Less than 100 Schools in the United States Boast Honor
St. Louis, Mo. (October 2, 2025) The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs recently awarded St. Louis Language Immersion School (SLLIS) with the prestigious LabelFrancEducation, an international seal given to exceptional dual-language French immersion programs.
SLLIS Assistant Principal Ndeye Coumba Gueye said schools have to meet high standards in many different areas to receive the official distinction, including highly qualified teachers, a French-speaking environment, enhanced instruction in a non-linguistic subject and more. The LabelFrancEducation also has a network across many countries and provides schools with curriculum and professional learning support.
“We go above and beyond the criteria guidelines by teaching in French 50% of the day at SLLIS,” Mme Coumba said. “We truly immerse our students in the language. Around 90% of our French teachers at SLLIS come from a Francophone country, meaning they are native speakers of French. When receiving the seal in the past, we got visits from various dignitaries, including former French Ambassador Philippe Etienne, which was an amazing experience for our students.”
Promoting the cultural aspect of the language is also a major expectation of LabelFrancEducation seal recipients. Just by hiring teachers from French-speaking countries around the world, students are immersed in Francophone cultures from all corners of the globe. The school also hosts two major French-language events during the school year: Le Spectacle d’Hiver, a Winter concert in French, and FrancoFun, a cultural event to recognize the yearly celebration of French-speaking countries called Jour de la Francophonie.
“The renewal of the LabelFrancEducation at SLLIS highlights the school’s long-standing commitment to excellence in bilingual education,” Mickael Raggi, Educational Affairs Program Manager at the French Embassy, said. “By fostering both academic achievement and intercultural understanding, SLLIS continues to stand as a model for how bilingualism empowers students and strengthens our communities.”
SLLIS also emphasizes professional growth across all its programs – Chinese, French and Spanish. Last year, approximately 60% of French teachers at SLLIS held a master’s degree and 12% held a doctorate. This year, that number jumped to 75% of French teachers with a master’s degree, with another teacher working toward a doctorate.
About St. Louis Language Immersion School
St. Louis Language Immersion School was founded in 2009 and is a charter school serving Pre-K through 8th grade to the City of St. Louis. The school provides students with a world-class, global, dual language immersion education in French, Spanish or Chinese, taught by native speakers. The one of a kind school was named the 2024 Best Public Charter School in Missouri and plays an essential role in the fabric of the St. Louis community. For more information, go to www.sllis.org.