Become a Member!
Join the French & Francophile Community in Portland
Be part of a cultural non-profit organization that brings you the benefits of French language, culture, and events. With your membership, you'll be kept up-to-date on an active calendar of French-themed social and cultural events. You'll receive a membership card for discounts at local retailers and restaurants that support the Alliance.
Members are eligible to use the Alliance Française library which has an extensive array of French language books and films. Also available for loan to members is our brand new collection of more than 80 "top hits" French DVDs films. The lending library also includes the top 100 best reference tools for learners of French, as resulting from a two-year study done by FIAF in New York and the AF Delegation in Washington, DC. Click here to view or search our existing library Biblio List of a couple thousand books. The items are sorted by these categories: Romans actuels et classiques, Histoire, Biographie, Poésie, Policiers, Femmes, Théâtre, Revues Touristiques, Gastronomie, Art, Civilisation Divers and Audio. Access to the library, in the Grande Salle of the Kamm House, is available before or after classes or at other hours, by appointment. Memberships run for one year from date of payment, renewable annually.
Benefits of Membership
- Complimentary 2-month subscription (4 issues) to France Amérique, and a trial 2-month (2 issues) subscription to France Today.
- Invitations and discounts to French-themed social and cultural events such as wine-tastings, dinners, book readings and more
- Frequent email bulletins regarding “All Things French” happening in and around Portland
- Timely updates on our extensive, quality language classes
- Discounts at French-themed retailers and restaurants
- Access to the Alliance’s extensive lending library of French books and films
Honorary Consul Endorsement
Dr. Claudine Fisher, Honorary Consul of France in Portland, and head of the PSU Department of Modern Languages and Literatures, is a frequent participant in Alliance functions and also serves as a volunteer advisor for pedagogical discussions. Click here to read her endorsement of the Alliance Française de Portland: Fisher on Membership.Portland Chapter - Part of a Worldwide Organization
The Alliance Française is a worldwide cultural organization headquartered in Paris and with 1,037 chapters throughout the world, of which the Portland chapter is one. In the USA, the chapters encourage communication between American and French-speaking communities by offering year-round French classes and Francophone and Francophile activities. The Portland chapter originally started in 1933 but fell dormant during WWII. In 1983 the chapter enjoyed a renaissance under the leadership of Sabine de Carbonnel, Jean-Claude Paris (who is also the founder of the French American International School here in Portland), John Marks and Sabine Artaud-Wild.
The Alliance Française de Portland is a nonprofit organization and receives no funding from the French government. Membership participation provides a significant portion of the chapter’s operating funds.