Regular OLEP funding

Promotion and vitality of francophone education

The francophone regional authorities and the Fédération des conseils scolaires francophones des l’Alberta (FCSFA) will carry out activities to increase awareness of French-language education for children of eligible parents throughout the province.

These efforts will use both regular and online media to highlight francophone schools, programs, the advantages of being bilingual, and high-quality French education. Some of the main features will include early childhood services, school facilities, student performance, and transportation.

Collaboration between the different funded education streams will help recruit more eligible children of parents who came from a French-language education. Recruitment and retention strategies, including open houses, will aim to keep students enrolled through Grade 12.

Linguistic, identity and cultural valorization

The francophone regional authorities will maintain programs and activities that promote the linguistic, identity and cultural journey of students. Programs and activities may include:

• full-day kindergarten;
• ECS programming and activities for children aged 5 and under, including the necessary resources and the provision of relevant training programs;
• youth activities (cultural clubs, leadership, sports, etc.);
• activities associated with the schools’ plan to support the linguistic, identity and cultural development plans;
• organizing summer camps and student assembly days; and self;
• scheduling time to improve students' language skills.

Programs and educational resources

The francophone regional authorities will continue to support programming to ensure student achievement. These supports may include the following:

• educational resources;
• development of digital interactive learning objects for Grades 7 to 12 in partnership with the Centre francophone d'éducation à distance (CFÉD), which is overseen by the Conseil scolaire Centre-Nord (CSCN), to better meet the challenges of online learning; and
• learning assessment tools and programs.

Promotion and access to post-secondary French programs

University of Alberta – Campus Saint-Jean (CSJ) will continue to promote access to post-secondary French education to maintain or increase student enrolment in minority-language programs through activities that include the following:

• undertaking a strategic hiring process to boost its complement of research faculty and full time, career teaching staff in Edmonton and Calgary;
• review current arts and science, and support programs to maintain high up to date educational standards;
• expand courses and programs offerings, including dual credit courses;
• broaden education program offerings to rural regions through online, hybrid, and co-modal courses through the Calgary satellite campus;
• enhance the administrative support for practicum activities to promote and grow CSJ’s education programs;
• participate in external and internal events as part of CSJ’s recurrent learning enrichment activities and offer student exchange opportunities within Canada; and
• provide targeted bursaries to francophone students for recruitment and retention purposes; and
• provide innovative support for research, including conference support, funding for publications, inviting scholars, and establishing research partnerships.

Professional support for francophone education

Alberta's francophone regional authorities will use both traditional and digital media to reach out nationally and internationally to meet the growing need for teachers and support staff. This support may include speech therapists, occupational therapists, psychologists, counsellors, mental health workers, and staff for at-risk students. The initiative will also provide resources for recruitment, training, and educational research.

Individual Teacher Bursary program

Teachers, administrators, librarians, counsellors, and other qualified staff who support education from early childhood to Grade 12 can apply for bursaries to attend courses or conferences of their choice. These bursaries will cover costs for post-secondary courses (including master's and doctoral programs), training, and professional development related to French or French-language education.

Recruitment of minority-language teachers

University of Alberta – Campus Saint-Jean (CSJ) will continue to collaborate closely with school authorities to address workforce needs within the ECS to Grade 12 education system. To support this effort, CSJ will offer bursaries and scholarships to self-identified francophone Education students completing practicums in rural areas, helping them cover essential expenses such as accommodation, transportation, nutrition, and classroom-related costs.
 

French immersion and French as a Second Language (FSL) student recruitment and retention

School authorities will continue to recruit ECS to Grade 12 students for French immersion programs and FSL courses and better meet their needs by promoting and enhancing services through activities that include the following:

Promotion

• collaborative projects between feeder schools to promote transitions;
• increased marketing that promotes benefits of second language learning;
• parent engagement events and resources to increase awareness, understanding and support for parents of children in French immersion programs;
• presentations that promote benefits of being bilingual; and
• promotion of programs on social media platforms.

Advancement

• add K-12 French immersion and FSL classes;
• maintain single-grade classes;
• offer online course options;
• offer late French immersion programming with a Grade 7 start in select school divisions;
• offer full-day kindergarten for French immersion;
• offer student transportation to French immersion schools;
• continue second-language learning mandates from Grade 4-6 or Grade 4-9, depending on capacity; and
• employ skilled French immersion and FSL teachers.

French Immersion student educational support and success

School authorities will continue to support the educational success of ECS to Grade 12 French immersion learners through inclusive activities that include the following:

• recruit educational assistants and specialized support staff;
• acquire assistive technologies;
• activities that accommodate students requiring additional supports;
• implement initiatives to support literacy development, such as using literacy benchmarking tools, providing access to online literacy resources through subscriptions, etc.; and
• develop, renew and purchase new teaching and learning resources that support new FILAL curriculum and/or literacy development.

