IDEA PRESS & IDEA MUSIC 

                      CAV. GILDA RORRO BALDASSARI, Ed.D.

 

2002-Present: APPOINTED TO NEW JERSEY ITALIAN HERITAGE COMMISSION, BY THE GOVERNOR OF NEW JERSEY (NJIHC)

1998-2008: HONORARY VICE CONSUL FOR ITALY, IN TRENTON

2008-2016: CONSULAR CORRESPONDENT for ITALY, IN TRENTON:

CHAIRWOMAN of FOLLOWING ITALIAN COMMITTEES:   

NEW JERSEY ITALIAN AND ITALIAN AMERICAN HERITAGE COMMISSION (NJIIAHC): 1990--1994

NJIHC CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE: 2003--PRESENT (DEVELOPED K-16 PROGRAM, IN ALL CONTENT AREAS, WHICH IS  AVAILABLE ON THE DOE WEBSITE. THE DOCUMENT WAS PILOTED FOR TWO YEARS, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE DOE, INCLUDING TWO REGIONS OF ITALY: UMBRIA AND SICILY)

EDUCATION COMMITTEE: VALNERINA/TRENTON/HAMILTON/ GEMELLAGGIO: 2002--Present

 

CULTURAL THEATER, MERCER COUNTY ITALIAN AMERICAN FESTIVAL:2004--Present

 

ANNUAL COLUMBUS DAY COMMEMORATION, TRENTON, NJ:2004--Present (CONDUCT ONGOING FUNDRAISING TO BRING A VISITING FOLKLORE GROUP FROM ITALY TO TRENTON, VIA OCEAN COUNTY, TO PERFORM AT A COLUMBUS MASS AND FOR THE COMMUNITY)

 

 

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT FOR HUMAN RESOURCES, TRENTON BOARD OF EDUCATION

 DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF EQUAL EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY, (Civil Rights Office), NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Tri-State Television Teacher: Philadelphia Board of Education

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EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND:

             1962 BEAVER COLLEGE (ARCADIA UNIVERSITY) Bachelor of Arts

             1978    COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY, M.Ed. (Summa Cum Laude)

             1983: Indiana University: 11 Credits (Haitian Creole)

             1988    RUTGERS UNIVERSITY, Ed.D.(Urban Education and Multicultural Education)

             1960-61 UNIVERSITY OF MEXICO, 24 CREDITS IN FRENCH AND SPANISH

Additional Coursework at Rider University

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AFFILIATIONS/ORGANIZATIONS:

             NEW JERSEY ITALIAN HERITAGE COMMISSION

             OUR LADY OF THE ANGELS PARISH, TRENTON, NJ (Consular Office)

             PRINCETON/PETTORANELLO GEMELLAGGIO

             VALNERINA/TRENTON/HAMILTON GEMELLAGGIO

             ITALIAN AMERICAN NATIONAL HALL OF FAME

             MERCER COUNTY ITALIAN AMERICAN FESTIVAL

             MERCER COUNTY CAVALIER SOCIETY

             ORDER OF INTERNATIONAL LEGIONS OF MERIT

             BUCKS COUNTY CHAPTER OF ARCADIA UNIVERSITY WOMEN

             SAN FELESE SOCIETY of MERCER COUNTY

             ROMAN SOCIETY

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AWARDS FROM 2000:

                        2000: CITIZEN OF THE YEAR: KENT ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION

                        2004: CITIZEN OF THE YEAR: SAN FELESE SOCIETY  

                        2008: “CAVALIERATO:” KNIGHTED BY THE PRESIDENT OF ITALY (Nominated by Consul General Mistretta)

                         2012: AMBASSADOR AWARD: ITALIAN AMERICA MUSEUM, NY

                         2012: 50-YEAR ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: ARCADIA UNIVERSITY

                          2012: HELA YOUNG AWARD FROM OFFICE OF NJ HOLOCAUST/GENOCIDE EDUCATION COMMISSION: DOE

                          2016: "LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD" FROM THE HAMILTON TOWNSHIP BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COMMISSION

                          2018: Recipient: New Jersey State Governor's Jefferson Award--the national recognition program of the United States Senate, for volunteer/ public service

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EDUCATIONAL AWARDS

1992: EQUITY LEADER OF THE YEAR

1992: WHO’S WHO IN NEW JERSEY

1992: WHO’S WHO IN THE WORLD

1994: NATIONAL PARTNERS OF THE AMERICAS VOLUNTEER SERVICE AWARD, WASHINGTON, DC

1985: FINALIST: NJ STATE TEACHER OF THE YEAR

1985: TEACHER OF THE YEAR: HAMILTON TOWNSHIP

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MAJOR PUBLICATIONS:

