Council for the Development of French in Louisiana

Council for the Development of French in Louisiana
source
Name	Council for the Development of French in Louisiana
Native name	Conseil pour le Développement du Français en Louisiane
Formation	1968
Type	statutory agency
Headquarters	Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Leader title	Executive Director
Parent organization	State of Louisiana

Council for the Development of French in Louisiana is a statutory agency created to promote and preserve French language and Francophone heritage in Louisiana. It operates within the landscape of Louisiana politics, cultural institutions, and educational systems to coordinate policy, funding, and programs for speakers of Louisiana French, Cajun French, and Creole French. The council interacts with state officials, municipal bodies, universities, and international Francophone networks.

History

The council emerged during the civil rights era alongside initiatives such as the Civil Rights Movement and regional cultural revivals tied to the Cajun people and Creole people. Its 1968 formation followed advocacy from figures linked to institutions like Louisiana State University, Tulane University, and community organizations in New Orleans, Lafayette, Louisiana, and St. Martin Parish. Early collaborations involved scholars from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and language activists associated with the Works Progress Administration-era cultural surveys and later with folklorists influenced by the Smithsonian Institution and the Library of Congress collections. During the 1970s and 1980s the council navigated legislative contexts shaped by the Louisiana Legislature and interacted with federal initiatives including those of the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. International connections developed through partnerships with the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, the Government of France, and cultural agencies such as the Institut Français. Prominent local allies included cultural leaders from Acadiana, museum directors from the Historic New Orleans Collection, and language scholars associated with the Center for Louisiana Studies.

Mission and Objectives

The council’s mission aligns with statutory aims set by the Louisiana Revised Statutes to support linguistic pluralism across jurisdictions like Orleans Parish and Jefferson Parish. Objectives include promoting Louisiana French heritage among stakeholders in the Department of Education (Louisiana), enhancing media production with broadcasters like WWNO (FM) and cultural programming for venues such as the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, and supporting archives in institutions like the Historic New Orleans Collection and the Louisiana State Archives. The council seeks to foster ties with higher-education partners including Grambling State University, Dillard University, and Southeastern Louisiana University and to coordinate with nonprofit entities such as the CODOFIL-like cultural organizations and heritage foundations in Lafourche Parish and St. Landry Parish.

Programs and Initiatives

Programs have encompassed immersion efforts modeled on partnerships with Centre de la Francophonie des Amériques, teacher training analogous to Teach For America-style pipelines adapted for bilingual instruction, and cultural festivals similar to Festival International de Louisiane. Initiatives include heritage language immersion preschools inspired by projects at University of Louisiana at Lafayette labs, adult language classes linked to community colleges like Baton Rouge Community College, and media grants enabling productions for outlets comparable to PBS affiliates and NPR stations. The council has sponsored documentation projects paralleling archival work at the American Folklife Center, supported curriculum development reflected in state standards administered by the Louisiana Department of Education, and funded research collaborations with centers such as the Evans Scholar Program and regional museums including the Louisiana State Museum.

Organizational Structure

The council’s governance includes appointed members drawn from constituencies across Acadia Parish, Cameron Parish, and Saint Bernard Parish with oversight roles that interact with the Office of the Governor of Louisiana and committees in the Louisiana Legislature. Staff positions often include directors of programmatic areas, liaisons to higher-education institutions like Nicholls State University and McNeese State University, and administrative officers working with municipal partners in Baton Rouge and Lafayette. Advisory councils have included representatives from cultural organizations such as the Cajun Music Hall of Fame and academic advisors from departments at Louisiana Tech University and Centenary College of Louisiana.

Funding and Partnerships

Funding streams have combined state appropriations authorized by the Louisiana Legislature, competitive grants from entities like the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Ford Foundation, and contributions from private donors and corporate partners including regional foundations operating in South Louisiana. The council has established partnerships with the Consulate General of France in New Orleans, international agencies such as the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, and nonprofit collaborators including local historical societies and arts councils in Acadiana and Greater New Orleans, Inc.. Collaborative grants often leverage resources from university research offices at Louisiana State University and community foundations such as those associated with New Iberia and Crowley.

Impact and Evaluation

Evaluations have considered language vitality indicators used by researchers aligned with the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages and metrics from studies at Tulane University and University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Reported impacts include increased enrollment in immersion programs comparable to those at Lyon University partner programs, expanded cultural programming in festivals linked to New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, and strengthened archival collections at repositories like the Historic New Orleans Collection and the Louisiana State Museum. Independent assessments have cited challenges documented by scholars from Southeastern Louisiana University and Dillard University concerning intergenerational transmission in parishes such as St. Mary Parish and Vermilion Parish, while praise has come from international partners including the Canadian Heritage-affiliated agencies and Francophone networks in Quebec.

Category:French language in the United States Category:Organizations based in Louisiana