Discover the richness of France through its diverse cultures and regions—from Paris to a border community and its neighboring country.
Start your journey with an immersive introduction to French history and culture in Paris, “The City of Light.” You will visit the city’s most iconic sights and museums, including the Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Arc de Triomphe, and Champs-Élysées. Explore diverse neighborhoods and sample French cuisine in quaint street-side cafés as you deepen your understanding of Parisian culture and the city’s role within France.
Discover la vie quotidienne, or daily life, of a French family during a 11-day homestay in another region of France, usually near the country’s border. You will get an intimate look at French life and the unique culture specific to the region. Enjoy getting to know your host siblings, checking out local sites, and enjoying meals with your new family before heading to your next destination.
After saying goodbye to your host family, you will cross the French border with your group into Germany or Switzerland to explore the cultures, landscapes, and sights of a neighboring country. You might find yourself strolling through Germany’s picturesque towns and picnicking in the Black Forest. Or you may find yourself enjoying cafes and walking around Lake Leman in Switzerland. As your program comes to a close in Paris, you’ll reflect on the deeper insights you’ve gained into the diversity of France and the culture of a neighboring country.
Notice: The 2024 Olympics are being held in Paris, therefore be aware that there may be limited and restricted entry to major tourist attractions and monuments due to safety and security and the high volume of visitors.
The Experiment’s programs are designed to build skills that will help you succeed. In France, you will learn:
TECHNICAL SKILLS
INTERPERSONAL SKILLS
This trip allowed us all to create lasting memories and friendships while at the same time gaining quality knowledge and experience, which we will carry with us for the rest of our lives.
This itinerary is only a sample and is subject to change. Because of factors such as group size and availability of in-country offerings such as festivals, your experience — including sites visited and the number of days spent in each location — may differ somewhat from the one presented below.
Orientation in Paris
During the orientation period, you and your group will stay in a centrally located hotel.
Homestay
During this period, you will stay in the home of a family. Sample host communities: Saint-Dié-des-Vosges, or in Bruley, Nancy.
Thematic Focus
Germany and Alsace (5-night excursion)
During this excursion, you and your group will stay in hotels.
Switzerland and Haute-Savoie (5-night excursion)
During this excursion, you and your group will stay in hotels.
Reflection and Wrap-up in Paris
During the reflection period, you and your group will stay in a centrally located hotel.
Departure
The Experiment’s group leaders go through a rigorous selection process and have extensive experience with youth education, local expertise in the country or region of their program, language abilities, knowledge in their program theme, travel logistics and management know-how, and experience with health, safety and risk management.
Ahonui was born and raised playing on the picturesque beaches of Kauai, Hawaii, where she spent countless afternoons frolicking in the waves developing a love for the ocean, but not, oddly enough, for surfing. As a child, she spent most of her time reading, writing stories, and trying to convince her parents to move to France so that she could “be” French; however, she had not yet developed the debate skills necessary for this endeavor. She did not touch French soil until she was fifteen, when she attended a music workshop, in Biarritz, France – oddly enough, known for its surfing. She returned as a college junior and spent a year exploring the streets of Paris, eating stinky cheese, snails, scoffing at day-old baguettes, and finally “being” French, in general. Ahonui graduated with a degree in music composition and art history with a minor in French from Sarah Lawrence College in 2004 before returning to her hometown of Anahola, HI, where she worked for Expedia as a Concierge Manager, overseeing seven concierge desks on the island. Ahonui currently lives near the beach in Vietnam, where she teaches 3rd grade at an international school. She still does not like surfing.
The Experiment's programs are led by accomplished and experienced faculty and staff who typically live in the country of study. Program leaders are responsible for instructional content, classroom and field experiences, and daily program operations.
Halix Mourrier is a graphic designer & artist, committed to queer identities. It was during a complete course in applied arts in Etienne from 2006 to 2011 that she committed to transidentities, and carried out OPÉ-TRANS, in collaboration with the association OUTrans, a project relating to the various operations feminizing and masculinizing for trans* people. In 2012, she joined the Beaux-Arts de Paris, and specialized in ceramics, installation, and performances. At the same time, Hélène responds to graphic design orders for feminist circles and collaborators and belongs to several collectives fighting for LGBTQI + people.
In 2018, she completed her course by following the Ateliers des Horizons training course at the Magasin de Grenoble. Halix now teaches graphic and editorial design, while continuing her transdisciplinary practice, and is part of the inclusive typographic research collective Bye Bye Binary. She made her first short film in 2021: HERMAN @ S (Les Adelphes).
From 2014 to 2018, Hélène worked with CEI & The Experiment to teach plastic art to young people in Paris, Arles and Aix-en-Provence. The program focused on the discovery of Impressionism and contemporary photography.
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