Julie, 2023 laureate – Brest

As applying to the program back in March of 2023, I had no idea I would be selected for an experience of a lifetime. I received the news not long after applying that I had been awarded a scholarship from the French Embassy in Canada and Campus France for the 3-week French+Sciences program based in Brest, France. I was thrilled, to say the least, to have been chosen for the Marine Sciences-based program- which is my main area of study. Not long after I left my small town of Prince Edward Island on June 16th, little did I know this trip would exceed all my nervous expectations of the unknown.

The trip across the Atlantic Ocean is a large one at that. I was excited and nervous, but my arrival in Brest was breathtaking. Staying at the Kergoat residence, I met up with all the other students in the program (almost everyone… jet lag is a real thing). The next day after my arrival on June 17th, we started our 3-hour French class at Ciel Bretagne. The university has terrific views of the water, and we were able to have lunch on the beach almost every day. I was placed initially into a B1 level class, but since I was progressing, the next week, I was placed into a B1/B2 class where I would progress even more in my French language. The class was discussion based to engage in oral speaking, explaining everyday concepts such as schooling, family, climate change and more. The science excursions varied from wildlife conservation, native fishing and regulations, sustainable development of offshore wind turbines and more. Visiting Universities with excellent master’s programs and seeing the research being conducted was terrific. Not always were the excursions scientific but also historical, including; the Mont-Saint Michel and the submarine museums in Lorient.

I am so grateful that this was my first solo trip to Europe because I couldn’t have imagined a better way to study in France and truly be immersed in French culture. I made many great friends and connections with other scholarship holders worldwide – it was truly an experience of a lifetime. I would recommend everyone to apply to the program because even though the program in Brest was Marine Science-based, there was something for every specialty from physics, engineering, hydrography and marine biology. Trust me; you won’t regret applying for such an amazing program! Plus, eating pain au chocolate with espresso every day isn’t so bad. 🙂

Jeanne, 2023 laureate – Montpellier

Two full weeks have passed since I have completed the French + Sciences (with a focus on sustainable development) program in Montpellier. Although life has been chaotic since my return to Canada, I have been able to reflect with great fondness on my experience in Montpellier with the French + Sciences program. It truly was amazing three weeks, and I am so thankful that my past, confused and stressed-student self, took a chance and sent in an application.

As I entered my fourth and final year of university this past year, the thought of May and June 2023 was daunting as I had no idea what post-graduation life would look like for me. I was still unsure of my academic interests while it seemed that most of my peers had internships or full-time jobs lined up as soon as they received their diplomas. On a whim, I enrolled in some introductory French classes as it was always a language that was important to me but was often placed on the back burner to pursue studies in science. I was thrilled to learn that my teacher had come straight to Nova Scotia from France on a teaching exchange, and he would go on to teach us about French culture alongside our lessons in grammar and comprehension. We learned about the TGV and French dietary culture (I still don’t understand why dinner is so late in the evening), and it certainly sparked my interest in visiting as I planned a possible gap year. As I pushed through the last two semesters of my senior year learning French, finishing projects, and applying for masters’ programs, I set aside some time to apply for the French + Sciences program with little to no expectation of being selected.

Fast forward a few months and I was hopping on the TGV on my way to Montpellier for the French + Sciences (focus on sustainable development) program. Despite having a few language hiccups on the journey into the city, I knew I was exactly where I was supposed to be the moment I sat down in my first French lesson at Accent Français. I felt an overwhelming sense of joy for learning again, a feeling that had faded after 17 consecutive years of schooling in North America. I woke up every day with great excitement to head to class and being granted this scholarship empowered me to learn in ways that I perhaps hadn’t before. I was able to speak and ask questions without hesitation as mistakes were always learning opportunities, and my teachers and classmates always had my back. It was also so lovely to walk into Accent Français and to be greeted by first name by staff, and to be able to form genuine connections with teachers and other students. I also cannot speak highly enough about learning a language while being immersed in the culture. I was able to apply my learnings outside of the classroom every day and I feel that my teachers prepared me well for both conversational and written French. I feel so lucky to have been able to learn from the teachers at Accent Français, and to also be granted the opportunity to learn more about sustainable development in a city that has and continues to make made great strides toward sustainability.

I feel I must admit that my knowledge of sustainability and sustainable development was quite low prior to heading to Montpellier and I worried that it might hinder my ability to contribute in the “Sciences” portion of the program. I was delighted to discover that this most definitely was not the case – I feel my lack of knowledge encouraged me to ask great questions and to be able to apply my learnings from my Bachelor of Science in Nutrition in a new way. The program provided many opportunities to see sustainable development in action, while learning from experts in the field. Every institution we visited, and each facilitator or expert we spoke to, and each session at Université de Montpellier offered a wide variety of knowledge and insight into the status quo of both France and the world regarding the climate transition, and encouraged us to question our own beliefs and practices. I also feel lucky to have learned so much from the various expertise of my fellow participants amidst discussion throughout the program.

I will forever be so grateful to have been chosen to represent Canada in the French + Sciences program and am keen to return to France for postgraduate studies. I have already been an ambassador for the program amongst my peers from all over the world and am proud to admit that this program has inspired to enroll in French courses back in Canada (my first class is this Monday 😊).

Sophie, laureate 2023 – Besançon

I definitely enjoyed my stay at Besançon, and even though I attended the longest program, I wished it was longer! Before the program, I had previously been to Paris, but I’d never heard of Besançon as it’s a small town. I didn’t know what to expect in terms of culture and only had a basic knowledge of French. Despite the small size of the town, there was certainly a lot to do at the Centre Ville. I really appreciated how there were so many local shops and restaurants, as it made everything so unique. All the dishes I ate in Besançon were all amazing, I don’t think I could recall any time I wasn’t satisfied with the food they had there, although there was definitely a lot of cheese and bread. I loved the history of the town as well, especially with its clock making history, there was just a lot to learn about. The main thing that I struggled with during my stay was the transportation and the hot weather. Travelling from the residence to classes and centre ville wasn’t the most convenient, and I probably averaged 15-20K steps daily. The weather didn’t make the trips any easier either. Coming from Canada, I’m used to cold weather, but there usually wasn’t any air conditioning in buildings in Besançon, so everyday was incredibly hot.

In terms of the program itself, it was tiring but enjoyable. I was not expecting to be taking two 3 hour classes everyday, which wore out my brain very quickly. It was easier to immerse myself in the French classes since I was in a French-speaking country and had to use it outside of classes anyways, but the science portion was overloaded with information. I think I would’ve wished for interactive or hands-on portions in the classes, but I still learned lots regardless. I found that the excursions each weekend were well planned out, providing us with the freedom to explore nearby cities and also eating at delicious restaurants together as a group.
Overall, staying at Besançon was quite the trip! I enjoyed learning about the culture and it encouraged me to continue learning French and go back to France sometime again!