Kids & Teens Programs

Kids & Teens Programs at Istituto Italiano Scuola include Italian language courses, Italian for travelers, citizenship test preparation, a literature class, a book club, and Italian traditions and culture workshops. The program also offers Italian holidays, traditions, food, and culture themed workshops, along with language, travel, and social and cultural gatherings that take place in person and online as part of the school’s nearly 70 courses per term for all levels.

• Schedule: Regular office hours Monday to Friday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, and Saturday 9:00 am to 3:00 pm
• Price: $0/pers for Festa Italiana; $40/pers for Book Club “Delitto di benvenuto”; $50/pers for Italian Traditions & Culture Workshops: Ferragosto

Istituto Italiano Scuola (IIS) in San Francisco was founded in 1998 as a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting Italian language and culture in Northern California and beyond through special events, workshops, and Italian language courses. The school offers high-quality language courses and socio-cultural gatherings, with experiential learning programs where language, travel, and social and cultural gatherings are the core, and nearly 70 courses per term for all levels from beginners to advanced, available both online and in person. Programs include options for adults, kids and teens, private lessons, and citizenship.

All courses are taught by professional instructors who are native Italian speakers and hold degrees from Italian universities, and students learn Italian from mother speakers specialized in teaching to foreigners. IIS states that it aims at creating a community of members passionate about Italy, who get together to learn Italian and enjoy Italian-related experiences, and it has a wide range of partners locally and nationally that offer exclusive discounts to members of the IIS community.

One parent testimonial describes a teacher named Francesca as having a talent for teaching and captivating young minds, blending learning and play, and notes a child’s enthusiasm for a weekly virtual class, calling the virtual program “top-tier” and “truly amazing” for young children’s language learning. Other testimonials describe the school as offering rigorous and fun courses, literature classes where classmates discuss books with a teacher guiding language improvement, and classes that help maintain and improve Italian language skills through reading classic and contemporary literature and staying up to date on Italian culture and politics. Additional comments mention that classes are taught by native speakers, that the experience on Zoom is described as almost as good as in-person classes, and that some students have formed long-term friendships through SFIIS classes.

Last updated June 6, 2026.