Foxboro Elementary in North Salt Lake has earned the Label France Éducation, a French government seal recognizing excellence in French immersion education. The school is one of just 100 in the United States to hold the distinction.

The French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs awards the Label France Éducation to schools worldwide. Valérie Brisset, Consul General of France in San Francisco, presented the honor at the Utah State Capitol on Friday, Sept. 25, as first reported by the Davis Journal. Three French immersion schools in the area received the award at the ceremony. The other two were not named in available reports.

Students from Foxboro's French Dual Language Immersion program traveled to the Capitol for the event. Sixth grader Norman Larson was one of three students, along with classmates Hannah and Gentry, selected by French teacher Mr. Pessin to represent the school.

The program is large. Larson estimated about half of Foxboro's students are enrolled in French immersion.

Utah has 37 French Immersion programs statewide. Blake Ramsey, French Embassy representative at the Utah State Board of Education, said at the ceremony that Utah's total rivals Louisiana's, despite France's deep historical ties to that state. Ramsey said Utah built its programs entirely on local resources.

Brisset told students that learning French means learning a culture and its values, and that programs like French Bridge let students earn college credits in high school.

The Davis School District Board of Education held a workshop on the Dual Language Immersion Program on June 16, led by Assistant Superintendent Dr. Logan Toone and Teaching and Learning Director TJ Strain. No reaction from Foxboro Elementary's principal or Davis School District leadership appeared in public reporting as of Sept. 29.

For Larson, the recognition is personal. "I love saying that I speak two languages because it kind of makes me feel like I'm cool," he said.