Peuples Solidaires
Joseph Leavenworth Bakali
Spring 2014

During my spring semester in Paris, I interned at Peuples Solidaires, a French NGO committed to helping those struggling for their rights in developing countries around the world.  It was my first time working for a NGO, and it proved to be a thoroughly enjoyable and engaging experience.  My assignments mainly involved translating documents between English and French, although I was also given the objective of compiling the internal press review for the previous year.  I felt that I was able to contribute in a significant manner to the work of the organization, and in addition, the staff were all extremely welcoming and were eager to make my time at the organization an interesting and memorable one.  In addition, this internship provided me with an excellent opportunity to practice my French in a non-academic setting and to develop a professional vocabulary that could prove very useful in the future.
http://www.peuples-solidaires.org/

Galerie Area
Graham Bishop
Spring 2014

While I was in Paris, I completed an 8-week internship with Galerie Area, a contemporary art gallery in the 10^th arrondissement. In addition to presenting expositions of local and international artists, Area doubles as a publishing house by printing books, most notably its trimestral revue in which experts affiliated with the art world discuss subjects of intellectual debate. As an English major, I have long had an interest in the publishing industry, and an internship with Area also seemed like an ideal way to explore an interest in visual art that I hadn’t yet acted on in a work environment. For the first two weeks of my internship, I wrote interpretative French-language descriptions of drawings done by Polish artist Franciszek Starowieyski, who served as the subject for an exposition by Area this April. For the rest of my time, I conducted ethnographic research that would benefit Area in its publication of a book on Native American art. This included investigating the origins of Native American artifacts and writing summaries on the purposes of specific tribal customs and objects. Throughout the eight weeks, I also completed several assignments in translation, converting French texts into English and vice versa. I very much enjoyed getting the chance to explore multiple interests of mine in a foreign work environment. The internship was also a unique opportunity to meet artists and critics from the Parisian area. At the same time, however, the internship occupied a significant portion of my schedule, and I would only recommend it to students who are comfortable having limited free time.
http://www.areaparis.com/area/home.php?page=press

l’Institut Hospitalier Franco-Britannique
Meghan Wallner
Spring 2014

During my time in Paris, I participated in an internship at l’Institut Hospitalier Franco-Britannique, a hospital in Levallois-Perret. Through shadowing interns and physicians at the hospital, I was simultaneously able to learn the science behind the diagnosis and treatment of illnesses, which interests me as a pre-medical student, and the differences between the healthcare systems in the United States and France. My internship also provided me with the opportunity to immerse myself in a French-speaking workplace.  I feel that this diverse exposure to the medical field in an international setting will be an asset to me as I work towards becoming a physician.
http://www.ihfb.org/fr/accueil.php  

Agir tous pour la dignité
Antonela Miho
Spring 2014

During my spring semester abroad in Paris, I had the opportunity to do an internship with a non-governmental organization called ATD (Agir tous pour la dignité)—Fourth World. The organization’s main goal is the eradication of extreme poverty through a rights-based, collaborative approach which focuses on supporting families and individuals through a grass-roots presence and involvement in disadvantaged communities. An international organization, they engage with various individuals, institutions, and most importantly, in partnership with people in precarious situations, to create awareness of extreme poverty and influence policies which address it. Throughout my time there, I facilitated the planning and running of a workshop aimed at youth mobilization efforts among the poorest across Europe, built up social media presence of Djynamo Jeunesse project to highlight the organization’s work and facilitate productive exchange between its actors, archived primary documents, and translated text and videos from French to English. Overall, the internship experience with ATD Quart Monde was extremely rewarding and contributed to my personal, professional and language development.
http://www.atd-quartmonde.fr/

Fondation Scelles – CRIDES
Greta Olivares
Spring 2014

During my spring semester abroad in Paris I was able to do an internship at Fondation Scelles-CRIDES. This foundation’s main goal is to fight against commercial sexual exploitation in France and the rest of the world. Every year the foundation publishes a world report on sexual exploitation, which includes country profiles related to sexual exploitation and prostitution as well as chapters on subjects related to sexual exploitation.  During the first few weeks as an intern my job was to help in translating the latest book from French into English. Afterwards, I translated their website as well as other important documents for the foundation into English and Spanish. During my last few weeks I conducted research on prostitution in Mexico and wrote a summary of my findings do that it will serve as an aid for the author of next year’s country profile on Mexico for the world report. Other work consisted of administrative work to help with the distribution of the latest world report in the United States. This was a great opportunity that gave me an inside look into the French professional life and added a lot to my study abroad experience.
Website: www.fondationscelles.org

