Mrs. Karen Dupre, French teacher at Naugatuck High School, welcomes all high school students interested in engaging in an educational tour of France in July of 2017.

Students will learn about and experience some of the historical, architectural, gastronomical, and cultural aspects of French society.

Education First (EF) Tours is an organization based in Boston, Massachusetts, with programs in over fifty-five countries, which plans and guides the tour’s itinerary.

Dupre had studied her junior year of college in Rennes, France, and has gone on two educational tours with Naugatuck High School students, in 2010 and 2013.

Dupre says that the positive experience of traveling abroad has made her want to offer the same experience to students. Rather than read words on the pages of a book, “students are able to take what they learn in the classroom, and have it be a part of reality,” states Dupre. “When material is tangible, realistic, it stays more in their memory.”

While students are not required to have previously studied French, students interested should have acquired some degree of knowledge of French language and culture. Students would benefit from applying their knowledge in interactive social and cultural situations.

There is no required number of students who can book this tour.

The trip is scheduled to leave on July 11, 2017 However, there is a four-day window, before and after this expected date. The trip is set to last nine days.

The tour travels throughout the Northern regions of France to the city of Paris, the countryside of Loire Valley to visit several French castles, the region of Brittany, and Normandy, the famous site of the Western Allies invasion during World War II.

The total costs of the trip is 3,500 U.S. dollars. Students are welcome to conduct their own independent fundraising efforts. EF Tours makes arrangements for payment with each individual traveler; however, full payment should be made well before departure.

Students are required to have their own passports, personal spending money, clothing and toiletries. It is recommended that students have about 50 U.S dollars converted into euros before departure and additional money to convert for personal spending. Students should dress conservatively, as they are representing both their school and country. It is also recommended that students wear shoes equipped for walking long distances.