This unique programme gives young students the opportunity to discover France, its way of life and its culture, while improving their language skills. Students are placed in caring, highly concerned host families and are supervised by a team of local coordinators (each student being assisted by a specific area representative).

Families

Students are hosted by volunteer host families, on a full board basis. They share the day-to-day life, including leisure and outings and in return they are asked to comply with the family rules.

They attend a local school, chosen jointly by the host family and the area representative.

Participants

Students must be aged between 15 and 18 years old at the time of their stay in France.

They have to be motivated and to be capable to adapt to life in a foreigner country.

Students must have a minimum of 2 years of French study and a good understanding (written and oral) of the language (ie "B" average). If these requirements are not met, a 4-week intensive language course is compulsory.

Placement

A host family may be a single parent with one or more children, a couple without children or a couple with one or more children. Host homes may be apartments or single-family dwellings. Placement environments may be urban, suburban, small towns or rural. Students may be expected to share bedrooms, but not beds, with host siblings of the same sex and similar age. No guarantee of region, or kind of family, or kind of home is expressed or implied. Students must be prepared to accept placement in any region and any type of family.