York University’s Glendon Campus and the Lycée Français de Toronto (LFT) have signed a new and unique partnership agreement to collaborate in French education, from preschool to university.
The new Memorandum of Understanding, signed June 24, will allow Glendon’s French as Second Language (FSL) education students and newly graduated, accredited teachers to participate in a work integrated learning opportunity to gain training and experience in a French-language setting.
“A key priority for York is building new partnerships with the community to create positive change,” said York University President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda L. Lenton. “This MOU will provide professional development opportunities for French as a Second Language instructors, expand research and the sharing of best practices for FSL education and create new experiential learning opportunities for Glendon students that will help them succeed in the workforce.”
The new partnership will also provide continuing education for LFT teachers, research opportunities to learn more about FSL teaching best practices and credit recognition for graduating LFT students wanting to pursue their studies at York.
“This partnership has a special flavour for the bilingual Canadian in me. I am delighted that Glendon Campus and LFT will join together in this shared vision of providing excellence in education and new linguistic paths in Toronto,” said Professor Ian Roberge, interim principal of the Glendon Campus. “It’s a great honour for me to sign this protocol that contributes to the promotion of Canada’s two official languages and celebrates multiculturalism in Toronto.”
The two Toronto institutions are both committed to the highest level of expertise in French-language education curriculum delivery. The new Memorandum of Understanding reaffirms both York and LFT’s shared values towards fostering open and multilingual education on a global scale.
“We are very pleased to join with York’s Glendon Campus in this partnership, which is unique in Toronto and gives an additional dimension to our pedagogical mission and to the study path for our students,” said Jean Pierre Faou, head of LFT. “This partnership thus solidifies our Canadian roots and renews our commitment to our multicultural community: where France meets Canada.”
The LFT is a not-for-profit organization in Ontario that was founded in 1995. Part of the Agency for French Teaching Abroad (AEFE) network, they are one of 522 institutions in 139 countries, and the only French institution in Toronto approved by the French Ministry of Education for Pre-kindergarten to Grade 12. It offers a demanding curriculum backed by the French Ministry of Education and prepares students for the French National Brevet Diploma and Baccalaureate exams.