CIEE Global Navigator

I had an incredible time with CIEE in Paris! I applied on a whim and I didn't think that I would be able to go based on my financial status. However, I was accepted and received a very generous scholarship (open to anyone)!
Coming from a very small town, I was very nervous about being in a city. However, CIEE was there every step of the way. We completed an online course about safety and what to bring before leaving and CIEE was very informative every time I called. While on the program in France, we had periodic one-on-one check-ins with our program leader about how we were doing and they were always available (in person or through text) if we had questions.
The flight process was also made easy. I opted to do a chaperoned flight. A few days ahead of time, the program leader we were flying with created a group chat for all of us and gave us some information. The day of, she kept us updated about what gate we were going to and helped us navigate.
As part of the program, we explored many Parisian places, but we were also given some free time to visit parts of Paris that we were interested in. One free Saturday, a friend and I visited the Ménagerie du Jardin des Plantes. We spent the whole day looking at Tasmanian devils, flamingos, panthers, tapirs, and so much more. On a different day, I went to a market and bought French antique postcards! There were so many things, these are just a few examples.
Most importantly, I experienced SO MUCH personal growth. I became more independent, confident, and adventurous (even my family noticed when I returned). I made friends, received 4 college credits from Tulane University, improved my French by leagues, and grew as an individual. I cannot recommend this program enough.

This was an absolutely life changing experience, I could not recommend it more. I fell in love with Berlin, and will absolutely be returning in the future! The program had a “learn by doing” approach to classes, which meant I had a ton of fun and learned a ton at the same time. I made friends that I will keep for life, I had experiences I will never forget, and I grew immensely, both as a human and an engineer. I recommend this program to anyone who wants to see the world, experience new things, explore other cultures, and make lasting memories. This was hands down the best summer of my life, and I am better for it.

Living in a small town next to Lego land was great there was easy accesses most places and with proper planning and the app it's no hassle to get anywhere. It was a nice community of students at my school almost like a family and was easy to do you have have to reach out to them. extremely walkable cities, or at least the small ones, but easier by bike so there's a sense of exploration that can be either fed or developed. And if you like beaches they say that you are never 50 miles away from a beach. There is also the perk of getting to go 3 hours and get to a different country.

I loved making new friends, eating, and jumping into the freezing English Channel! I also went to the zoo and saw a lot of cute animals like puppies and meerkats. i got to learn about the history of rennes and eat traditional breton food. i went to mont san michel up a really high vertical town. which was very steep and had a lot of pirates stores, sexy pirate stores with sexy pirate stuff like sexy pirate clothes and candy. they also had sinky squishy quicksand that i loved drowning in. i loved going on holiday, and seeing the sunset on the seaside town of st malo and i wanna live in this sexy pirate town when i grow up.

This last few weeks I was lucky enough to go to CIEE's South Korea and Taiwan Peace and Diplomacy program. Over the course of this program I feel like my confidence in my own independence has grown dramatically. I enjoyed making new friends, experiencing new foods and cultures, and learning all the way. The most interesting part of this program was talking to local residents of both countries, especially residents of South Korea. The knowledge I learned from them was fascinating and I could not wait to bring that information home to share with my parents and friends. I have always been interested in foreign countries and foreign cultures, and this trip was a perfect way to go out of my comfort zone and visit these places in a fun and safe way. All of the CIEE staff were very nice and very accommodating, and I can not wait to go back!