LAFAYETTE, La. – A Louisiana delegation comprised members of the Council for the Development of French in Louisiana (CODOFIL), the Louisiana Office of Cultural Development, and Senator Jeremy Stine will take part in the 19th Francophone Summit in Paris and Villers-Cotterêts, France, from October 4-5, 2024. The event is hosted by the International Organization of the Francophonie (OIF), a global organization that brings together states and governments with a shared interest in the French language and international cooperation in the fields of culture, education, commerce, and politics. Louisiana became an observing member in 2018.
“Louisiana’s membership in the OIF has been a tremendous asset to our state, putting our French culture on the world stage,” said Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser. “With the participation in this year’s OIF Summit in France, Louisiana continues to foster relationships with other countries, which leads to increased economic and tourism opportunities for our state. Our Louisiana delegation will meet with heads of state, leaders of international organizations, and government officials to continue to highlight what we have to offer in our great state.”
The theme of this year’s summit is “create, innovate and do business in French.” The overall mission of the OIF is to embody the active solidarity between its 88 member states and governments, which together represent over one-third of the United Nations’ member states and account for a population of over 900 million people, including 300 million French speakers.
The Louisiana delegation, along with representatives from the Louisiana Department of Education, will meet with officials from the Republic of France to re-sign the France-Louisiana Cooperation Accords for 2025-2030. First signed in 1968, the accords have provided a pathway for the support of French immersion programs in Louisiana classrooms.
“This collaboration between Louisiana and France represents a crucial relationship between the two nations to support education and professional initiatives in the French language,” said Senator Jeremy Stine. “I’m pleased to travel to France to demonstrate Louisiana’s commitment to the French language. As a French speaker who took part in an immersion school as a child, I understand the benefits of these language programs for our youth. Speaking French in Louisiana is not only a connection to our heritage, but an asset that will prepare future generations for an increasingly globalized world.”
Tens of thousands of Louisiana students have participated in an immersion program over the years, comprising a new generation of Francophones ready to meet the challenges of tomorrow. The accords will also further support CODOFIL efforts such as the Escadrille Louisiane program, which is a teacher training initiative designed to help Louisiana build a cadre of local, Louisiana French language teachers in immersion programs.