Joan Easterly, a Pellissippi State French professor who is pictured second from left, discusses the itinerary for a study abroad trip to Paris with Pellissippi State French students Brittany Headrick, Emily Skurtu and Nick Morrissey. The trip is open to anyone 18 years or older with 12 college credit hours.
Baguettes, scarves, the Eiffel Tower … the pleasures of Paris will be at the fingertips of Tennessee college students this summer, thanks to a study abroad opportunity led by three Pellissippi State Community College faculty members.
The trip is sponsored by TnCIS, the Tennessee Consortium for International Studies. TnCIS coordinates study abroad opportunities as part of its mission of boosting international experience and culture in higher education across the state. TnCIS, which is located at Pellissippi State, has sponsored study abroad trips to France in previous years, but this is the first Paris-only trip.
Students will stay at the Hotel Voltaire June 4-23, as they explore French civilization, culture and thought from philosophical, ethical, artistic and historical perspectives.
The trip is open to anyone 18 years or older who has 12 college credit hours.
Participants may choose any one of the three 3-credit offerings. Each faculty member and course will highlight a particular aspect of Paris: Charles Anderson, Introduction to Ethics; Charles Cardwell, Introduction to Philosophy; and Joan Easterly, Humanities: Exploring Paris.
Students begin their adventures with a bus tour, followed by two days of visits to top attractions, among them the Louvre and Orsay museums, Centre Pompidou and Notre Dame Cathedral. A lesson on French wines at the Château d’O and an evening Seine River cruise are included.
Subway tickets and a Paris guidebook will enable students to do additional sightseeing during their free time. A day excursion by train takes them to Versailles, where the French Revolution’s Marie Antoinette was the last queen in residence. After-dinner sessions may include any topic—from survival French to using the metro transportation system to cafe manners.
“Paris is like a jewel,” said Easterly, who first went to Paris on a study abroad trip at the age of 19. “Paris is one of the most invigorating, intriguing places to visit or to live, because there is so much potential for learning.”
The cost is $4,950, which includes tuition, a round-trip flight from Nashville, housing, two meals a day, and group and class excursions related to the class. Full-time students may qualify for financial aid to apply toward their study abroad.
The deadline for applications is Feb. 9. Applications received after Feb. 9 will be considered on a space-available basis.
TnCIS is offering additional study abroad opportunities in 2012 for Austria, Brazil, China, the Czech Republic, Ecuador, England, Ghana, the great European capitals, Greece, India, Ireland, Italy, Peru, Scotland, South Africa, Spain and Wales.
To apply or find out more, visit www.tncis.org or call the TnCIS office at (865) 539-7280.