It is a common question from savvy parents, doing their due diligence in their school search process. What are the differences between the International School of Denver and the French American School of Denver? A free, public offering certainly can be attractive at first glance! We’ve bumped the two schools up for you side-by-side.

FASDenver grew as an offshoot of the International School of Denver in 2021 because of a gap of a public school French language offering. We are all incredibly supportive of a free French language school in Denver! But, FASDenver and ISDenver are actually quite different and not an apples-to-apples comparison. That is because we are more than a language school. Our value proposition is as a global community and an international school. Language is our foundation but just one piece of what we do. 

The benefits of the bilingual brain are compelling but it would be a mistake not to use those benefits to go deeper, further, better. That is why we are an International Baccalaureate World School which is a gold standard in academic excellence worldwide and creates well-rounded students who take agency, are curious, caring, and understand how to work together and connect dots across disciplines. 

Do you know that the International School of Denver started as a French school? In 1977, almost half a century ago, ISDenver put down deep roots within the Denver French community, one of the most vibrant in the whole country. While today we’ve added both Chinese and Spanish programs, we are so proud of our legacy as a French school.

When you join the French program, you are not only joining the longest-lasting in the Rocky Mountains but also the gold standard of education with our International Baccalaureate framework and program fully accredited by the French Ministry of National Education.

Our deep network of affiliations (AEFE, Mission Laïque Française) provides faculty access to the richest pedagogical resources, student projects, and most innovative professional development.

Here is a side-by-side of the International School of Denver and the French American School of Denver:

The International School of Denver has an aligned curriculum (from both France and Colorado State Standards) that is embedded in a student-centric, inquiry-based IB framework building student voice, choice, and agency all on a foundation of deep conceptual understandings.  

And, while we are often first known as a language school, we similarly have an outstanding reputation for Math. We teach Singapore Math, recognized throughout the world, leveraging those conceptual understandings that bring learning to life. Read more about one of our French program alums, now in the astronautical engineering program at USC, who fell in love with math at the International School of Denver.

We would love to show you our global community and educational model in action. Please join us for an upcoming community event and a campus tour!