Local CPF chapters

What is a CPF chapter?

A chapter is a group of ten or more CPF voting members residing in or affiliated with a jurisdiction who have chosen to become organized for the purpose of forwarding the goals of CPF.  It is led and managed by a volunteer Board of Directors in accordance with the bylaws adopted by its members.   Click here for a list of local chapters in Alberta.

Why chapters?

CPF was established as a three-tiered organization because the most fundamental decisions about the provision of French-second-language (FL2) learning (core French and French immersion) take place at three levels:

• the federal government (which encourages and supports FL2 learning),

• provincial/territorial governments (which have constitutional authority over education), and

• school boards (to which many decisions are delegated by the provinces/territories).

The three levels are also important because conditions and needs can vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, and so initiatives and responses must be tailored to meet the local context.

Finally, the three levels form a coherent network which reaches into communities large and small in every corner of the country, allowing our members to more effectively work together to promote and support French-second-language learning.

The role of the chapter

Organized local CPF groups (we call them "chapters") are therefore needed:

ü to liaise between local CPF members and local decision-makers and other stakeholder groups;

ü to liaise between local CPF members and the provincial/territorial ("branch") and national levels of CPF;

ü to disseminate information about French-second-language learning within their communities;

ü to work to support local French-second-language programs; and

ü to encourage and/or sponsor extracurricular French living/learning experiences for the young people in their communities.

Two additional roles are necessary to ensure that the above needs continue to be met:

ü to recruit members and volunteers, and

ü to ensure organizational continuity (funding, leadership, etc.).

Benefits to chapters

Local chapters receive, through CPF Alberta:

ð 65% of each membership fee and other financial assistance;

ð support for their activities through our experienced staff members, our network of volunteer and professional contacts, the branch web site, news sheets, and our resource library;

ð sponsorship of their representatives to attend conferences and training sessions; on-site training as requested

ð bulk copies of CPF publications for use in program promotion.

For more information

Click here for a list of local chapters in Alberta.

Contact us at info@cpfalta.ab.ca or phone 1-800-561-2978  (262-5187 in Calgary) to learn about establishing a local CPF chapter.