Tufts Summit

June 28 – July 26, 2008

Tufts Summit invites high school students to develop a greater understanding of the global village they will call home. While improving their French language skills, students are introduced to the complex world of international politics and diplomacy through classroom instruction, exploration of French culture, and field trips to local sites of historic importance and natural beauty.

This program challenges high school students to see beyond the assumptions they share with most Americans about the purpose and practice of government, the nature of family and community, and the origins of war and peace.

Day trips to international organizations in Geneva and Lyon, as well as visits to medieval castles in the countryside enable students to gain an insider’s view of a world most know only from books and newspapers.

Living with a French host family, students experience and learn to adapt to family rhythms and customs different from their own, while gaining confidence and accuracy in their French conversational skills.

In Tufts Summit, students are encouraged to challenge their physical abilities, as well as their minds. Outdoor activities, such as hiking to alpine meadows and swimming in the crystal-clear waters of Lake Annecy, introduce students to another outstanding aspect of this alpine region — its extraordinary beauty and unique ecosystem.

Students have access to the Priory’s Woodworth library, which is stocked with 2,500 volumes, newspapers, reference texts, and videos. Computers are available for word-processing, accessing email, and web browsing to support the studies and research of students and faculty.

2008 Course Listing

Tufts Summit students enroll in two courses that introduce college-level study skills and provide a foundation for understanding the expanding field of international relations. The course in International Relations takes students on a journey through international conflicts and resolutions, past and present. In daily French classes, students develop facility with the language through class exercises and exposure to French theater, art, and song.

To ensure the best learning experience possible, Tufts Summit instructors bring enthusiasm and extensive knowledge of their individual fields into the classroom. Courses are tailored to an audience of high school students and to fit the short duration of the program.

The International Relations course is taught by a Tufts instructor and graduate of Tufts Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy; La Langue et la Culture Française is taught by native French speakers who have been working with the European Center, and teaching French in the Summit program, for several years.

International Relations in a Changing World
This course, taught in English by a Tufts instructor, is designed to examine competing answers to the fundamental questions challenging analysts of international affairs, such as: what should provide the basis of world order: power, or law? What is the role of the U.S. in supporting stability in global politics? Under what conditions is it legitimate to use military force in foreign policy? Is there a global obligation to protect human rights in sovereign states? More than a tête-à-tête about current events, this introductory college preparatory course will give students, regardless of academic background, the theoretical frameworks to think critically and speak intelligently about international issues. Visits to various international organizations in Geneva, such as the U.S. Mission to the U.N., the United Nations, and the International Red Cross and Crescent Museum, accompanied by briefings by foreign relations professionals, extend the topics of study beyond the classroom. Various simulation exercises allow students to act as decision makers on the international scene and experience the difficulties of crisis management and conflict resolution.

La Langue et la Culture Française
This interactive French language course is designed for students who have had at least two years of French instruction. The course helps students expand their vocabulary and develop new ways to express and support their opinions. Emphasizing listening comprehension and speaking, as well as daily French usage, expressions, and pronunciation, the course aids students in achieving linguistic proficiency and enhances their cultural integration with the French host family. Discussion is conducted in French in small groups.

French Homestay

Students live with carefully selected host families, often with another student. What students learn first-hand about French daily life and culture by sharing meals, conversations and outings with their host families goes well beyond what can be learned from a textbook. The home stay is an integral and memorable part of the Tufts Summit experience and results not only in improved language skills, but also enduring friendships with French host families.

A typical weekday begins with breakfast at the student’s French home and a bus ride to the European Center in Talloires using local transportation. Morning classes in French and International Relations are followed by lunch in the Priory gardens, where students are likely to meet and chat with French students their age.

In the afternoon, students have additional French language or IR activities to complement their classes, after which they are encouraged to participate in recreational activities such as hiking, swimming, or boating. Later in the afternoon, students return to their French homes by bus in time for dinner with their families.

Excursions

Tufts Summit students have many opportunities to learn about the region through organized activities and excursions. There are day hikes each week, an annual trip to watch the Tour de France as it makes its way through the Alps, and weekly class trips to cities like Geneva and Lyon. Students also have the possibility to explore the city of Annecy on their own. Known as the "Venice of France", Annecy's old city is built on a series of narrow, flower-lined canals. In the summer, the city comes alive with festivals, concerts and special exhibits. There is much to explore and enjoy in Annecy.

Outdoor Education

Tufts Summit students have a unique opportunity to learn invaluable lessons outside the more traditional classroom setting. Mandatory weekly hikes into the mountains allow Summit students to take advantage of our beautiful natural surroundings and experience first hand the exhilaration of climbing a mountain while learning about local wildlife and the culture of mountain living. At the same time, participants are exposed to the possibilities of learning about their own potential, reaching heights never before attained!

Registration, Housing and Scholarship Forms

The deadline for application to the Tufts Summit 2008 program is March 14, 2008.
The 2008 program fee is $4,990. The program fee includes tuition and fees for two courses, room and full board with a French family, group airport transfer, and bus transportation between the French home and the European Center on class days. It also includes group excursions and all field trips.

Not included: textbooks, passport fees, items of a personal nature, or airfare. Tufts does, however, arrange for a group flight between Boston and Geneva, Switzerland, the airport nearest to Talloires.