Giovanna Greco B.A, M.A.

Giovanna immigrated from Rome in the mid-1960s.  First arriving in Montreal, then Victoria in the late '70s. She obtained her undergraduate degree in teaching from the University of Victoria in French and Linguistics in 1986,  and her Masters in French in 1995.  She is a retired elementary French teacher of 28 years, with the majority of her time teaching at St Patrick’s Elementary School. In her spare time, she can be heard volunteering at the University radio CFUV 101.9 FM on Sundays @ 11 am for the Italian program. 

Luisa Cinanni

Luisa comes from an immigrated Italian family. She was born in Ottawa and lived in Italy for 35 years. In 2015  she moved back to Canada with her husband and children.  She holds an online bachelor's degree in Gastronomy and Science of Tourism from University for Foreigners of Perugia, a diploma in Arts and Science, and certificate in Public Administration from Camosun College. Luisa has a passion for learning about other cultures and exploring the world. She is currently working during the day at Marlin Travel.

Kristina Fortuna Trydnivka

The Centre welcomes Kristina, our new Italian instructor, she will teach our children classes. She came to Canada in 2022; she lived and studied in Italy. Kristina has taught different levels of Italian from beginners to conversational and made sure that everyone participated and encouraged their progress. She used different activities and adjusted her pace accordingly. She uses Montessori-inspired games, movement, songs, stories and crafts. That is: usage of visual materials, repetition, short dialogues, and interactive activities. As a result, students will feel comfortable participating and volunteer answers in Italian.