The Fall 2023 French student exchange has officially concluded. This semester’s cohort included 29 students and 2 teachers from Lycée Luzarches in Luzarches, France. They arrived in Tulsa on November 5 and departed November 19, 2023.
The French student exchange group visited local landmarks such as Route 66, The Gathering Place, City Council, the Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan Centers, Woolaroc, Osage Nation Museum, and more.
The students also shadowed American students to attend high school classes at Edison, Memorial, and Rogers High Schools. A special highlight was the softball clinic, where French students learned how to play the sport. Students stayed with host families to experience daily American life.
The exchange is spearheaded by teachers Poppy Kelley (Edison High School, French) and Aurélien Chapolard (Lycée Luzarches OIB, American Studies) with support from Tulsa Global Alliance and the Alliance Française de Tulsa.
French Student Responses
My experience in Tulsa, Oklahoma was more than magical – everything is so big! The host families were very welcoming and generous. The different outings gave us a lot of knowledge. The history of the state of Oklahoma is very rich and sometimes touching. One of the outings I enjoyed the most was the visit to the Greenwood district and its museum. We learned a lot and got to see it in real life. For the out-of-school part, my family took me to an American soccer and field hockey game, and it was just like a movie! With the participation of the Tulsa Global Alliance, we were able to complete the 5k Route 66 Marathon! None of this would have been possible without our teachers and their diligent organization. This trip will remain engraved in my memory and these relationships created are not ready to stop.
Juliette Taufour
During the trip to the USA, my favorite place that we visited is by far the visit of Woolaroc and the Osage Nation museum as well as Pawushka. I found it very interesting to learn the history of the Native Americans, the way they lived and their culture. I loved the all kinds of art pieces exposed there, and I wish we’ve had more time to fully appreciate every piece. The surroundings of the museum in Woolaroc were nice and comfortable. I also loved going through the Osage archives and seeing all the pictures of the Osage people in the 1920s. I felt these were really precious information and important to share with the next generations.
Garance Vandevoorde
The Gathering Place was one of my favorite places to go in Tulsa. It was really fun to go in these wooden structures and discovering this beautiful place full of trees and squirrels. The atmosphere there was very calming as we were surrounded by nature. It was contrasting with the landscape of the city full of roads, cars, buildings and noises. It was so nice to finally have the opportunity to go in these playgrounds at our size. Indeed I felt like coming back in my childhood years without feeling too old or too tall to have fun in slides and wooden bridges. We were running everywhere with my friends all over the place without thinking about anything else but to enjoy the moment and argue about the next slide or ladder that we would go to.
Zoé Grardel
I really enjoyed my trip to the U.S.A! I mainly liked learning a lot about Tulsa and Oklahoma history: the Native tribes’ culture, the past of Tulsa. I loved the Osage Museum, it provided a lot of information about this tribe: the culture, traditions, their believes. This was a wonderful experience and I learnt so much here.
Maia Deola
The trip to the US was amazing ! We did a lot of different activities and choosing my favorite one was hard but I think the best part of the trip was to go to different coffee shops with my host family. The prettiest one was Laurannae, in downtown Broken Arrow. It was already decorated for Christmas and had Christmas songs on. Going there helped us to get to know each other better and it made us hang out together. It was a really good time. I am glad that I had the chance to be part of this experience and very thankful for my teachers who made it possible.
Pénélope Hanauer
My trip was a wonderful experience! I have learned a lot on the US’ culture and I have met amazing people! I loved the museum about Native Americans in Woolaroc. It was so interesting! And being interviewed for the TV was so stressful but fun at the same time! I also went to typical American places like Target or Walmart. It was so different from France. Everything there is bigger! Thank you to our teachers for making that trip possible. I am so glad that I had the chance to discover the United States.
Deneux Irina
French Student Exchange Photos
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