French For All

Languages are more important than ever to understand diverse communities, excel in business or tackle global challenges. It is the critical mission of language departments in colleges and universities to prepare this next generation of citizens. The French Embassy in the United States and Albertine Foundation have joined forces to support innovation in French and Francophone Studies as part of the initiative French in Higher Education.

Eligibility & Guidelines

French Departments and programs in US colleges and universities that aim to increase enrollment in French are invited to respond to our call for proposals that will open on September 15th to December 6th. Selected projects will receive a grant ranging from $2,000 to $20,000. 

Selected projects will exemplify how dynamic, resilient, and useful learning French is today. The funding shall be used to initiate mid-to-long-term changes through innovation. Impact needs mainly to happen at the department or program level, via the implementation of what can be considered best practices in the field. In the context of a diversifying US society, the development of equity, inclusion, and social justice in French and Francophone Studies is particularly important. We will report on the success of the projects and implement systems for continued engagement with the relevant communities even after the project’s conclusion.

In 2026, 23 universities received a grant for innovative projects ranging from cyber-related French classes to the development of DEI-infused French curriculum, through the design of OER in French, or the integration of social justice practices in Francophone studies. If you want to learn more about the very diverse projects that were selected, check out the summary of all projects!

Calendar & Application 

• The call for proposals is open from September 15th to December 6th, 2026, and selection results will be communicated in January 2027. Projects should start between May 2027 and September 2027 and should last a minimum of 2 years, including time for evaluation and dissemination.

• Please do not hesitate to check out our Guidelines for this call for proposals.
• Please fill out the online form with all major information concerning the project.
• Supporting documents to be uploaded via the form include:
  • A professional resume of the project coordinator highlighting, for instance, experience in project management or innovative teaching (2 pages maximum)
  • Letter of Support from your department/program/dean, from all internal and external partners, and from your institution’s leadership 
  • If available, references to documents suggesting that your approach will be successful (scientific articles, conference contributions, blog posts, etc.)  

French For All Summer Institute

An annual summer training program gathers professors, associate professors, assistant professors, lecturers, and Ph.D. students from American universities and community-colleges willing to implement a curriculum in professional French.

This year, the French For All Summer Institute will take place at the Pacific Lutheran University at Tacoma, WA from June 14 to June 18, 2027. Decisions regarding applications will be communicated in April 2027. Apply now to the 2027 French for All Summer Institute using this online form.

Contact   

Sophie Marc | Program Coordinator
sophie.marc@villa-albertine.org