One year of ‘French for All’: Cultural Services of the French Embassy celebrates early success of initiative supporting bilingualism and access to language instruction

One year of ‘French for All’: Cultural Services of the French Embassy celebrates early success of initiative supporting bilingualism and access to language instruction

With over $2.5 million raised across eight programs, French for All boosts language learning and cultural exchange at all academic levels. Cultural Services of the French Embassy also debuts new website, announces grantees across several exchange programs. 

New York, December 5, 2023 – One year ago, President of France Emmanuel Macron launched French for All, a new initiative founded on the principle that foreign language education should be a right, not a privilege, for the next generation of learners in a globalized world. The initiative supports the expansion and enrichment of French language education and bilingualism in the United States from kindergarten through higher education. Today, the Cultural services of the French Embassy, which manages French for All, announced a series of milestones illustrating the initiative’s early success, including fundraising of over $2.5 million. 

In the past year, French for All has enabled the launch and expansion of several programs: 

  • Two programs supporting the training of a new generation of French teachers: Multi-State Pathways to Teaching French, which has already jump-started 66 French speakers’ journey to becoming educators, and TAPIF to Teacher, a new scholarship that has supported teacher training for 100 TAPIF participants to date. 
  • The French Dual Language Fund has provided 41 grants to public schools with French immersion programs, awarded six university students the Future Immersion Teacher Fellowship, and welcomed 42 teachers from around the country for the French Dual Language Immersion Summer Institute. The fund also made possible the third National Seminar on French Bilingual Education, attended by 80 school leaders from 19 US states.  
  • The French Heritage Language Program, which provides high school students from a French speaking background with free French classes and community-building, has launched a national call for projects to support initiatives across the US. Born in New York City, with the support of French for All the program is expanding to several new cities and moving toward full curriculum incorporation.  
  • The new French in Higher Education has awarded 14 grants to support projects that transform and modernize French language departments at American colleges and Universities. Applications are currently open for the 2024 call for projects. This year, funding will be used to initiate mid-to-long-term changes through innovation and/or immersive internship programs.  

“French for All has built extraordinary momentum over the past year,” said Judith Roze, Acting Cultural Counselor of the French Embassy in the US. “The enthusiasm and feedback we’ve received from participants has affirmed that this kind of proactive, individualized support for bilingualism at all educational levels is both urgently needed and genuinely impactful. I want to extend our deepest thanks to the partners and supporters who have worked side by side with us to make this possible.” 

French Embassy also announces selection for three higher education grant programs

Beyond French for All, this fall the Cultural Services of the French Embassy and its partners are also celebrating the successes of French for grantees of three tentpole programs supporting French-American collaboration and exchange in higher education.    

Graduate Scholars in France
A scholarship from the Cultural Services of the French Embassy and Campus France, the Graduate Scholars in France program fully funds high-potential students’ pursuit of a Master’s degree in French higher education institutions. Twenty-two students were selected for the 2023-4 program. See the full list of grantees here. 

Transatlantic Mobility Program 
In 2023, 6 higher education institutions in the US and France were awarded grants of up to $20,000 to expand and diversify their study-abroad programs. The Transatlantic Mobility Program aims to increase the number of French and American students studying abroad, with a focus on international mobility opportunities for historically underserved or underrepresented student populations. See the full list of grantees here. 

Transatlantic Research Partnership
This year, 15 Franco-American research teams were selected to receive a $20,000 research grants as part of the Transatlantic Research Partnership. Each team is led by two researchers at the beginning of their career, one based in France and one based in the US, and also includes post-doctoral fellows, PhD and Master’s students. See the full list of grantees here.  

The Cultural Services of the French Embassy is currently accepting applications for several higher education programs. 

A new and improved frenchculture.org

To best present its diverse, nationwide tools and programming, the Cultural Services of the French Embassy has debuted a redesigned website.  

Frenchculture.org is a go-to resource for all things French education in the US. Whether you are a parent researching bilingual schools, a university student or academic exploring research and career programs, or a French teacher pursuing new tools and skills, the Cultural Services of the French Embassy is the place to start.  

A noteworthy new feature of the website is the network map, frenchculture.org/map. This tool allows users to easily browse the wide range of French education resources available in their area, including a full list of French Dual Language schools, the Alliance française network, the Centers of Excellence university network, and more.