The school founder and Director, Véronique Liebmann, is a native of Annecy, France.
Véronique moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1993 with her nine-month old son. While raising her young child, Véronique developed a keen interest in Early Childhood Education.
In 1995, she was certified as an Early Childhood Montessori Teacher by the American Montessori. In 1996, she visited several Francophone Schools in Canada, and an immersion preschool program in the Chicago area. She was, at this time, convinced that she could benefit the community best by teaching in her native language.
In September 1996, she introduced a French immersion program for preschoolers at Sunny Hollow Montessori in St. Paul, MN. She quickly found out that the Montessori approach had several limitations when it came to learning another language; the individual approach would only allow the teacher’s interaction with one or two children at a time. The whispering atmosphere in respect of children’s concentration on their individual activity would also not allow the children to hear the music of the language.
After extensive research on different Early Childhood Education models, Véronique chose to follow the path of the unique Ecole Maternelle française, while maintaining a Montessori inspired classroom setting and activities. In France, public school starts at two and a half years old, with a structured curriculum providing the foundations to prepare students for elementary school.
In September 1998, Véronique founded her own French Preschool & Kindergarten program in Eden Prairie, MN: La Maison des Enfants, accredited by the French Ministry of Education (AEFE). Over the years, La Maison des Enfants became The French Academy of Minnesota, the French American School of Minneapolis, and finally, The French Académie at our current location in Minnetonka, Minnesota.
The French Académie expands upon Veronique’s original vision, which combined Montessori education with the French Maternelle curriculum, by incorporating inspirations from the Reggio Emilia approach.
Come experience the unique educational atmosphere at The French Académie, where Oui Play, Oui Sing, and Oui Learn!