Fall 2026 priority deadline for transfer and graduate studies is January 5.

Fall 2026 priority deadline for transfer and graduate studies is January 5.

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Fall 2026 priority deadline for transfer and graduate studies is January 5.

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An aerial view of southern Louisiana shows dark blue-green water and a patch of lighter green land, highlighting the region's unique Cajun culture and the language endangerment of Cajun French, with statistics about the French-speaking population and its decline.

Evangeline

Evangeline

Winter Sun

Winter Sun

Project Description

Project Description

Evangeline is a Cajun French story for kids that celebrates Cajun culture in South Louisiana by embracing the language. This story of an American culture is told by Evangeline, a five-year-old girl of Cajun descent who learns Cajun French from her grandfather. The book showcases language as a window into a culture and teaches Cajun French terms. Evangeline further encourages kids to take part in the traditions that keep our culture alive.

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An aerial view shows a coastal area with dark blue-green water and a patch of lighter green land. A white text overlay reads: “Southern Louisiana is home to the largest French-speaking population in the U.S., outside of Maine. But of the 200,000 French speakers in southern Louisiana, only eleven percent, or about 17,000, speak Cajun French and most are older adults. As a result, Cajun French meets the criteria for language endangerment set forth by the United Nations’ Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).” The text is attributed to N.Y. Times.

A map of Louisiana shows the outline of the state in white against a green background. A yellow area within the state represents Cajun French-speaking population, indicated by a yellow bar in the top right corner labeled “% of PARISH SPEAKING CAJUN FRENCH 80%”. The map is labeled “CAJUN FRENCH SPEAKING POPULATION IN CAJUN COUNTRY” at the bottom.

A group of people are gathered around a large dark flag with a white fleur-de-lis and a white castle emblem. The flag is held aloft by two individuals, one on each side. The group includes several women and at least one man. The man on the right is wearing a dark suit and tie and is pointing toward the flag. The background shows a building with horizontal siding and a sign reading “La Ferme”. The image is in black and white.

Four stylized figures are shown against a light gray background with a faint white pattern. From left to right: Evangeline, a young girl in a blue and white plaid shirt and khaki skirt; Pa Pierre, an older man with gray hair and glasses wearing a white and gray checkered shirt and blue pants; Ma Marie, an older woman with short gray hair and glasses wearing a white shirt and khaki apron with red suspenders; and Papite, a small yellow chicken with a red comb on its head.

A child is holding a book titled "Evangeline: A Cajun French Story" by Katie Positerry. The cover features a cartoon illustration of a girl in a plaid shirt and khaki skirt standing in a grassy field with a chicken and a flag. The background includes a stylized map of Maine and a bird. The book is held against a colorful, patterned fabric.

An open book displays a cartoon illustration of a woman with brown hair wearing a light blue and white plaid shirt, khaki skirt, and white shoes. She has a red bow in her hair and is waving with her right hand. The background is a light beige color. The left page shows the text "BONJOUR!" in black letters, while the right page contains the text "My name is EVANGELINE FRANCINE-MARIE PRIMEAUX. It is a Cajun French name. It sounds funny!" in black letters. The book has a dark blue cover.

The image shows an open book with a yellow left page and a white right page. The left page features three illustrated faces, each with a unique name written below: “E-VAN-JAH-LEEN,” “FRAN-SEEN-MA-REE,” and “PREE-MO.” The right page contains a chart titled “ROLLING’S R,” with rows labeled “HOW TO:” and corresponding French phrases underneath. A hand is depicted at the bottom right of the page. The text on the right page reads: “My Pa Pierre is teaching me to speak Cajun French. He even gave me his special French dictionary so I can look up any word or sound!” The book’s style is cartoonish, with bold outlines and simple shapes.

An open book displays a map of Louisiana with yellow regions representing Cajun territories and a red star marking Mamou. The title “KAY-JUN” appears at the top left. Text below the map reads: “I am visiting my grandparents, Pa Pierre and Ma Marie. They live in MAMOU, LOUISIANA, right in the heart of Cajun Country.” The book’s title, “MAH-MOO, LOO-WEE-ZEE-ANNA,” is at the bottom right.

An open book displays a cartoon illustration of two people standing on a porch beside a house with a gray roof and yellow walls. A signpost with directional arrows points to Boudreaux, Tib-a-Doe, Robicheaux, Ro-Bee-Sho, and Soileaux. A small bird perches on a post near the signpost. The text on the left page reads “Pa Pierre and Ma Marie like to call this their palace on the BAYOU,” and the text on the right reads, “All of the neighbors are Cajun too. They have last names that end in E-A-U-X just like mine, but it really sounds like “O”.” The bottom of the page shows ““BY-YOIT”” in yellow text.

