High School Program in France

This is the experience of a lifetime: studying in a French secondary school (Collège or Lycée) while sharing the everyday life of a volunteer host family.

For a few weeks or a whole year, participants live in a French host family. In addition to the room and board, host families offer students support and guidance during the whole stay, while sharing local customs. Our host families are as diverse as our participants. All families are carefully screened and prepared for the experience. The matching of the host family and the student is based on the student's profile, personality and common interests. Students will feel at home while away and develop strong long-term relationships. They are supervised by a CEI local coordinator and the CEI office during the entirety of their stay.

Immersion in a French high school

Students are placed in either public or private schools. Students will spend 5 days per week at school, usually from 8:00am until 5:00pm or 6:00pm, in classes with French classmates. Depending on their age, students are placed in either Troisième (14-15 years old) or Seconde (15-16 years old). They typically take courses in French literature, foreign languages, history, math, economics and science. Students placed in Classe de Première (16-17 years old) will be enrolled in one of the following academic tracks: literature, economics or sciences. All classes are taught in French.

The program includes:

• processing of the student application, research and selection of a French host family (interview, visit of the house and environment)
• full-board accommodation with a host family
• enrolment and attendance in a French lycée or collège, lunches taken at school as well as school expenses (for private schools)
• supervision and assistance by a CEI area representative as well as by the staff of the central office
• a local orientation meeting in September and January (all program durations - the meeting can be private or attended in a group)
• transfer costs to the host community (transfer on arrival - includes the booking and purchase of the domestic train/plane ticket by CEI + CEI escort and emergency phone line on day of arrival)
• arrival transfer

Students must be between 14 and 18 years old at the time of their stay in France. They will go through an interview process to ensure their adequate language skills and motivation.

CEI can offer the following placement guarantees as extra:

• a choice of region
• an urban placement
• a placement adapted to specific dietary restrictions or allergies
• a specific activity (sport, music)
• a specific school (schooling combined with sport, specific class level, specific subjects or sections), private schools fees will be invoiced extra.

Students are placed in a paid host family on a full board basis.

Available regions of placement in France:

• Occitanie:Toulouse, Castres, Montpellier, Nîmes
• Aquitaine: Bordeaux, Arcachon Bay, Bayonne, La Rochelle
• Bretagne, Pays de la Loire, Normandie: Rennes, Saint Malo, Vannes, Nantes, Rouen, Caen
• Auvergne Rhône Alpes: Lyon, Valence, Montélimar, Clermont-Ferrand
• Paris: Paris & suburbs
• Grand-Est: Nancy, Strasbourg, Metz, Reims, Troyes
• Provence: Nîmes, Avignon, Montpellier, Sète, Marseille

Optionnal

Short trips during the program : Skiing in the French Alps, Mountain dogs in the Alps, Paris & Disneyland

Meet & greet service:

• transfer on departure: 195€ (optional - can be arranged upon request)

More information about medical insurance is available on request.