The Lycee Français de Chicago is a private, French

international school An international school is an institution that promotes education in an international environment or framework. Although there is no uniform definition or criteria, international schools are usually characterized by a multinational student body an ...

located in Lincoln Square,

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...

. It offers a dual French and English curriculum. The Lycée is founded on the French National Curriculum as defined by the

French Ministry of Education French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

and complemented by an English language program in addition to foreign language courses.

History

The private school was founded in 1995 by a group of French and American parents, with backing from French businesses and the support of the Consul General of France in Chicago. The Lycée is accredited by the French Ministry of Education and is listed on the official directory of the French Schools in Foreign Countries as part of the

AEFE The Agency for French Education Abroad, or Agency for French Teaching Abroad, (french: Agence pour l'enseignement français à l'étranger; abbreviation: AEFE), is a national public agency under the administration of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ...

French worldwide network which includes over 450 schools outside France. The school is also registered with the Illinois State Board of Education and accredited by the Independent School Association of Central States (ISACS). The Lycée Français de Chicago opened with 134 students. Today the school has over 850 American and foreign national students representing more than 30 nationalities, including French, American, Italian, Dutch, Austrian, German, Norwegian, Swedish, Greek, Czech, Polish, Ukrainian, Hungarian, Russian, Turkish, Pakistani, Canadian, English, Scottish, Irish, Croatian, Serbian, South African, Haitian, Chinese and many more.

Funding and Direction

The Lycée is funded in part by the

, l'Agence pour l'Enseignement Français à l'Étranger, but remains an entirely private school with no connection to the French Government. The school is run by the Board of Trustees, composed of parents and alumni, but day-to-day operations are overseen by Éric Veteau, the head of the school, Sévrine Fougerol, the head of Secondary, and Pascal Léon, the head of Primary.

Campus

In 2015, the Lycée moved to a new campus designed by STL Architects on the corner of Damen Avenue and Wilson Avenues in Ravenswood, west of the previous campus in Uptown.Uptown
(map). City of Chicago. Retrieved on December 24, 2016.

Curriculum

The school has a structural curriculum mandated by the French Ministry of Education and an English curriculum developed using guidelines from the

National Council of Teachers of English The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) is a United States professional organization dedicated to "improving the teaching and learning of English and the language arts at all levels of education. Since 1911, NCTE has provided a forum ...

and the State of

. The program conforms to the French system. It is broken down into subdivisions that roughly correspond to those in the American school system: pre-kindergarten,

junior kindergarten Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cent ...

and

kindergarten Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th ce ...

, elementary school (1st through 5th grades),

middle school A middle school (also known as intermediate school, junior high school, junior secondary school, or lower secondary school) is an educational stage which exists in some countries, providing education between primary school and secondary school. ...

(6 through 9th grades), and

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

(10th through 12th grades). The program from pre-K through 5th grade is divided into cycles: cycle 1 (pre-kindergarten, junior kindergarten and kindergarten), cycle 2 (1st and 2nd grade) and cycle 3 (3rd through 5th grade). Turf field

Middle school A middle school (also known as intermediate school, junior high school, junior secondary school, or lower secondary school) is an educational stage which exists in some countries, providing education between primary school and secondary school. ...

(''

collège In France, secondary education is in two stages: * ''Collèges'' () cater for the first four years of secondary education from the ages of 11 to 15. * ''Lycées'' () provide a three-year course of further secondary education for children between ...

'') comprises grade 6 through 9. Instruction is structured according to subjects: French, English, mathematics, history, geography, civics, biology, technology, art, music and physical education. Beginning in grade 7 students also study physics and Latin. Starting in fourth grade, students learn a third language, either Mandarin, Spanish, or German. As part of the language curriculum, each language class does a cultural exchange for two weeks with another French school in the country they are studying. In high school, they are also given the opportunity to do a three-month study abroad trip. Middle school also offers the OIB curriculum which is the International Baccalaureate Option, which focuses in addition to French history and literature on American and world history and literature. Grades 10, 11 and 12 define

in the French system and those 3 years are known as ''lycée''. During the ''lycée'' years students choose a track with emphasis on different courses: track L (literature), ES (economics and social sciences) or S (sciences), which, as the French Department of Education reforms its curriculum, is set to change in 2021. The ''lycée'' years, as well as the curriculum as a whole, prepare the students for the French general

Baccalaureate Baccalaureate may refer to: * ''Baccalauréat'', a French national academic qualification * Bachelor's degree, or baccalaureate, an undergraduate academic degree * English Baccalaureate, a performance measure to assess secondary schools in England ...

examination and the international option of the French Baccalaureate. With the Baccalaureate degree, students of the Lycée Français de Chicago can enter selective American or European schools, colleges, or universities. The Lycee also offers the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme and Diploma Programme for English-speaking high school students. Th

References

External links

Lycée Français de Chicago
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lycee Francais De Chicago AEFE accredited schools Bilingual schools in the United States Educational institutions established in 1995 French-American culture in Illinois Private elementary schools in Chicago Private middle schools in Chicago French international schools in the United States International schools in Illinois Private high schools in Chicago Preparatory schools in Illinois 1995 establishments in Illinois