I'll start by saying I'm not your typical reviewer. In 2017 I traveled abroad with Summerfuel not as a student, but as a staff member. I was an RA with Summerfuel and escorted the group flight to Nice from NYC and back. In turn they covered my airfare which was a huge plus!
Students and staff who participate in Summerfuel Nice stay at a local high schoolin the dorms. The wing we stayed in was comfortable and clean. No air conditioning, every window had (adorably French) shutters. By closing them and blocking out the sun during the day while I was out and about with the students, and using the fans provided by the program i kept cool and didn't really miss the air conditioning anyway. What I did miss, was having wifi, but as an adult I didn't think this was a huge issue. For students under the age of 18 however, I wish there had been wifi if for no other reason than to make it easier for them to keep in touch with their parents.
To business! Working with Summerfuel gave me the opportunity to see the beautiful French Rivera in a way I know would have been near impossible financially otherwise. Weekend excursions all over the coast have the students and myself the opportunity to visit such famous locations as Monaco and Cannes, however my favorite trips were to the smaller towns. Students also participated in parasailing, beach trips, museum visits, and movie nights. I really got a feel for the region, which is incredibly beautiful and rich in culture.
What would you improve about this program?
I was often overworked and sometimes even had to speak firmly and advocate to get lunch and dinner breaks due to the fact that we were understaffed. During the month long program I lived and worked with the kids, and essentially I was never entirely off duty. I only received 2 days off. Under-staffing also meant that as the program wore on our Program Director became less and less patient, both with students, parents and staff. As this is an expensive program, the students are from wealthier backgrounds, and sometimes tended to treat the staff like servants which really got to me sometimes. Not bad kids, but very entitled.