Paris
Bonjour!
Here at Putney, we take great pride in the long-term relationships we’ve developed with our contacts around the world. I recently had the opportunity to pay a visit to Putney’s long-time contacts in France, some of whom we’ve been working with for over 30 years, who welcomed me with open arms. Our programs are built on these relationships, and as program directors our job is to design and manage programs with personal connections at the core. These connections are the foundation for the transformative experiences that Putney offers its students.
In France, Putney offers small group middle school and high school language immersion programs in French. During these travel programs, students dive deep into French culture, landscapes, and history while traveling across the country from the northern coastline to the Cote d’Azur and everywhere in between! One of the highlights each summer is the homestay portion, when students are matched with a local host family and host sibling. Our local homestay coordinators do a fantastic job—many of our students remain in contact with their French families for many years afterward!
The picturesque town of Le Conquet, in northwestern France
On our high school French language program, the group begins in Le Conquet, a small coastal town in Brittany, in northwestern France. While staying at a cozy guesthouse (where our groups have been staying since the 1990s!), students jump into French life by taking on a mini-internship with a local contact, helping them out with tasks and learning about various aspects of life in small-town France. We get around town by bike, and learn about the fascinating history of the area during its occupation during World War II. Students might help the staff out at a popular local crepe restaurant, assist visitors at the tourism office, help out on a local farm, or lend a hand at one of the busy gift shops in the village. It’s a great way to jumpstart progress in French!
Le Conquet, Brittany, France
From Le Conquet, the group travels to Paris. During my recent trip, I had the opportunity to join one of our local guides, an engaging young art historian with a passion for teaching students about art history on a walk through the lesser -known sections of the Montmartre neighborhood in central Paris.
Left: Our favorite guide in Montmartre, Paris | Right: Montpellier
From Paris I traveled to the south and east of France to meet with our incredible homestay coordinators in Montpellier and Montbéliard, both of whom have been matching Putney students with local host families for many, many years.
Montbéliard
After the homestay, our groups spend time visiting the Provencal hub of Aix-en-Provence, then travel to Saint-Raphaël on the French Riviera, before ending their program in the majestic Alps in a small town just outside Chamonix. Along the way, they delve into different aspects of French history, cuisine, and culture—while speaking French the whole time, bien sûr! Alumni of our French language immersion program report tremendous growth during their Putney summer in France.
It was great to visit our contacts in the field, and we’re excited for the students who will join us in France this summer. If you’re interested in an immersive French experience, check out the program!
