As Le Lycée Français de Los Angeles proudly celebrates its 60th anniversary, the school continues to build on its legacy of bilingual, bicultural education by expanding opportunities for the youngest learners. This milestone year is marked by the launch of a new Junior Preschool (Toute Petite Section) for 2 year olds, reaffirming the school’s commitment to offering students a strong foundation in both French and American educational traditions from the very beginning.
Founded by Raymond and Esther Kabbaz, Le Lycée transformed California’s educational landscape when, on Aug. 19, 1965, its initiative and efforts led to a change in the state’s Code of Education, allowing core curriculum to be taught in languages other than English. For six decades, the school has embraced bilingualism, multiculturalism, rigorous academics and enriching extracurriculars, while nurturing generations of students from 72 nationalities with more than 33 languages spoken.
The Junior Preschool program, now open at Campus 55 on Overland Avenue, honors the legacy of the school’s former Palisades campus — once home to a beloved Toute Petite Section — and marks a new chapter in Le Lycée’s growth. Licensed by the State of California, the program requires no prior knowledge of French or English and is designed for children of all language backgrounds. “My mother used to tell prospective families, ‘Give me your child to educate and I will give you back two children: one French and one American,’” reflects Clara-Lisa Kabbaz (Le Lycée Class of 1979), Head of Le Lycée. “I am thrilled we can now begin this transformative journey even earlier, as we celebrate our 60th year.”
While the school looks to the future with this expansion, it also takes pride in its alumni whose accomplishments reflect the power of a Lycée education. Among them is Asher Cohen, class of 2021, a true “Lycée Lifer” who entered our school as a preschooler. At only 20 years old, Asher was recently named UC Berkeley’s University Medalist, the top student in the school’s graduation class, a remarkable recognition of his intellectual talent, dedication and humility. A Regent’s Award winner upon entering Berkeley — an honor reserved for the top 1–2% of applicants — Asher excelled across disciplines, from advanced sciences and mathematics to humanities, languages, philosophy and literature. He is now headed to the prestigious Yale University Medical School, where his brilliance will be matched by his compassion and kindness, qualities that have always defined him, the qualities emblematic of Lycée students.
“Asher embodies what makes our students extraordinary,” says Kabbaz. “They become not only leaders in their fields but also gracious, thoughtful, and caring individuals who inspire those around them. The world needs more Asher Cohens.”
From its founding vision to today’s expansion and the ongoing successes of its alumni, Le Lycée Français de Los Angeles remains “your school for life.”
For more information and to apply, visit www.lyceela.org.
Join us at an Open House: Oct. 7, Nov 13, 2025, or Jan. 13, 2026.
