Brest, France

Brest, France

 IUHPFL was in St Brieuc in 2023 for the first time in four years, and it was wonderful to be back in the place where it all began over 60 years ago!

The students in the group could not say enough about their wonderful host families, each hand-selected by our coordinator, Laëtitia, who, although new to the role, had a longstanding connection to the program. While each participant had a unique experience, all of them commented on their families’ warmth and kindness. There were also several planned activities for students and families to enjoy together, including picnics on the beach, an evening of Breton dancing, and a reception at the local mairie on July 4th to celebrate the longstanding partnership between the city of St Brieuc and IUHPFL.

Three students pose for a picture in St Brieuc

The 23 students in the group came from a wide variety of Indiana schools - public, private, and charter - and included artists, musicians, singers, athletes, thespians, and dancers. They shared these amazing talents not just during our afternoon activities, but also in creating a fantastic farewell show for their host families. There were solo and group musical and dance numbers, a poetry reading, and even a humorous skit satirizing each of the instructors.

Our community engagement activities were a lot of fun and offered the opportunity for the students to meet stagiaires at a community center, learn and play the regional game of palet breton with members of the local club, give a presentation about Indiana at a school, and play a friendly but competitive dodgeball-type game with local students. As with everything they did, the students engaged 100% with their local hosts, built cross-cultural connections, and made us proud!

 

The IUHPFL experience is truly like no other, and the St Brieuc students will never forget the summer they spent together there.