Welcome to the Alliance Française of Bonita Springs

Welcome to Bonita Springs, bordering the Gulf of Mexico, the mighty Cypress Swamp, and the Imperial River. We are part of "paradise", home to exotic birds, the Florida Panther, myriad orchids and, of course, the Alliance Française of Bonita Springs. We are also "home" to many "true French" (24 per cent), Belgians, Germans, Swiss, Franco-Canadians, and all the Francophiles who step into France when they come to our events or sign up for our classes. We are proud to bring a part of France to our corner of Southwest Florida.

Our beginnings were the result of 22 very determined members who put a stake in the ground and said: "nous voici." In October of 2000, we were officially designated a chapter of the Alliance Française family and we immediately opened the door to our school which comprised a dozen students at most, but the opportunity for growth was just a question of time. When we celebrate our fifth anniversary in October of 2005, we boasted of a membership of 253 " fidèles" and today our school has 69 students. Our three native speaking professeurs are inspiring our students and our monthly luncheons offer an outstanding opportunity to practice the fine art of French conversation.

We have concentrated on developing partnerships in our community and have succeeded in sharing important speakers with other groups, enabling us to afford the fees associated with these conferences. Our luncheons are normally host to 85 or 90 attendees during the winter season and we add other events to our programming such as Museum Trips, Christmas Dances, Golf Tournaments and the perfect event for any Francophile/Francophone the "Dîner/Dégustation de Vins".

We share a wonderful relationship with the Community School, a member of the Independent School Association. They are our faithful entrants in the National Concours as well as hosts to the other schools in the Collier and Lee County areas that wish to participate. Each year we give a scholarship to the top French Honor student at the Community School and a smaller prize to a promising sophomore. We are members of the Bonita Springs Chamber of Commerce and the Lee County Tourist Bureau exchanges French visitor information with us. We believe that our partnerships have certainly helped us grow.

We are proud to have won the 1^st prize in the Alliance Française category of the National Concours and congratulate our student and her professor as well.

We welcome all of you to our corner of paradise, the Alliance Française of Bonita Springs!