An Italian American organization founded by immigrants from the province of Piacenza has reached an important milestone, awarding more than $1 million in scholarships to over 500 students while continuing a tradition that has connected generations of families in New York with their ancestral homeland.
The Società Val Trebbia e Val Nure was founded in New York in 1950 by immigrants whose roots were in the Trebbia and Nure valleys of Emilia Romagna. For more than seven decades, the organization has worked to preserve the culture, traditions and community ties brought to the United States by families from this area of northern Italy.
Education has become an important part of that mission. Through its scholarship program, the society has now provided financial support to more than 500 young people, with total awards exceeding $1 million – a significant investment by a community organization in successive generations of Italian Americans.
That commitment will once again be celebrated at the society’s annual Dinner Dance, scheduled for November 15 in New York. The event will recognize this year’s scholarship recipients while bringing together members, families and supporters of the organization.
The story of the Società Val Trebbia e Val Nure also illustrates how associations created by immigrants from individual Italian towns and valleys have evolved over the decades. What began as a way for newcomers to maintain connections with their places of origin has become a vehicle for passing that heritage forward.
Seventy-six years after its founding, the society continues to connect New York with Piacenza – while investing directly in the future of younger Italian American generations.