UNESCO
Rafael Manyari
Spring 2014

During my spring semester in Paris, I did an 8-week internship at UNESCO. I worked with the Delegation of the Republic Palau, which is an island-state located in the Pacific Ocean. The UN declared 2014 the year of the Small Islands on Development (SIDS) since these nations’ cultures, economies and existence are threatened by climate change. I worked closely with the Deputy Delegate and I was able to attend meetings of the Executive Board during my training. I practiced formal French when attending meetings or communicating with several other delegations and ambassadors at UNESCO’s headquarters. As part of my job, I created an official country profile for Palau, which included information on the country’s ocean policy, culture, history, economy, tourism and the arts.  I also created a mock project for the official website of the Delegation and launched its Facebook page to diffuse information about their work at UNESCO. Other projects involved translation of documents from French to English as well as some office work to help the Delegation prepare conference materials. 
http://fr.unesco.org/

Institut de relations internationales et stratégiques
Elizabeth McElvein
Spring 2013

I interned at l’Institut de relations internationales et stratégiques, a strategic defense think tank in Paris. It was an excellent opportunity to apply and to enrich my language skills in a professional context. I translated English documents into French and revised English policy briefs written by Francophone researchers. I developed a new appreciation for the complexity and nuance of bilingual communication, as well as a familiarity with European politics that will serve me well in my academic and professional future. I feel that I made a tangible contribution to the IRIS team, and would be very interested to pursue work in a think-tank after graduation.
http://www.iris-france.org/iris/presentation.php

Musée en Herbe
Hannah Ostrow
Spring 2013

I interned at the Musée en Herbe, an art museum for children in the 1st arrondissement. Primarily catering to kids ages 3 through 12, the museum puts up temporary exhibitions featuring original works from major (primarily 20th-century) artists. They welcome mostly school groups and families who come in for guided tours, as well as accompanying visual arts workshops. During my time at the museum, I gave tours to English-speaking families who came in, monitored galleries and explained works and accompanying games, assisted in and helped design curriculum for visual arts workshops, and translated contracts, professional correspondences and press materials from French to English. The people who work there are all really great, super nice and welcoming and helpful, and interning was a great insight into French professional life that I would definitely recommend to anyone considering living in Paris post-grad.
http://www.musee-en-herbe.com/

Centre Francoise Grémy
Hannah Markell
Spring 2012

I worked at the Centre Francoise Grémy, a day hospital for adolescents with autism, pervasive developmental disorder or other severe behavioral problems. The center is at the forefront of the field and works especially to help adolescents who were not successfully treated/cared for elsewhere. The ultimate goal is to reintegrate the adolescents into society and the team uses a variety of activities and tools (dance lessons, weekend retreats, regular psychological evaluations, setting up internships) to help this process. As an intern I primarily observed activities and participated when appropriate. I also had the opportunity to observe a psychological evaluation, attend weekly staff meetings, and meet with head psychiatrists to learn about the diagnostic and treatment processes.   This internship definitely added a practical dimension to my experience abroad and my study of psychology in the French system.
http://www.elan-retrouve.fr/centre-francoise-gremy.php

European Grassroots Antiracist Movement
Jaewon Oh
Spring 2012

During my second semester abroad in Paris, I interned with a small NGO, EGAM (European Grassroots Antiracist Movement), an offshoot of the larger and better-known French antiracist NGO, SOS Racisme.  Being that this NGO is small and relatively new (created in 2010), I had the chance to perform a lot of interesting and varied tasks.  On a day-to-day basis, I was in charge of preparations for a newsletter that EGAM will send out to political leaders at the European level (for example, in the European Parliament, the Commission, and the Council of Europe), which involved finding contact information for these politicians and studying and comparing existing newsletters of similar types and by member organizations of EGAM.  However, I also got to do different things as the occasion required–booking a conference room in Norway, for instance, and calling French newspapers to find contact information.  As an International Studies major (Political Science/French/Europe), this was an interesting internship, especially because I got to discuss lots of politics with coworkers during the electoral spring!  Although this is probably not the kind of work I envision doing long-term, and it’s true that an internship does take up a fair bit of time, I had a great experience and developed wonderful relationships with my coworkers and fellow interns, so I personally think it was quite worthwhile.
http://www.egam.eu/

To see more internships for credit in Paris, visit the following page of the main Middlebury site:  http://www.middlebury.edu/sa/france/internships/opportunities/credit

International Relations Office, University of Poitiers
Lucie Torrey

My internship with the International Relations Office at the University of Poitiers ended up being so much more than just a practical exposure to the field of international education administration.  The time I spent there allowed me to work on a variety of projects almost completely independently, including translating official university materials as well as planning for their first-ever international study fair.  The research I did on international students in France for the academic part of the experience helped to put my own year abroad in a broader context and will serve as good training as I write my senior thesis this coming year.  But beyond that, completing an internship while abroad gave me personal connections and insights into the culture that I never would have gained had I only taken classes.  My colleagues were among the kindest people I encountered while in Poitiers and chatting with them over the lunch hour was as much a part of the experience as the actual work (and was equally good practice for my French!).
http://www.univ-poitiers.fr/

