Awards and Grants

Each year the AATF sponsors a number of competitions for awards.

AATF Awards for Students

AATF Outstanding Senior in French Awards

Click here for the most recent Honor Roll of Outstanding Seniors.
Each year, any AATF member can nominate one outstanding senior per institution at the high school and college/university level to receive one of these awards. In addition to an award certificate, outstanding seniors receive a press release, a letter to a school administrator, and have their names posted on the Outstanding Senior Honor Roll on the AATF website. An optional gold medal is also available. Click here for nomination form. Outstanding Senior Awards can also be ordered through the Online Store.

AATF Excellence in French Awards

Each AATF member can nominate any number of students at any level for an Excellence in French Award. In addition to an award certificate, award recipients receive a press release and a letter to a school administrator. An optional bronze medal is also available. Click here for the nomination form. Excellence in French Awards can also be ordered through the Online Store.
Students may also receive awards by participating in the National French Contest or the French National Honor Society.

AATF Awards for Members

AATF Convention Travel Award

This award is intended to provide assistance for AATF members traveling to the 97th annual AATF Convention, July 7-10, 2024 in San Diego. We will award one Travel Award to AATF members to help defray the cost of attending the convention. Applicants may receive the travel award only once every five years. Priority will be given to applicants who have never attended an AATF convention.
Award amount: $1000 + complimentary convention registration (does not include excursions). The full amount will be paid upon presentation of a receipt for travel attached to a signed letter agreeing to reimburse the money in the event of nonattendance at the convention.
Candidates must have been AATF members since January 1, 2022. Chapter officers, commission chairs, presenters, and leadership fellows are ineligible for this award. Recipients agree to make a presentation at an AATF function (chapter meeting or subsequent national convention) on a topic inspired by the convention in New Orleans.
Applicants should submit a one-page description of how they intend to use the experience and also explain their need for travel assistance. Recipients of the award will be expected to attend all days of the convention
The application form can be found at [https://www.frenchteachers.org/convention/grant/]. Deadline: January 15.

AATF Jayne Abrate Travel/ Study in Québec Award

The former director, Jayne Abrate, served the AATF for nearly 25 years. Jayne’s passion for Québec was visible through her extensive travels to Québec, organizing conferences throughout Québec, creating presentations and educational materials related to Québec, authoring a cookbook centered on Québeçois cuisine, as well as the development of close friendships with many Québécois.

In her honor to Québeçois culture and thanks to a generous donation, the AATF Executive Council has set up an annual award of $3000 for a member to pursue a travel/ study project in Québec.

All candidates must have been members of the AATF for the past three years in order to apply for this travel/study award. An exception to this requirement would be a graduate student who has been a member of AATF for at least one year. Non-native speakers of French are preferred.
The candidate is expected to produce a project within two years of their return from the travel/study in Québec. The project should be based on Québécois history, literature, culture, or geography and approved by the selection committee***
TO APPLY:
- Send a letter of application addressed to the Jayne Abrate Travel/Study in Québec Award committee. Email:
- In your letter of application explain the project you intend to undertake and give a proposed timeline. Explain also why you believe that you deserve this award.
- Provide two letters of recommendation from colleagues.
- Provide a recent CV.

Deadline: April 1, 2024.

***Project types include 1) an article in the French Review, National Bulletin, or another scholarly journal on Québeçois culture; 2) Work on a dissertation by a graduate student; 3) An extensive set of IPAs or units of study based on some aspects of Québécois culture; 4) Un dossier pédagogique, similar to those published in the French Review, on a Québécois film, book, author, or musician; 5) An analysis of current Québécois music, with sample videos and lessons for classroom use; 6) An analysis of Québécois authors and recommendations for which authors would work best with middle school, high school, or college students; 7) An analysis of the immigrant community in Québec and the issues surrounding their integration into Québécois culture; 8) A video presentation on learnings from the Québec travel/study award; 9) A presentation at an AATF conference, NECTFL, SCOLT, SWCOLT, CSCTFL, or PNCFL within two years of the trip, based on findings of the trip, with accompanying PowerPoint; 10) A webinar for AATF members in the spring or fall within two years following the study in Québec, based on learnings from the travel/study award.

