Step Up for Students · Sarasota
French Cotillion & Character™ — Signature Annual Program
A French language, character formation, and performing arts program for young people ages 10 to 17.
French Cotillion & Character™ is the signature youth program of The French Academy. It is not a language class, and it is not an etiquette course. It is a complete formation: over nine modules, students learn to speak French by living it, build genuine character through guided ethical reflection, and step onto the stage with poise and eloquence.
A pedagogy with three layers
The backbone of the program is the action-oriented approach of the CEFR, the European framework that structures serious language learning worldwide. The engine is storytelling: through the AIM and TPRS narrative methods, students acquire French with gesture, drama, and story rather than abstract grammar drills. The soul is character formation, adapted from Québec's renowned Ethics and Culture curriculum in a fully secular form — respect, dialogue, sound judgment, and the confidence to speak well and speak true.
An evaluation like no other
Students are assessed on a 100-point scale, with a passing threshold of 60 and distinction at 85 — plus six additional points awarded for stage presence and eloquence, a dimension no standard language assessment measures. Progress is real, documented, and celebrated.
The culminating performance
The program builds toward a gala evening where students present what they have accomplished — in French, on stage, before their families and community. Every module prepares them for that moment: voice, bearing, costume, courage.
“Kids who graduate this program don't just speak French. They walk taller, think sharper, and show up differently — in every room they enter.”
Led by an exceptional educator
The program was created and is taught by founder Héloïse Landry, a certified educator with more than 25 years of teaching experience, holding both Québec Ministry of Education and Florida DOE educator certifications.
Scholarship families welcome
French Cotillion & Character™ is available to eligible Florida families through the Step Up for Students scholarship programs, as well as by direct enrollment.
Purchased through the Step Up for Students Marketplace (EMA) using your scholarship funds — not paid by card here. Once enrolled, we arrange the schedule with you directly.
Step Up catalog reference: 20144055 · Home Education Instructional Program — Tuition
The nine-module curriculum overview presented on this site is a general outline; complete instructional materials are proprietary to The French Academy.
Taught by Héloïse Landry, B.Ed. (UQAM), a Québec-trained educator with 25 years of secondary teaching experience in French Language Arts, Drama and Ethics. Holder of a Florida Statement of Eligibility, World Language French K-12. Registered Step Up for Students service provider.
admin@thefrench.academy · Sarasota, Florida