About Us
Mission
Austin International School's primary objective is to
provide an excellent education based on a French-American educational structure,
with a recognition of the importance of Spanish and the Hispanic culture in
Texas and around the world. Subjects are taught in both French, English and
Spanish with native speakers, enabling children to achieve fluency in each
language. The approach is progressive by conjoining American and French
Curriculums, which includes American Social Studies and Language Arts, with art
and technology (at the appropriate level) interwoven into the curriculum. The
French curriculum closely follows the guidelines set by the French Ministry of
National Education. Our overall goal is to provide a traditional and solid
foundation, and to combine this with a forward thinking outlook, which prepares
students to excel in the world of today and tomorrow.
History
The Austin International School
is a non-profit association created by a group of French, American and
francophone parents, the Consul of France, the Honorary Consul of France (Mr.
John Harmon), and a group of Austin based business leaders. After a three-year
effort to put together financing and organizational support, the Lycée Française
d’Austin was officially established in April 2001. (In November 2004 the Lycée
officially changed its name to Austin International School.) The Austin
International School (AIS), which was initially conceived in response to a
growing demand amongst the francophone community of Austin to offer a program of
studies approved and accredited by the French Ministry of National Education,
has also attracted the attention of American and other international families
interested in a challenging multi-lingual education.
Jeanne Jeannin, who had over 30
years of teaching and school management experience, first headed AIS. She
founded the Dallas International School in 1987. The first year of enrollment at
AIS had 65 students, representing French, American and international children.
The interest in a
French-American education is very strong throughout the world with over 400
French schools worldwide. There are 43 French schools all over the United
States, with AIS being the third French-American school in Texas. In fact, many
French and international families had been hesitant to relocate to Austin in the
past due to the lack of an international school, which would ensure their
children’s easy re-insertion into schools upon returning to their native
country. The standardized French curriculum makes things particularly easy for
expatriate families.
Eric Thuau is the Executive
Director of AIS and has extensive experience as a Director in French schools
abroad. He was the Director of the Oyak-Renault School in Turkey from
2000-2004. Prior to his work in Turkey, he was the Director of Les Alizes
International School in the Cape Verde islands for two years.
After Mr. Thuau took the
position of director at Austin International School in August 2004, a convention
was signed between AIS and the Mission Laïque Française (MLF), a non-profit
organization dedicated to spreading French culture and language abroad,
particularly through education. With 102 years of experience, the MLF is
represented in 74 schools totaling 25,000 students and 2000 teachers in 30
different countries on six continents. Since signing the convention in October
of 2004, the MLF has contributed much to AIS: teacher training, assistance with
the growth and expansion of AIS, facilitating collaboration between AIS and
other international schools around the nation, and giving management and
curriculum development oversight.
With a demand for quality
education in the progressive and highly educated city of Austin, and with
support from the NAEYC, the MLF, and the French Ministry of National Education,
the Austin International School is expanding rapidly.
