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Founded in 1976 by Michel Wolf, a French educator with a background in overseas travel, Vistas In Education, Inc. helps American teachers provide their students with more than just a whirlwind tour of France.
VIE travel programs offer the exceptional opportunity of bringing to life the language that students have studied in the classroom; French becomes a three-dimensional tool for communicating, for understanding, and for living a different culture. This experience is an unsurpassed teaching tool, as well as an invaluable investment in the students’ futures.
The mission of VIE has always been, and remains, the promotion of cultural understanding between French and American students and their families, primarily through student travel programs and LA VIE EN FAMILLE opportunities.
The dedicated staff in both the USA and France have seen first-hand how this experience broadens horizons, opens minds, and instills a love of French language and culture that lasts a lifetime.
We work with Organizing Teachers to map out a trip that meets education goals, fits time constraints, and stays within budget. Whether a group follows a standard VIE itinerary or creates a custom travel program, they receive VIE’s personal attention and professional assistance.
We work directly with LA VIE EN FAMILLE Organizers in their work to recruit and screen French host families and then is at their disposal throughout the visit.
Most importantly, the experienced and professional VIE staff are a 24/7 source of on-site support for groups while they’re in France; we can help navigate everything from a delayed flight to a lost passport.
We believe that while much can be learned in a classroom or museum setting or from a professional tour guide, the chance to live as part of a family in another country is uniquely invaluable.
Ask the parents of any student who has participated in this kind of intimate exchange and they will tell you how beneficial they are for both language learning and personal growth. It’s no wonder so many North American host families take the opportunity to send their children to France to stay with the family of the French student they hosted, and vice versa.
The staffs’ savoir-faire makes VIE’s standard student programs unique; many adult chaperones have appreciated immersing themselves in French culture, enjoyed authentic regional cuisine, and brushing up on their French language skills. This same talent is available to create custom adult trips as well. From university tours of the gardens of France to a family trip to WWII sites, from an artists’ tour of museums and ateliers throughout France and Italy to a teacher-led bicycle tour of the Bordeaux wine region, VIE can do it all and do it with style.
The quality of our travel programs has given VIE a reputation for excellence among French educators. Join the ranks of those who travel with VIE year after year by contacting us to start planning your next trip!