AATF Dorothy S. Ludwig Excellence in Teaching Awards

Endowed by the late Robert Ludwig, former AATF Regional Representative, these awards may be made at four levels: elementary, middle school, high school, and post-secondary. Nomination deadline: February 1 each year. Click here for Application Form.

AATF Exemplary Programs

In 2014, the AATF instituted an award to honor Exemplary Programs in schools across the country. Please note that the forms listed here have been recently updated and simplified. For full information on applying for Exemplary Program status, click here. The application forms can be found here: Secondary Application and Post-Secondary Application.

We are also posting the evaluation rubric: Evaluation Form for Exemplary Programs

To read descriptions of 2015-2023 Exemplary Program honorees:

2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015

The next deadline is February 15, 2023. Any school which meets the criteria can be designated an AATF Exemplary Program.

Rebecca & Jean-Paul Valette AATF Legacy Award (unavailable for 2024)

This award, given for the first time in 2017, will be made to an AATF member whose program has shown significant and steady growth over the last 3-5 years. A cash award of $3000 may be used for professional development and program improvement.
***Please note that the document hyperlinked above itself is outdated (November 2020) but the date and information on the Valette award is still correct. Please email application materials to aatf@frenchteachers.org instead. Deadline: March 1, 2023.

AATF Outstanding Chapter Officer Award

This award recognizes an outstanding current or immediate past Chapter President or (Secretary-)Treasurer and includes a cash award. Nominations are made by Regional Representatives. Nomination deadline: April 1 each year.

AATF Small Grants

Small Grants are intended to support local projects by members or chapters . The total amount of funds available is $1000, with the maximum award being $300. Matching funds from the chapter to which the applicant belongs or from another source must be committed.

Information requested includes (1) name of applicant and Chapter to which he/she belongs; (2) a brief summary of the project, including purpose, individuals involved, inclusive dates; (3) total anticipated budget; (4) funds requested; (5) other sources of funds being sought, INCLUDING AMOUNT TO BE MATCHED BY THE CHAPTER (This must be attested to by the Chapter Secretary-Treasurer). In the event the chapter is unable to fund the project, other sources of matching funds may be sought.

Projects must be related to the mission of the Association, furthering the study of French in the U.S., and be of potential benefit to other AATF members or to his/her students. Under no circumstances will awards be made to carry out personal research or travel abroad. Members at all levels of instruction may apply.

Preference will be given to new projects having a wide impact. Projects for National French Week are encouraged. Application deadline: March 1 each year. Go to https://www.frenchteachers.org/hq/forms/smallgrants/ to apply.

Local Awards

In addition, a number of AATF chapters sponsor awards. For more information on these awards, contact your local chapter officers.

The AATF has an Honorees Committee whose job it is to identify deserving AATF members to nominate for awards given by other state, regional, or national associations. If you know of such a colleague, please contact the committee chair honorees@frenchteachers.org .

AATF Outstanding Administrator Award

The AATF Administrator of the Year Award, to be given annually, is intended to recognize a school principal or superintendent who actively supports the study of French. Any AATF member in good standing can nominate an administrator for this award.
The winner of this award will have demonstrated a strong commitment to international education and intercultural understanding through support for the study of languages, including French, in his /her/their school or school district, support for innovative curricular and extracurricular programs which enhance the study of French, support for professional development specifically for language teachers, and support for a cross-disciplinary school- or campus-wide presence for languages. The nomination file should contain the following items: (1) an abbreviated CV (2 pages maximum) outlining the candidate’s education and work experience, (2) a brief description of the language program(s) in the school or district (2 pages maximum), and (3) a letter from the nominating French teacher highlighting the administrator’s commitment to supporting the study of French and his or her impact on the language program(s) described. All elements of the file should focus on addressing the traits listed at the beginning of this paragraph.
Applications should be received at AATF National Headquarters no later than December 1. The winning administrator will receive a plaque for display. Send all application materials electronically in .pdf format as one document to [diercks@frenchteachers.org].

Created: October 3, 2007
Last Update: September 11, 2023