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United States, New York
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Kennedy International School (previously Lyceum Kennedy French American School) was founded in 1964 by Éliane Dumas, a distinguished French schoolteacher and long-time Lycée Français de New York faculty member, who named the school after John F. Kennedy. She developed the school with the French Ministry of Education to serve French and francophone families in Manhattan, and she served as headmistress for more than twenty years. In 1986, Dr. Koji Sonoda, a linguist from Japan, acquired Kennedy International School, expanding offerings to include a Japanese program and Japanese Saturday school and broadening the community to families from many countries into the 1990s. Today Kennedy International School is known for its diverse international student body.
Camp Kennedy provides week-long camps and seasonal programs that blend play-based learning with cultural exploration, arts, sports, and field trips, with instruction in French and Japanese. Camps welcome Kennedy students and neighborhood children and run across spring, summer, fall, and winter sessions. Parent Representatives are elected by Kennedy parents to strengthen family voice within the School Council and they host Coffee Mornings for questions and connection. A Weekly Newsletter keeps families informed about school life.
The Parents Association (PA) is a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) charity formed to operate independently while collaborating with the school administration and staff. It is a volunteer-led body that strengthens the bridge between families and school life. The PA leads and supports a wide range of activities, including book fairs, career day, coffee hours for parents, end-of-year picnic, International Day, second-hand uniform sales, French book subscriptions, holiday and Halloween decorations, and Teacher Appreciation Week. The PA is registered as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (Federal Tax ID: 74-3213495), and donations go directly toward student events, classroom enrichment, and school-wide family activities. Donations can be made via Venmo or Zelle, and corporate matching is encouraged. Stay connected via email or WhatsApp groups.
Kennedy International School offers bilingual education for students aged 3 to 18 across two Manhattan campuses, with a French-English and a Japanese-English program. The curriculum combines the French Ministry of Education guidelines, the Japanese Ministry guidelines, and the New York State Next Generation Learning Standards, and is registered by the New York State Board of Regents. A Pre-IB Track for grades 9–10 leads into the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme for grades 11–12, including the DP core—Theory of Knowledge, Creativity, Activity & Service, and the Extended Essay—and six subject groups. The school's AEFE affiliation reflects its French roots within an international network. Founded in 1964, Kennedy International School has grown to serve a diverse, global student body. Facilities include two campuses in Manhattan, and an 11,000-square-foot Upper School expansion on 815 Second Avenue with a new science lab, an art and design lab, and a welcoming student center. Extracurriculars span sports, languages, music, art, dance, and acting, with Academic and Intellectual, Arts and Creative, and Cultural and Language clubs.
