CyberItalian Inc. was founded in 1997 by two partners who followed a vision: take advantage of the new emerging technology, the Internet, to offer - to as many people as possible - an innovative, flexible and effective method to learn the Italian language and discover the Italian culture.

"Back in 1996, as Director of the Italian Language Program for the United Nations UNSRC Circolo Culturale Italiano in New York, I was strongly influenced by the challenge of teaching in a multicultural environment (192 different countries constitute the United Nations).

I was determined to create a language program and method that could address the educational needs of different students. I analyzed many learning approaches. Some students preferred a communicative and playful approach, others liked a more reassuring and analytical approach. Others wanted a combination of both. Some students preferred a Self-Study course. Others needed the guide of a tutor or the interaction with a professor. Some students liked the concept of long-distance study. Others preferred interacting with the teacher and the class.

Thus I designed a method and different educational materials that could embrace all those learning needs.

At the dawn of the Internet era, Mr. Paolo Vacchina, who at that time was an Information System Officer for the Department of Political Affairs at the United Nations in New York, proposed to adapt my teaching method to an online program: thus CyberItalian was born."

Maura Garau, president CyberItalian Inc.