BATON ROUGE, La. – Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser and the Council for the Development of French in Louisiana (CODOFIL) today hosted a delegation from the region of Brittany, France, at Capitol Park Museum for the renewal signing of an educational memorandum of understanding. The agreement seeks to create new partnerships among educational institutions at all levels in both regions, with an emphasis on exchange between students as well as professionals in education. Louisiana and Brittany previously signed agreements in 2007, 2012, and 2016.
“The culture and history we share with Brittany have created a valuable bond between our two areas,” said Lieutenant Governor Nungesser. “Moreover, we’ve enjoyed educational collaborations for some time now, and I’ve seen first-hand the remarkable impact that these initiatives have on Louisiana students. I look forward to continuing and growing these partnerships to the benefit of students and teachers in both of our special corners of the French-speaking world.”
Laurence Emile-Besse, Director of European and International Relations for the Education Authorities of Brittany, signed on behalf of the region of Brittany. “Brittany and Louisiana have something in common: their magic,” said Mrs. Laurence Emile-Besse. “Both places are known for their stories and their gastronomy, as well as their tourism. I’m very happy to be here to sign this agreement on behalf of Brittany. I thank the Lieutenant Governor for his support, and we would like to invite all the students of Louisiana to come discover the magic of Brittany.”
Under the terms of the agreement, Louisiana and Brittany will cooperate on the following initiatives:
- Students exchanges, in-person and online
- Teacher exchanges, in-person and online
- Teaching of respective languages and cultures
- Training of students employed as language assistants
- Continuing education of educational staff
The Council for the Development of French in Louisiana is a state agency in the Department of Culture, Recreation, and Tourism tasked with the development and promotion of the French language in Louisiana. For more information on CODOFIL, visit www.codofil.org
