The Coccia Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) Family Foundation that was founded in 1994 by Cavaliere Joseph Coccia, Jr. and his wife Elda. The Foundation establishes and supports various educational, cultural, and societal events for the youth of the Italian and Italian-American community, particularly those organized within institutions of higher education. Through the creation of scholarships, study abroad programs and cultural events, as well as through the establishment of associations and alliances between students, the Coccia Foundation strives to develop and foster long-term relationships between young people and society as a whole. The Foundation’s programs aid these young people as they enter society with a sense of pride in thier heritage and with goals to continue in the mission of the Foundation as they embark on their adult lives.