Get Cozy in Rouen, France

Wow! What an amazing summer! My husband & I honestly tried to talk our son out of going on a study abroad trip. We are what you might call "the helicopter parents" that were afraid of sending him so far away in a foreign country. Well let me tell you, we hit the absolute JACKPOT with World Class Programs! The Managing Director Derek Tano is amazing I don’t have words to adequately tell all parents. He is always available to take my call no matter where they were in the world & he is so relatable to the students & earns their respect immediately! He is very down to Earth & safety & education are clearly number one for all of the World Class Programs staff. I am so blessed that I found World Class Programs and this summer program was the time of my sons life!

World Class Programs is a company filled with fun and educated staff who want nothing more than to create incredible experiences that last a lifetime for their students! I am proud to say that I am one of those students! I was lucky enough to be part of the Paris, France program, and it CHANGED MY LIFE for the better. Through all of the museum visits, classes, activities, and weekend trips, I became more confident in myself to navigate any situation that I am put in for the future! I had never traveled out of the country before, so I was a little nervous, and was glad it was only going to be two weeks. However, after the first few days, I couldn’t believe how fast the time was going! I wished it was longer! The staff created memorable experiences for us to get to know each other, and I felt like we became a family by the end! My favorite part of the trip is hard to pick, but I would probably have to say climbing the Eiffel Tower because of the incredible view from the top! We also got to walk through the gardens of the Palace of Versailles, visit the Chateau de Monte Cristo! (the home of Alexander Dumas! I would recommend this trip to anyone, because you learn so much about the world, and the staff are so caring, hilarious, and make learning fun!

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Last winter my child came to me proposing that instead of a traditional post graduation senior week at the beach she would like do do an educational tour abroad. She and a friend did their own research and felt that World Class Programs offered an option that seemed to be the perfect balance of education and tourism, free time and structure. We read reviews online like this one and since the organization is relatively new, we called and spoke with the director as well before applying. From the beginning of our interactions with the staff of the program we got the sense that their passion is planning the perfect travel experiences for students (rather than making a profit), and they have been top notch in terms of responsiveness and communication. As a parent I especially liked that we had a parent/child Zoom planning meeting before the trip, and during the trip the Director sent us detailed updates as to what the group was up to. My daughter checked in frequently and was just loving everything about the trip every time she called or texted. I wanted to take the time to write a review so that future parents researching programs can hear about our experience and have confidence in this newer organization.

This is my second trip with this company. The staff are super helpful if you need accommodations or help with anything. There are a variety of classes and the teachers know the subjects. There were a lot of activities outside of class and we got to go to different places. The staff are always concerned about safety but still having fun. It is a great way to experience dorm life before college.

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World Class Program’s Paris trip was wonderful. There is ample opportunity to explore as much of Paris as you wish, while still learning a lot. They supply ample support to make sure you don’t experience any issues. Emersion and language education takes a hit due to the tourist nature of Paris, however there are excursions that allow you to find yourself in more rural areas. However, if you wish, the staff is open to suggestions of locations to go. As an example, they were very happy to bring the group to the house of my favorite author (Alexandre Dumas) just outside of Paris due to my request. The program covers nearly everything you could want during life abroad including hotel rooms, train and attraction tickets, and food. Additionally, the staff was very kind and helpful. Easily one of the best times of my life.

I had only a few things on my bucket list for this trip (watch the 1am sparkle of the Eiffel tower, have crepes from a crepe stand, see the works in the Louvre, do some shopping, and walk along the seine like mamma mia) and as I look back on it I can say that I truly accomplished everything on it and much more. I came into this program thinking it would be like other programs, overly chaperoned, too structured, and little to no free time. I was very pleasantly surprised when I arrived and I got much more free time than anticipated and when I was in class or with the group I was always learning something while also very much enjoying my time here. The trip was well timed and I never felt like we were too busy or had to little to do. The classes that we took were relaxed while also helping us learn about culture in paris. The program staff were flexible when we wanted free time or if we wanted to learn something different in our classes! I would definitely recommend this program to someone who is looking to get into studying abroad before college and it would be good for anyone no matter how comfortable they are with traveling. I came with a friend which helped me get to know people but there were others who came not knowing anyone and we all became friends quickly and will remain friends even after the trip!

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After taking a few years of French in high school, I was excited to visit Paris for the first time. World Class Programs gave us a trip that had everything we wanted to do and more. There was a perfect balance between structured activities (exploring downtown, walking to Notre Dame, visiting Versailles, going up the Eiffel Tower) and down time to explore the city on our own. I was able to practice and grow my French skills while learning life skills of living in a shared apartment and navigating a new city. I highly recommend this program as a great way to meet new friends and travel!

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