Diplôme d’études en langue française (DELF)/Diplôme approfondi de langue française (DALF) exams

The French Language Credentialing Centres will maintain and expand DELF/DALF opportunities for students and teachers.

Cultural activities

The Grande Prairie French Language Resource Centre (GPFLRC), Southern Alberta French Centre (SAFRC), and school authorities will continue to organize in-person and online cultural and enrichment activities such as Carnaval, Francophonie Week, theatrical groups, field trips and exchanges within Canada, etc. for FSL and French immersion students from ECS to Grade 12. 

Alberta Education's Quebec-Alberta student exchange program

The Quebec-Alberta Student Exchange Program is an in-person exchange facilitated by Alberta Education and the Ministère de l’Éducation du Québec. Students from Alberta in Grades 10 to 12 studying FSL or in French immersion are paired with students in Quebec. This exchange takes place over a twelve-week period, in each region, over one school year. Paired students host each other in their province and have the opportunity to learn about a variety of topics that enhance their language learning and cultural awareness of each region. Students typically apply in Grade 10 and participate in their Grade 11 school year.

Promotion and access to post-secondary French programs

Postsecondary institutions will continue to promote access to post-secondary French education to maintain or increase student enrolment in French second-language instruction through activities that include the following:

• maintain and/or hire new instructors and other academic staff (e.g., facilitators, French coordinators) to ensure high-quality education;
• review and develop French programs and courses, broadening offerings to rural regions, including the provision of subsidized DELF/DALF exams;
• provide ongoing support and mentorship for practicum programs to enhance practical experience for students;
• organize and facilitate cultural events that promote access to diverse learning enrichment opportunities within the francophone community;
• offer targeted bursaries, funding awards and student scholarships to support recruitment and retention; and
• promote and support research projects that enhance teaching and learning in French as a second language and disseminate knowledge within the French communities and beyond.

French language teacher attraction and recruitment

School authorities will engage in activities to attract, recruit and offer supports to pre-service French immersion and FSL teachers that include the following:

• engage in promotion and recruitment activities including social media campaigns and career fairs;
• use consultants to engage in teacher attraction and recruitment activities and initiatives;
• provide financial incentives such as tuition reimbursement; and
• provide release time for mentor teachers to support pre-service teachers in their planning.

French language teacher retention through professional development

School authorities will offer meaningful, research-based professional development opportunities to pre-service and active French immersion and FSL educators to equip them with the tools and knowledge they need to feel confident and competent in their roles and in turn help ECS to Grade 12 students reach their full potential:

• offer new teacher induction programs;
• facilitate mentorship opportunities;
• facilitate teacher coaching;
• plan and offer sessions to support pedagogy and French language proficiency at the local level and at the regional and provincial level through collaborative hub projects including the Grande Prairie French Language Resource Centre (GPFLRC), the Bow River Resource and Professional Learning Centre, the Southern Alberta French Centre (SAFRC) and the Alberta Regional Professional Development Consortia (ARPDC);
• provide release time for teachers and pre-service teachers to participate in professional development, collaborative planning and communities of practice;
• use consultants to support teacher capacity through activities such as professional development sessions, coaching, communities of practice, etc.; and
• maintain memberships in local provincial and national organizations that support French teachers (e.g., Additional Language Intercultural Council, Conseil Français, Canadian Association of Second Language Teachers, etc.).

French language teacher retention through quality teaching and learning resources

School authorities and the Grande Prairie French Language Resource Centre (GPFLRC), the Institute for Innovation in Second Language Education (IISLE), the Southern Alberta French Centre (SAFRC) and the new Bow River Resource and Professional Learning Centre will acquire, renew and/or develop teaching and learning resources to support quality teaching in French immersion programs and FSL courses.

Individual Teacher Bursary program

Teachers, administrators, librarians, counsellors, and other qualified staff who support education from early childhood to Grade 12 can apply for bursaries to attend courses or conferences of their choice. These bursaries will cover costs for post-secondary courses (including master's and doctoral programs), training, and professional development related to French or French-language education.

Recruitment of French second-language teachers

Post-secondary institutions will provide bursaries and scholarships to FSL students to support pre-service teacher recruitment. These funds will help Education students, particularly those completing practicums in rural areas, address accommodation, transportation, nutritional, and classroom-related expenses.

