The founders of C’est La Joie Academy, Charlotte Cobb and Mamie Perkins, join Discover Lafayette to share their drive to offer three-year-olds a safe place to have fun while they develop a lifelong quest for learning and exploration.

C’est La Joie Academy offers a play-based, nurturing, French Immersion environment where three-year-olds are surrounded by the arts and the natural world. Charlotte and Mamie share the power of joyful investigation as a way to guide a child’s inner scholar, even before they learn letters and numbers.

Mamie studied French and Spanish while at UL-Lafayette and partnered with CODIFIL, having the opportunity to travel to France to earn a Masters degree as part of its Escadrille program, a two-year graduate program. She then taught for a total of six years at Evangeline Elementary and Prairie Elementary in their French Immersion programs. This experience taught her the value of “trust-based relational intervention” which still guides her teaching style. She dreamed of ‘what could be’ in a smaller classroom for younger students, something holistic and organic for little ones.

Mamie Perkins, left, pictured with Charlotte Cobb, her business partner in C’est La Joie Learning Academy. Mamie is the lead teacher and the academy’s business details are handled by Charlotte. 90% of the conversations and lessons are in French.

Research suggests that a high-quality learning experience serves as a catalyst for children’s long-term success. Exposing children to a second language at 3 years old is the optimal time to learn without having to study….it is organic. And as Mamie says, “Play resets the brain.” Learning takes place optimally when conducted in a fun, relaxed setting.

Located on a 1.5-acre lot near Rue de Belier at Mamie’s home in Lafayette, the academy will open during the school year from 9 am to 12 pm. Tuition is $600 per month. For more information, visit https://www.cestlajoieacademy.com/