An Olympics Style Adventure!

On Tuesday, June 25th, the students traveled to Sarcelles, a small town in the suburbs of Paris. We were welcomed by the students and faculty of the middle school "College Anatole France."  The CIEE students were able to partner up with the middle school students and play sports! There were many activities such as soccer, basketball, archery, boxing, and table tennis. This exchange not only allowed the students to put their French language skills to the test in real-life conversations with their peers but also gave them the chance to embrace their competitive spirit and explore new sports they had never tried before. One highlight of the day was that they were able to play soccer against the middle school's amazing female soccer team! 

"It was inspiring because the children even though they speak a different language than us, they still like some of the same things and play some of the sports we do! It taught us that there are more ways to communicate than just through words. It was fun too"- shared Giselle, one of our students 

The students also had the extraordinary opportunity to meet the mayor of Sarcelles! In a lively and engaging session, the mayor answered all their questions with great enthusiasm, sharing his ambitious plans to enhance the lives of Sarcelles residents. Adding to the thrill of the day, the mayor joined some of the students for a spirited and intense game of table tennis, showcasing his competitive spirit and making the experience unforgettable.

After speaking to my students, it was evident that this was so much more than the act of playing sports, it highlighted how such activities forge deep bonds and unify people, bridging language barriers. It epitomized the journey of embracing and understanding different cultures.

"It was an extraordinary opportunity to bond with kids our age who had similar interests to us. Despite being divided by language, we were able to share a passion for sports, fun, and friendship. It’s unique because these were kids just like me, laughing at the same things, cheering together, playing together, but we just had trouble communicating through words. It was cool to see how they lived differently from us too and how their school system and such differs from ours. They were all very sweet and I had an amazing time there. Wouldn’t trade it for the world"- shared Parker, one of our students

"This was truly an amazing show about how humanity can be connected even oceans apart. Although we could never truly speak to them fluently the beauty of game and sport showed more than what we could say in words. As people, we are of an almost different species with a different upbringing, morals, humor, and lifestyle but the pure act of playing soccer united us more than if we all sat down to talk. Even if we sucked at the game we still smiled and laughed. At first, the girls were skeptical of us Americans and didn’t mind us much but by the end of it, we were all in a giant dance circle portraying different popular dances of our country. I wish more people could do this and really get to humanize people anywhere and know that no amount of differences could make us apart" - shared Arely, one of our students

It is safe to say that after such an action-packed and fun-filled day in Sarcelles, it's clear that our students are ready for anything—even the Olympics!