France: Paris through the Eyes of its Greatest Minds – Paris, France

Student and Parent Guide

Program Details

  • Open to students currently enrolled in Grades 10-12
  • July 15-30, 2008
  • $3,500 (Airfare, books, and some meals not included)
  • Gateway Airport: New York-JFK International (JFK)

What participants are saying…

"I loved the time we spent on academics and out in the city. It was a great balance and an amazing program.”
—2007 participant

“Wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.”

What inspired Ernest Hemingway to share these unforgettable words with a friend in 1950? This question is one of many that students in this course will answer as they ponder the history, philosophy, art, and culture of the beautiful City of Light.

Notable Attractions and Excursions:

  • Experience the magic of Paris through the writings of Hemingway, Sartre, Proust, and others
  • Visit art museums such as the Picasso, Orsay, Louvre, and Pompidou
  • View Paris atop La Grande Arche, L’Arc de Triomphe, and the Eiffel Tower
  • Surround yourself in the culture of France

The Site

Students in Paris The group will be based at FIAP Jean Monnet, an international student center located on the world-famous Left Bank. A metro stop near the FIAP will provide an efficient gateway for numerous excursions. From the lofty upper deck of the Eiffel Tower to the subterranean catacombs that form a maze underneath the city, students will observe Paris from many different points of view. Among many other activities, the group will contemplate the Mona Lisa’s smile at the Louvre, the Thinker’s struggle at the Rodin museum, and the Impressionists’ brush strokes at the Musée d'Orsay. Students will compare the timelessness of Notre Dame’s gothic façade with the shockingly modern Pompidou Center. The group will storm the Place de la Bastille and walk triumphantly down the Champs-Elysées. On an excursion to Versailles, students will visit the palace, the gardens, and Marie Antoinette's favorite hideaway. In spite of this busy schedule, there will be time to eat Nutella crepes on the banks of the Seine, haggle with portraitists in Montmartre, and perhaps even catch the final stage of the Tour de France!

The Course

From Rousseau to Sartre, from Proust to Hemingway, from Beckett to Hugo, many of history's greatest thinkers have called Paris home. Drawing inspiration from these myriad authors, the course will connect students with the principal themes in Parisian intellectual history through an interdisciplinary exploration of the city. Topics of study will include the ideology of revolution, the nature and value of art, existentialism, and the contemporary collision of American, French, and Islamic identities. Each student's journey will culminate in a final Credo ("I believe") project that builds on course readings, discussions, journal writing, and site visits. Students will also return home with enough practical knowledge of the city to return in the future as self-sufficient travelers. Duke TIP reserves the right to alter the itinerary as necessary.

A Typical Day

While each day is different, students should expect their experience to be filled with discussion, reflection, and discovery. Most days will begin with a brief morning session to prepare for the day’s events. The group will then embark on an exploration of some of the best sites Paris has to offer. Lunch is scheduled into the daily itinerary and is at the expense of the student. Evening debriefing sessions allow students to share and reflect on their experiences. Students should come prepared to travel throughout Paris by foot and by metro.