The Spanish section began its journey at the Cite Scolaire International in Ferney during the 1987–88 school year as part of one of the programs of the Spanish Education Action Abroad (AEE). It is one of the 14 Spanish sections in France. The teachers, who are Spanish civil servants, are selected and paid by the Spanish Ministry of Education. Currently, there are two primary school teachers and two secondary school teachers working in the section. The section currently has 251 students: 115 in primary school, 97 in college and 39 in Lycée.

The organization and operation of the Spanish section are based on bilateral agreements between the Ministries of Education of France and Spain. We offer free public education, which aims to teach and promote Spanish and Latin American language and culture within a context of intercultural educational experiences. Thus, the academic path of the students is bilingual and bicultural, from primary school through the end of high school. Students who pass the specific section subjects in high school (Lycée) obtain a double diploma: the French International Baccalaureate (BFI) and the Spanish Bachillerato diploma. In addition, students in Troisième (equivalent to 9^th grade) can earn the International National Brevet Diploma.

Throughout the school year, we organize various activities to promote the Spanish language and culture, including workshops for younger students, talks and conferences, Erasmus exchanges, trips, interdisciplinary workshops and projects, informational sessions about continuing studies in Spain, visits to the University of Geneva (UNIGE), sessions about Spanish-language-related studies at the university, and preparation for the DELE exams of the Cervantes Institute.

This year, we launched the interdisciplinary project: "Yo voy soñando caminos" ("I Go Dreaming Paths"). Through this project, students at all levels explored the biography and poetic legacy of Antonio Machado to celebrate the 150^th anniversary of his birth. Various activities were organized for different grade levels: poetry recitals, creation of tourist brochures for cities associated with Machado, screening of the documentary "Esos días azules" about the poet’s life and work, among others.

One particularly enriching activity was "Memory Cards", in which Première and Seconde students researched the biographies of their ancestors who lived during Machado’s time. Through these personal stories, students were able to reconstruct history from the late 19^th century to the mid-20^th century, both in Europe and Latin America.

As a final activity, we had the honour of welcoming Spanish illustrator Leticia Ruifernández and her show "Yo voy soñando caminos". This was a performance combining painting, spoken word, and music, with the participation of students from Troisième, Seconde, Première, and Terminale. Her visit was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Culture as part of the program "Why Read the Classics."

The section is supported by the Spanish Section Parents’ Association (APASE), which actively collaborates in supplementary and extracurricular activities. In particular, it promotes the education and development of the students by organising conferences with external speakers and purchasing books. This year, a library with books in Spanish has just been created at the CSI. APASE also organises social and cultural activities for students and their families, strengthening the cultural and linguistic ties among the different cultures that make up the section. For example, in October, a welcome party is organised to celebrate the start of the school year with a big paella. APASE collaborates with the Mediateque in Ferney to invite Spanish story tellers within the “Semana del Español” (Spanish Week). The parents have also organized a Spanish Book Club for adults that meets monthly at the Mediatheque, open to everyone interested in reading in Spanish.

Members of the APASE board are also actively involved in the communication and dialogue between families, the administration, and the teaching staff of the section. They participate in meetings with the Spanish academic authorities and representatives of CERN, that are organised throughout the year.

• Spanish International Sections: https://www.educacionfpydeportes.gob.es/francia/en/seccion-ferney-voltaire/las-secciones-internacionales-espanolas.html
• APASE: https://apase-65ed6fce14496.assoconnect.com/page/2703481-la-asociacion

Authors:

Silvia Guadalupe del Rio Freije, Coordinator of the Spanish Section

Ildefonso Villar Dominguez, President of APASE

seccion.fvoltaire@educacion.gob.es