The goal, said professor Anthony Constantini, is to increase the number of people who can teach Italian in high school.

"The Italian program here at CSUN has been promoting the teaching of Italian in high schools in Southern California," Constantini said. "We've been so successful that we need more teachers. In the San Fernando Valley there are only six high schools teaching Italian to about 500 students. We could expand to more high schools if we had the teachers."

Constantini said local Italian Americans heard about the need for Italian teachers and pledged to raise $50,000 each year for the next five years to establish an endowment at the university. That money will be used for scholarships for students willing to minor, and eventually major, in Italian with the intention of teaching when they graduate.

The group has raised $100,000 so far.

"There are traces of the Renaissance, there are traces of the Roman Empire that should be perpetuated," said Robert J. Barbera, a member of the steering committee raising money for the scholarships. "We hope that the money we raise will continue the education and exposure of young people to Italy's contributions to the world."

The university currently offers a minor in Italian through classes offered in its Department of Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures. Constantini said he hopes to expand the program in the next three years to include a major in the language as well.

"We have a lot of students already minoring in Italian who would love to get a major," he said.