                                    GUIDELINES FOR EDUCATION THAT IS MULTICULTURAL (DOE)

                                    A HANDBOOK FOR TEACHERS OF HAITIAN STUDENTS IN NEW JERSEY (DOE)

                                    HAITIAN VOICES: CONSIDERATIONS FOR THE CLASSROOM TEACHER (DOE)

RUTGERS UNIVERSITY DOCTORAL DISSERTATION: ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF HAITIAN LIMITED ENGLISH SPEAKING STUDENTS IN NEW JERSEY PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOLS

CO-PRODUCED WITH THE OFFICE OF HOLOCAUST/GENOCIDE EDUCATION AT THE DOE: ITALIAN RESCUERS DURING THE HOLOCAUST

NUMEROUS ARTICLES PUBLISHED IN EDUCATIONAL MAGAZINES AND LEADING AND LOCAL NEWSPAPERS

"Gilda, Promise Me:" PERSONAL MEMOIR ABOUT MY LIFE AS AN ITALIAN AMERICAN

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OTHER

GUEST /KEYNOTE SPEAKER                          

                                    THE UNIVERSITY OF PERUGIA, ITALY

                                    UNIVERSITY OF SIENA

                                    ISTITUTO GALILEO GALILEI: CANICATI', SICILY

                                    GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY

                                    RUTGERS UNIVERSITY

                                    COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY

                                    OCEAN COUNTY COLLEGE

                                    SETON HALL UNIVERSITY

                                    MONTCLAIR STATE UNIVERSITY

                                    DOE: ALBANY

                                    NIAF: WASHINGTON, D.C. (RECEIVED GRANT MONIES TO DEVELOP CURRICULUM PROJECT)  

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ESTABLISHED FORMAL COLLABORATIVE PARTNERSHIPS

                                    INITIATED FORMAL COLLABORATIVE PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE NJIHC AT THE DOE WITH THE AMISTAD COMMISSION (AFRICAN AMERICAN) AND THE OFFICE OF GENOCIDE/HOLOCAUST EDUCATION  INITIATED AT RUTGERS UNIVERSITY, FORMAL COLLABORATIVE PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE NJIHC AND THE ZIMMERLI ART MUSEUM AND THE BILDNER CENTER FOR JEWISH LIFE THE PARTNERSHIPS RESULTED IN NATIONAL PROGRAMS TO PROMOTE THE UNIVERSAL IMPACT OF ITALIAN HERITAGE ON OTHER CULTURES AND IN COLLABORATIVE EDUCATIONAL PUBLICATIONS APPEARED ON NUMEROUS TELEVISION PROGRAMS STATEWIDE AND IN ITALY TO PROMOTE ITALIAN LANGUAGE AND HERITAGE IN SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITIESDIRECT ASSISTANCE TO CONSULATES GENERAL ARRANGED MEETINGS AT THE DOE WITH THE COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION AND THE CONSUL GENERAL OF ITALY TO EXPLORE EXPANDING THE TEACHING OF ITALIAN IN NEW JERSEY SCHOOLS AND    IN PROMOTING "THE UNIVERSALITY OF ITALIAN HERITAGE" CURRICULUM   

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ORGANIZING COMMUNITY PROGRAMS

                                    Organizes annual Wreath-Laying Ceremony at the Columbus Statue in Trenton on Columbus Day

                                    ORGANIZED A COUNTYWIDE PROGRAM IN MERCER, TO CELEBRATE THE 150 anniversary of "THE UNIFICATION OF ITALY,"  with ITALIAN CONSUL ANDREA BARBARIA

                                    Helped organize a Sister Relationship: Trenton/Hamilton/Valnerina, in Umbria, Italy          

AMICIZIA PROGRAM

                                    ESTABLISHED A PEN/PAL AND STUDENT EXCHANGE BETWEEN ITALY AND NEW JERSEY, AS A COMPONENT OF "THE UNIVERSALITY OF ITALIAN HERITAGE" CURRICULUM PROJECT. THIS RESULTED IN STUDENTS COMING FROM SICILY TO NEW JERSEY TO COMMEMORATE COLUMBUS DAY AND NEW JERSEY STUDENTS TRAVELLING TO CANICATTI' AND NARO, SICILY, TO MEET THEIR ITALIAN COUNTERPARTS. THE PARISH PRIEST OF OUR LADY OF THE ANGELS, PRESENTED A VISITING ITALIAN STUDENT WITH A $500.00 SCHOLARSHIP, IN 2016.

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