Administrative and financial agent

Calgary School Division

Collaborators

• Calgary Catholic School District
• Christ The Redeemer School Division
• Rocky View Schools
• Golden Hills School Division
• Foothills School Division
• Canadian Rockies Public Schools

Project description

This project aims to enhance French language education by establishing a professional learning centre supporting the resource needs of new and current teachers in CASS Zone 5. The centre will coordinate with post-secondary institutions to improve teacher recruitment and establish a dual credit course at Campus Saint-Jean to attract high school students to the field of education. The centre will also aim to support new teachers with mentorship and community of practice opportunities and offer cultural activities to its members.

Administrative and financial agent

Chinook's Edge School Division

Collaborators

• Red Deer Public School Division
• Red Deer Catholic School Division

Project description

This project will develop the Central Alberta French Immersion Support Center website, which will provide parents with comprehensive information and resources about French Immersion programming, allowing them to make informed choices about their children’s education. This project’s goal is to empower parents and increase student recruitment and retention in French Immersion programs in Central Alberta.

Administrative and financial agent

Edmonton School Division

Collaborators

• Black Gold School Division
• Elk Island Catholic Separate School Division
• Elk Island School Division
• Greater St. Albert Roman Catholic Separate School Division
• Parkland School Division
• St. Albert School Division
• St. Thomas Aquinas Roman Catholic Separate School Division
• High Prairie School Division

Project description

This project aims to encourage greater oral language use by French Immersion students from Kindergarten to Grade 6 by creating a collection of learning activities that make cross-curricular links. The activities will support implementation of the new Alberta Education K-6 curriculum for:

• Physical Education and Wellness
• French Immersion Language Arts and Literature
• Mathematics
• Science

The activities will also provide teachers with research-based strategies to increase and evaluate students’ oral language. Once complete, learning activities will be made available to the public for free on Edmonton Public Schools' resource hub.

Administrative and financial agent

Peace Wapiti School Division

Collaborators

• Grande Prairie School Division
• Grande Prairie Catholic School Division
• High Prairie School Division
• Peace River School Division
• Holy Family Catholic Regional School Division
• Conseil Scolaire du Nord-Ouest
• Northwestern Polytechnic
• Grande Prairie Public Library
• Peace Library System
• Northwestern Regional Learning Consortium
• Canadian Parents for French – Grande Prairie Chapter
• Canadian Parents for French –Alberta Chapter
• Association Canadienne-française de l’Alberta (ACFA)

Project description

The aim of this project is to maintain the successful operation of the GPFLRC, which:

• provides multi-school authority DELF testing sessions, including training certified examiners
• procures and maintains French language resources to support French language education and the implementation of the new curriculum
• increases access to cultural activities to enhance French language instruction in the region

Administrative and financial agent

Battle River School Division

Collaborators

Wolf Creek School Division

Project description

This project aims to develop professional workshops to support the instructional skills, language proficiency and pedagogical strategies of French Immersion teachers in Battle River and Wolf Creek school divisions. It seeks to establish a collaborative network of teachers to improve access to teaching resources and materials aligned with current educational standards to reduce professional isolation and foster a community of practice.

Administrative and financial agent

College of Alberta School Superintendents (CASS)

Collaborators

• Southern Alberta Professional Development Consortia
• Calgary Regional Consortium
• Central Alberta Regional Consortium
• Edmonton Regional Learning Consortium
• Northwest Regional Learning Consortium
• Learning Network Educational Services

Project description

Led by the Alberta Regional Professional Development Consortia (ARPDC), this project aims to enhance French Immersion and French as a Second Language education in Alberta by developing teacher resources and professional learning opportunities to:

• support implementation of the new curriculum
• strengthen French language teacher efficacy
• support the retention of French language teachers through collaborative efforts
• meet other needs identified by teachers

Administrative and financial agent

Greater St. Albert Catholic Separate School Division

Collaborators

Elk Island Catholic School Division

Project description

This project aims to increase the rate of student retention in French Immersion programs by creating online and hybrid formats for:

• Biologie 30
• Chimie 30
• Physiques 30
• Mathématiques 30-1
• Études Sociales 30-1
• French Language Arts 30-1

This will provide a pathway for students to complete their French Immersion studies to the highest level of study in their school community. The project will also aim to redesign FSL 10-, 20- and 30-3Y online courses to increase student retention in grades 10-12.

Administrative and financial agent

Medicine Hat School Division

Collaborators

• Medicine Hat Catholic School Division
• Prairie Rose School Division
• Medicine Hat College
• Canadian Parents for French – Medicine Hat Chapter
• Canadian Parents for French – Alberta Branch

Project description

This project aims to maintain the successful operation of the SAFLRC, which:

• procures and maintains French language resources to support French language education
• facilitates access to French cultural events
• supports the administration of DELF exam sessions
• provides professional development opportunities to teachers in Southern Alberta