Centre Animation Jeunesse
Julia Angeles
Spring 2014

During my second semester in Bordeaux, I interned with the Centre Animation Jeunesse (CAJ). The CAJ works with middle and high school youth year-round, offering them a variety of activities, as well as a safe space to hang out, meet new people, and receive support. As an intern, I mainly worked with their education sector. Among others, I helped middle school students with their schoolwork in French and English, I ran the center’s English Workshop (English homework help and a fun activity to help middle school students work on their language skills), and I started an informal English homework help/conversation group for high school students. In addition to learning about different aspects of French culture and education, I gained insight into my identity as an American, and I became more confident in my ability to lead others in French. It definitely helped that the staff members were so supportive and welcoming, always telling me to feel right at home. Ultimately, the internship was an excellent way to cap off my year in France, and I would wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone interested in learning about French culture in a really practical way.

Aquitaine Wine Company
Kristen Meredith
Spring 2014

This semester I interned at the Aquitaine Wine Company, a négociant company based in Bordeaux which specializes in selling wines from Bordeaux and the South of France in the United States. I got to experience the day-to-day of working at a wine company and work on many different projects, including translating informational sheets about different suppliers’ wines, communicating with different chateaux, helping with all of the preparations for wine shipments to the U.S., and contributing to the submission of several suppliers’ wines to be reviewed by Wine Spectator. My internship greatly helped me improve me French: speaking on the phone to clients, speaking with my coworkers, and listening to everything that went on in the office were all very helpful for my speaking and comprehension skills. It was also a great opportunity to gain interesting work experience and develop wonderful relationships with my coworkers. I would strongly encourage any student to consider completing an internship during their time abroad!

Centre Animation Jeunesse
Alex Saunders

This semester I interned for eight weeks at the “Centre Animation Jeunesse” (CAJ), in Talence, which is just outside of Bordeaux. The CAJ is an organization where youths between the ages of 10 and 17 can go after school and during vacations to relax, socialize, and participate in numerous activities. At the CAJ I helped with English homework, hosted several “American” cooking classes, and had the opportunity to go surfing each week—just to name a few of the things I did!  During my internship, I felt that I was really able to integrate into the organization; it allowed me to improve my French and also offered me valuable cultural experiences I would have never had elsewhere. Interning at the CAJ was the best decision that I made during my semester in Bordeaux; it was an incredible experience and I was able to form great relationships which I hope will last a lifetime!

Espace Bébé-Maman
Emily Slatter

During my second semester in Bordeaux, I began working as an intern at a Red Cross-Nestlé center for young mothers in need called L’Espace Bébé-Maman. I was working with a team of 10 other women, all volunteers from a variety of backgrounds. The environment was very informal, and I often spent time with my co-workers outside of the center. I had the chance to work in the Boutique section of the center, helping the beneficiaries choose clothing, food and other products. With both my co-workers and the women coming to the center, I had the chance to discuss French society, poverty and social programs. My French improved dramatically through these interactions. This internship was one of the most rewarding parts of my time in France.
http://fondation.nestle.fr/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Dossier-de-presse-EBM-BORDEAUX-6-JUIN-08.pdf

Welcome to the Middlebury College School in France official blog!  Here you can find out about all of the latest goings-on in our centers in Paris, Bordeaux, and Poitiers.  

Here is some basic information about our programs:

Designed for students with an advanced level of French, the C.V. Starr-Middlebury School in France provides opportunities to experience French culture in one of three locations: Paris – the cosmopolitan capital at the heart of France; Bordeaux – a large city with a rich culinary and wine-growing tradition; or Poitiers – a quintessential French town with a strong university and student culture.

Undergraduate students in Paris enroll in up to two Middlebury courses at the School in France headquarters–the Centre Madeleine–and take the rest of their courses at one of the many host universities in the city. In Bordeaux and Poitiers, students enroll directly in a broad range of disciplines in one of Middlebury’s partner universities.

A year-long Master of Arts in French is also offered in Paris.  Students start by completing a 6-week immersive summer session on the Middlebury College campus in Vermont, Afterwards, these graduate students journey to Paris, where they live and study for a full academic year, having the Centre Madeleine as their “home base” and taking all classes at one of several Parisian universities.  Depending on the amount of coursework selected, the students may choose to finish their program requirements either in Paris or in a second 6-week summer session in Vermont.

At all sites, whether in a university course alongside local students, or at the Centre Madeleine, courses are conducted solely in French.  Housing – with local families or in residences – is geared to provide students with an immersion in the language and culture outside of the classroom.

For more information about our programs, or to apply, please visit the School in France website at http://www.middlebury.edu/sa/france

Have fun exploring our blog!