The French Heritage Language Program was created in 2005 by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and received additional support from the Alfred & Jane Ross Foundation. It is designed to support and enrich the teaching and learning of French language, literature, and culture for students of Francophone background enrolled in New York City public schools. The primary objectives of the program are to help these students develop proficiency in French (reading comprehension, writing, oral expression and other literacy skills), and keep a connection to their respective cultures and identities, while increasing their opportunities for success in their new environment.

Through university partnerships, this project also hopes to contribute to scholarly research in the field of heritage language learning. As a pilot program, it is a place for pedagogical and methodological exploration, and a way to build new partnerships. We seek to develop curriculum models that can be replicated and adapted in other cities in the United States, in France as well as in other countries.

The French Heritage Language Program works closely with the Internationals Network for Public Schools, which includes nine high schools for new immigrants in New York City and one in Oakland, California, all working at the development of models for global education.

The French Heritage Language Program currently serves 85 students in five different Internationals high schools, as well as 20 students at an elementary school:

High Schools:
- Bronx International High School
- International Community High School (Bronx)
- Brooklyn International High School
- International High School at Lafayette (Brooklyn)
- International High School at Prospect Heights (Brooklyn)

Elementary School:
- PS 125, Ralph Bunche School (Manhattan)