Fresh from their secondary school in the serene fields of Northern France, students from Collège de Saint Martin awaited their host families in front of Garland Theater on Monday, Feb. 26, 2024.
Poly’s partnership with Saint Martin is the longest Global Initiatives Program (GIP) exchange offered at Poly. It all started in 2011, when Co-Director of GIP and French teacher Ann Diederich reached out to Saint Martin, initiating an exchange between Saint Martin and Poly students that allows students to explore the cities and differing cultures. When Poly students go on the France GIP trip, they begin in the rural north and visit Saint Martin before traveling to Paris for a glimpse of urban French culture. On the other hand, when the Saint Martin students are in California, they tour Poly and visit iconic Los Angeles sites, such as Griffith Park and Santa Monica, for seven days before traveling to Joshua Tree.
The last time that Saint Martin students had visited Poly was in 2020, when COVID-19 hit, marking the first time Poly and Saint Martin have met since the pandemic.
Diederich shared, “The goals are to continue a relationship we’ve built with this school over time, and it’s reciprocal: we go there, they come here. The other goal is to make French real and authentic and not stereotypical… to see the commonalities that we have, and to get us out of the Poly bubble.”
AP and French II classes learned about French culture through casual, colloquial interviews with Saint Martin students, filling the French classrooms with warm laughter and welcoming conversations.
Upper School French teacher Sebastien Merle commended his French students, stating, “They made me very proud. That’s really the reason why I love this program…to have that one day where we have visitors and we talk to them…I think this is a really great connection to nurture and support.”
Saint Martin freshman Zélie Gillon had long wished to visit California. “This visit fulfilled my grand dream,” shared Gillon. “Everything about France differs drastically from America, and it’s just so exciting.”
Despite the initial language barrier, Poly and Saint Martin students were able to learn from one another, improve their communication skills and create lasting relationships.
“I actually stayed with Charlotte Dubois, my Saint Martin student, when I was on the France GIP last spring,” shared junior and host student Catie Sabbag. “I loved experiencing her culture then and sharing my culture with her now. I think she and I will stay in touch for more years to come.”