An open book displays two pages. The left page shows a hand with a yellow star bracelet and a quote: “After breakfast, I got to open my present! Inside the blue box, was silver charm bracelet with a little yellow star attached to it.” The right page features an illustration of three cartoon characters—a man in a checkered shirt, a woman in a brown apron, and a child with a yellow chicken—standing around a table with a small red object. A quote reads, “I love it, love it! ‘You guys are the best!’ Then I placed hand into my pocket.”

An open book displays a nighttime scene with two figures seated on a bench, viewed from behind. The left figure has gray hair and wears a checkered shirt; the right figure has brown hair and wears a light blue shirt. A yellow chicken stands on a sign labeled “BONSOIR “BON-SWAR”” next to the bench. Cattails grow beside the sign, and stars are scattered across the dark blue sky. Text on the right page reads, “On the other side of the porch sit Pa Pierre, rocking in his favorite chair I ran over to him. “Pa Pierre! Pa Pierre! What a day!” and “Pa Pierre chuckled, “There, there chère tout tout. Come and sit on my knee. I let sit look at the stars together.””

Two hands hold open an open children’s book titled “KAY-JUN” on the left page and “MAH-MOO, LOO-WEE-ZEE-ANNA” on the right page. The left page shows a map of the world with text describing the Cajuns and their migration from various countries. The right page displays a map of Louisiana with text mentioning the Grandparents’ visit to MAMOU, Louisiana. The book’s pages are cream-colored with dark blue edges.

A child's hands, wearing a pink long-sleeve shirt with small hearts, hold a small yellow flower and a chain with a small flower charm. The child points to a yellow shape on the page of a book. The page shows a map of Louisiana and the words “CAJUN COUNTRY” are printed below it. A red quotation mark appears below the title “MAH-MOO-WEE”. The map includes small airplane icons and stylized waves.

The image shows a silver chain bracelet with colorful letter charms. The left side displays a close-up of the bracelet on a wooden surface, showcasing the chain and charms: a red letter “H,” a blue flower, a yellow flower, a purple flower, and a black flower. The right side shows a hand wearing a similar bracelet with a white letter “E” charm and a yellow flower charm. The background includes a blue surface with partial white text visible.

A glossary page displays French words on the left and their English translations on the right. The page is bordered by a dark blue edge. The words listed include "bonjour," "cajun," "Mamou," "Louisiana," "Bayou," "Thibodeaux," "Robicheaux," "Soileaux," "fais-dodo," "bébé," "petit poulet," "chère tout tout," "nez," "jaune," "orange," "rogo," "violet," "blue," "bonzur," "KAY-JUN," "MAH-Moo," "LOO-WEE-ZEE-ANNA," "BY-YOU," "BOO-DRO," "TIB-A-DO," "ROO-BEE-SHO," "SWA-LO," "FAY-DOE-DOE," "PI-TET FOO-LAY," "SHA TU-TU," "NAY," "JUN," "OR-ANF," "BOOF," "VEE-O-LAY," and "BLUE." The page is angled slightly and rests on a dark brown wooden surface.

A screenshot of a computer screen displays a cartoon girl in a light blue short-sleeved shirt and khaki skirt, waving at the viewer. She has dark brown hair and is wearing a red bow in her hair. The background is light yellow-beige. The screen shows “E” in large white letters at the top left, and “BONZHUR!” in large white letters in the center. Below the girl are “BONJOUR” and “HELLO” in smaller white text. In the bottom left corner, a blue rectangle displays “RRRR RRRR” in black letters. Below that, a smaller white rectangle shows “LEARN CAJUN FRENCH!” in black letters. To the right, a small window displays a cartoon building and trees. Standard browser controls are visible at the top and bottom of the screen.

A repeating pattern of white line drawings on a bright yellow background. The drawings include stylized flowers, party hats, crowns, and geometric shapes.

A child wearing a pink shirt with a pattern of hearts holds a dark blue book titled “Evangeline: A Cajun French Story.” The book cover features a cartoon illustration of a girl with brown hair and a red bow. The child’s left wrist has a yellow flower charm, and a silver bracelet with a small yellow flower charm is visible. The background is blurred and dark.

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Accepting applications for Fall 2026

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310 East 22nd St - 5th Floor

New York, NY 10010

310 East 22nd St - 5th Floor

New York, NY 10010

310 East 22nd St - 5th Floor

New York, NY 10010

(212) 592-2600

mfadesign@sva.edu

(212) 592-2600

mfadesign@sva.edu

(212) 592-2600

mfadesign@sva.edu

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