About Us
La Passerelle
Founded in 2026, La Passerelle is the Lycée Français de New York’s Institute for Bilingual Teaching, Research & Innovation.
The world is changing rapidly—and for educators, this moment represents a unique and powerful opportunity. As societies evolve, technologies accelerate, and students navigate increasing complexity, teaching is being redefined.
Housed at the Lycée, La Passerelle offers paid, structured, and highly supported professional pathways for teachers at different stages of their careers. Through yearlong fellowships, professional development, or funded research, educators are given resources, mentorship, and financial support to deepen their practice, contribute to educational research, and grow as professionals.
Drawing on the Lycée's 90 years of experience as a global reference in French-American bilingual education, La Passerelle provides an ecosystem where seasoned educators and emerging talents collaborate to redefine what it means to teach and learn effectively in a multicultural world.
Skills and Mindset for a Changing World
Today’s teachers need more than disciplinary expertise. They must be able to design learning in complex environments, exercise professional judgment, and adapt their practice to students, contexts, and rapidly evolving conditions.
Through La Passerelle, our teachers learn:
- 21st-Century Mastery: Emphasizing bilingual academic excellence; belonging, well-being, and support; student engagement and leadership
- Classroom Innovation: Using observation and co-teaching to create dynamic, human-centered classrooms that teach experiential learning, promote inquiry, and leverage digital tools and collaborative techniques to differentiate and engage all learners
- Theory in Action: Engaging in research that actively improves the student experience.
- Inclusive Learning Environments: Fostering safety and belonging so essential to student success. In that context, students develop confidence in themselves, openness to others, and civic responsibility.
Dr. Arthur Plaza, Director of La Passerelle
The Passerelle brings educators from diverse backgrounds together as collaborators and inquirers intent on creatively redesigning the art of teaching in support of our student leaders and innovators. Our teachers are difference makers.
Our Pillars
“La Passerelle” translates into bridge or pathway in French, reflective of our objective is to build bridges between French educational traditions and innovative international education, between research and classroom practice, and between today’s challenges and tomorrow’s possibilities.
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Faculty Professional Development
La Passerelle provides our faculty with continuous, world-class professional development led by experts in their fields and among our teaching team. Learning involves engaging hands-on experiences that cultivate intellectual agility and an openness to adapt and change.Recent professional development opportunities include:- Artificial and Human Intelligence: Moving past AI as a tool to explore how it can support human cognition and creativity.
- Futures Literacy: Integrating frameworks that help students navigate uncertainty and imagine sustainable futures.
- Adaptive Pedagogies: Shifting teaching toward authentic learning through project-based inquiry and cross-disciplinary practices that better engage students in their learning and give meaning and purpose to their work.
- Neuroscience and Learning: Connecting research on the brain and teaching practices to help students follow their curiosity and be more self-directed in their learning.
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Faculty Research Grants
Research grants empower Lycée teachers to become investigators, transforming insights learned from the classroom into action. By funding original research in such areas as bilingualism, well-being, interculturalism, technology, and sustainable development, we advance our teaching practices and help shape the future of education.The Lycée promotes action-research by our teacher-scholars. Grantees:- Test hypotheses and evaluate their impact on student learning.
- Investigate how bilingualism and interculturalism provide a competitive edge, as students develop the cultural plasticity and cognitive flexibility needed for a fast-paced, interconnected world.
- Share their findings with the Lycée community and the broader international educational community to advance international education for the benefit of all students.
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Paid Fellowships
La Passerelle includes a selective, paid yearlong Fellowship Program designed for recent graduates or career shifters looking to launch or advance a teaching career in a bilingual environment.Through a unique blend of co-teaching, mentorship, and immersive classroom experience, fellows learn in a scaffolded progression—from teacher shadowing to co-teaching to solo teaching— to become skilled in the craft of teaching in a bilingual setting,La Passerelle offers fellows career-building experience in a world-renowned bilingual institution, along with:- Paid fellowships
- Comprehensive benefits
- Housing support
- Dedicated time for professional learning, inquiry, and collaboration
- One-to-one mentorship and expert-led seminars
- Professional development opportunities offered through AEFE network of international French schools
Professional PathwaysThe Fellowship is designed as both a formative experience and a professional gateway. While it does not guarantee employment, the program may open pathways to:- Teaching opportunities at the Lycée Français de New York, when positions align with institutional needs and mutual interest;
- Career opportunities within an international network of bilingual and international schools, including those affiliated with the AEFE network and partner institutions.
Upon successful completion of the Fellowship, participants are awarded a Certificate of Completion issued by the Lycée Français de New York, recognizing their training, classroom experience, and professional development within a bilingual and international educational environment.
Join Us
Aspiring Teachers
Start your journey at a world-renowned institution. If you are passionate about bilingual education and ready to work with exceptional students and colleagues in a community where learning never stops, come and grow with us.
- Apply for the Fellowship (Applications for the 2026-27 school year open on February 1, 2026)
Potential Partners
- Contact us at lapasserelle@lfny.org to for more information!
Contact Us
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