking Ridge. Since teenager she loves traveling and, in grade 12, she spent a year in Canada as an exchange student. She loves teaching and just joined ISNJ. She is currently teaching adults classes.
Pina was born in Cava de’ Tirreni, in the province of Salerno, Italy, where she attended a language Lyceum to study English, French and German, and earned her Degree in Sociology at the University of Salerno. While studying, she enjoyed singing in a band that toured all over Italy. After finishing college, she moved to New Jersey, and since 2000 she resides in Somerville with her husband Anthony and their three daughters. Her love for languages brought Pina back to college to earn her Bachelor Degree at Rutgers University with a double major in Italian and French andher Teaching Certification for the state of New Jersey. During her college years Pina has also enjoyed working as an assistant at the Midland Adult Center, working with disabled people and consequently at a childcare center, called Bright Horizon, in Somerset. Pina has also worked as a long-term substitute as an Italian Teacher at the Bridgewater Raritan Regional High School, where she conducted Italian lessons for Academic and Honor levels. Her passion for languages, teaching and music comes together in her lessons at ISNJ which she joined in 2016. Ever since, Pina has been engaged in classes for adults of all levels, including one-on-one lessons, as well as classes for children, which included the supervision and the direction of the music class for children of ages 9 to 12. Her love for the Italian language and culture is the driving force that shapes her lessons conducted to support students’ talents and needs, to engage them in a more fulfilling way of learning. Pina and her husband own an Italian Café in Basking Ridge and often spend part of their summer in Italy with their extended family and friends. In her free time, Pina enjoys cooking, taking dance classes, going for outdoor activities with her family, and reading.
Sonia Angela Falcone was born in Milan, Italy. Sonia pursued her Undergraduate and Graduate degree in Florence, Italy where she later obtained her Master’s Degree in Modern Literature and Languages. During her 7-year stay in Florence, Sonia worked for Tre Elle Service, LLC as their PR and Interpreter. In 2002 Sonia and her husband moved to New Jersey, where she began to work for Sub-Zero Wolf Appliance as her full-time occupation. She also taught Italian and Spanish classes at the Iberia Language Institute and Berlitz in the evenings and on the weekends. In 2014, Sonia obtained her CTP certification and has since been listed as an Interpreter and Translator on the Italian Consulate of NY's website. Sonia joined the Italian School of NJ family in 2012 and adores teaching her classes and interacting with all of the wonderful students.
Alessandra was born in Tuscany and grew up in a small town near Milan. She graduated in Accounting and foreign languages. She worked in the Tourism sector. She worked as Head Receptionist and she coordinated al the departments of an Hotel in Switzerland in a small town over the Mountains. Then she worked for different Airlines Companies assisting passengers from al over the world. In 2014 she moved with her husband and their 3 Children in USA with the mission to make the life of his second son, born with cerebral palsy, as independent as possible thanks to all the therapies he can receive in this country. She loves to teach Italian and the Italian culture to kids and adults because it's a tight connection with Italy that she misses a lot. She likes to visit her family and friends in Italy all the summer. She also works at a Childcare in the morning and she finds working with little kids is very fulfilling."
Chiara, originally from Verona, Italy, Chiara moved to New Jersey in 2002 with her husband and their four children. Chiara graduated in Italy from a classical preparatory high school for University (Liceo Classico). She went on studying at the Verona University (Foreign Languages and Literature), while teaching German at a local High School. Upon marrying an American Government employee, she started teaching Italian for the Education Center at the Vicenza Army Base in Vicenza, Italy, where she taught for over twelve years Italian at various levels: from Headstart classes to College level. In addition she tutored higher-ranking officers. After moving to Nutley, NJ, she has been teaching Italian, first on a voluntary basis for her Church (where she is still holding a class), then for several Language Institutes in the area. Chiara is an experienced teacher for both children and adults, including high-level managers operating with Italian companies. She has thought Italian at all levels. Chiara has also a first-hand knowledge of the Italian Elementary school curriculum, which allows her to tutor children of Italian families, and is up-to-date with both language and cultural evolution in Italy.