Thursday, January 19, 2012
North Yarmouth Academy and L'Ecole Francaise team up to offer students a degree recognized by France.
North Yarmouth Academy in Yarmouth and L'Ecole Francaise du Maine in Freeport plan to start the first high school-level French immersion program north of Boston that would offer a dual diploma endorsed by the French government.
The program, on track to begin next fall, would give students of the French primary school a way to continue their immersion education in Maine. It would allow the academy to expand its offerings and possibly attract French-speaking students from around the world.
"French schools are scarce in the States, so I wouldn't be surprised if we saw an influx of children of diplomats and other French-speaking people at the academy," said Willy LeBihan, founder and director of L'Ecole Francaise.
The French school and the academy both have strong academic programs and an emphasis on music education, LeBihan said, "so we're glad that our students would be able to continue their education there."
Students who enroll in the academy's French immersion program would take half of their courses in French, including history and mathematics, and half in English. French courses would be taught by professional teachers from France on sabbatical through the French Ministry of Education.
The curriculum would meet Maine educational requirements and be endorsed by the French government, so students would get diplomas that would be recognized at colleges and universities throughout the United States and the European Union.
"I love having a more international bent to our programs and being able to offer our students a unique academic track," said Brad Choyt, North Yarmouth Academy's head of school.
Founded in 1814, North Yarmouth Academy is a private day school that has 266 students in grades 5 through 12. Tuition is $24,500 per year.
L'Ecole Francaise, founded in 2002, has 80 students in pre-kindergarten through Grade 5. Tuition is $9,000 to $11,000 per year, depending on grade. Graduates continue their education at various private and public schools in southern Maine.
L'Ecole Francaise is one of only 40 French immersion schools in the United States and Canada that are accredited by the French government. L'Ecole Francaise is the only accredited U.S. school north of Boston. Only 12 accredited French schools in North America are high school programs.
The dual diploma that North Yarmouth Academy plans to offer is now available at only two French immersion high schools, in New York City and Miami. The French American Baccalaureate Program was developed two years ago by the College Board, Columbia University, Paris-Sorbonne University and the French Ministry of Education.
In recent months, LeBihan has met with French education officials in Washington, D.C., Ontario and Paris to win approval for the academy's French immersion program. An inspector from the French Ministry of Education visited the academy in October.
In the coming weeks, the academy is expected to hire a teacher from France and announce the start of enrollment for the fall semester. The first year could attract five to 15 students, including some young people from abroad, LeBihan said.
If all goes well and word of the program spreads, interest and enrollment could increase to the point that the academy would have to consider developing a boarding program, he said.
Staff Writer Kelley Bouchard can be contacted at 791-6328 or at: kbouchard@pressherald.com
