Is CODOFIL still relevant?

Some may argue that the time has come and gone for the Council for the Development in French in Louisiana. Before CODOFIL was born in 1968, French was rarely taught in elementary and high schools.

CODOFIL began importing French teachers from Europe and Canada. Five decades later, 26 immersion schools in eight parishes educate students all day long in French.

The once-foreign concept is now considered routine with nearly 100,000 Louisiana students studying French. But when Peggy Feehan, CODOFIL’s new director, hears “mission accomplished,” she responds “arrête pas” — don’t stop.

“We’re here,” said Feehan, a native French speaker from Canada. “We’re not a sluggish, old thing. We’re vibrant. We’re looking forward to continuing the good work.

“We have a great legacy and we have to keep going. There’s more scholarships, more schools, more community involvement.”

Feehan took over the CODOFIL reins last week, following the retirement of Charles Larroque. Larroque served as executive director for four years.

Feehan, who had been a language education specialist at CODOFIL since February 2015, becomes leader as the organization marks its 50th anniversary.

Created by the state legislature after President Lyndon Johnson signed the Bilingual Education Act of 1968, CODOFIL celebrates with year-long activities throughout Louisiana. Events include a “French in Louisiana” exhibit at the Old State Capitol in Baton Rouge, a reunion of CODOFIL’s first French teachers, French tables at Festival International de Louisiane, a symposium during Festivals Acadiens et Creoles, film screenings, a scholarship gala and more.

Later this year, office staff — currently housed in basement of the Lafayette International Center on Jefferson Street — move into a renovated, high-profile office at 217 W. Main St. The office will leave out the welcome mat to all people interested in French, reminiscent of the “Ici on parle francais “ (Here we speak French) business signs that CODOFIL distributed in its early days.

“I feel like we belong to the people, and we’ve been in the basement,” said Feehan, former education coordinator at Vermilionville. “That’s going to be a big help for inviting people in.

“I can close my eyes and I see people coming. We’ll have coffee and papers out on the table. We have a beautiful courtyard in the back.”

Identifying and publicizing similar French spaces, possibly on an interactive map, remains part of CODOFIL’s mission. Other programs include Radio Jeunesse, a multimedia production distributed throughout the state, and Escadrille Louisiane, which helps natives with a college degree teach French in Louisiana schools.

A social media video series that features local speakers called“French Word of the Week" is currently in production.

CODOFIL continues to receive more than $300,000 in funding from Canada, Belgium and France. Much of the money provides scholarships for French study abroad.

Longtime board member Amanda LaFleur has seen the results on the street.

“In the old days, if you walked into a grocery store and tried to speak French to somebody, they might speak French,” said LaFleur. “But they would pretend like they didn’t because they were embarrassed. Their French wasn’t good enough.

“Now, you walk in and some kid who can’t speak French very well is so eager to show you what they can say in French. They are proud of it. It’s come out from behind the rock.

“If anything, that’s probably CODOFIL’s biggest success story. Now if we can just give a place to French in our community where it is used in everyday situations and young people can find work, where they can use French, that, to me, seems to be our mission.”

Want to go?

What: 50th Anniversary of CODOFIL Exhibit

When: Opens Jan. 23

Where: Louisiana's Old State Capitol Museum, 100 North Blvd., Baton Rouge

Information: louisianaoldstatecapitol.org, codofil.org