The Village is a study-abroad program nestled among the lush vineyards and broad rivers of the Loire Valley. You can explore Roman ruins a short bike ride away from your residence. Tour the great castles of French kings—the chateaux whose opulence make the Loire Valley among the most popular tourist destinations on the planet. Every day you’ll witness the cavalcade of history and art that is Pontlevoy’s bedrock.

You’ll also travel far from your new home as your semester develops. You’ll spend a week living and learning in Paris. Then you’ll follow a carefully planned journey, a personal “Vision Quest” that’s required of all The Village students, which will give you the opportunity to independently explore Europe.

Academics
Our courses have been developed to make you think in new and dynamic ways about yourself and your world. You are able to take up to 18 credit hours on The Village and must take at least 12 hours. All of our courses are 3 credits and have no prerequisites.

Our courses are upper-division in most cases, though some of them can be petitioned to count as General Education courses in many degree plans. You should consult with your advisor about this option.

Two or three of our courses are designated as JOURNEYcourses each fall. These are taught partly in Pontlevoy and partly “on the road” in Europe elsewhere. You are required to take one JOURNEYcourse, but since they meet concurrently, you may only take one.

Our curriculum offers courses in: History, French, Psychology, Art History, English, History of Science and Technology, Mass Communications and Interdisciplinary Science/Biology.

Can you study at The Village if you don’t speak French? Absolutely. All courses are taught in English. French is also taught at all levels, and you’ll be amazed how quickly you’ll learn the language when you immerse yourself in the culture.

Location
No country is more popular with global travelers than France, and no part of France gets more visitors each year than the Loire Valley, home of The Village and the village of Pontlevoy.

Each year we ask students what they love best about this farming community. They talk about the picturesque cobblestone streets and ancient church steeples. The warmth of the people. The relaxed rhythms of life. Most say their desire to learn French burned brighter than they ever anticipated. It just feels right to say “Un café s’il vous plait” when you’re ordering breakfast at Café le Commerce.

The Village will awaken the global citizen inside you, starting with just one village.

ParisWEEK and VisionQUEST
As you travel with your classes and on your own, your definition of The Village will grow to accommodate new places and new people. Your horizons will expand dramatically in your fourth week of term, as the entire program moves for a week of living and learning in central Paris.

During our legendary ParisWEEK, you will enjoy intensive walking lectures through the streets and museums of the city, while you take the learning begun in Pontlevoy and ratchet it up to the dimensions of Paris.

From Paris, you and your friends will embark on 5 days of what The Village calls “VisionQUEST.” VQ is about you working with our staff and faculty to identify the places you most want to visit in Europe and then carefully planning how to get there.

Journey Courses and VisionQUEST2:
After VQ, you’ll return to The Village for almost two more weeks, as you store up your energies to embark with your professor and fellow classmates on JOURNEY, which will take you to Dublin, London or Munich depending on which course you select.

On JOURNEY, you’ll be living in centrally located hostels. The Village’s housing usually features:
Shared rooms, with beds to accommodate groups of 3-10 persons
Convenient access to public transportation
Bathrooms in the hall
WiFi in the hostel lobby and often in the student rooms
Security desk and English speaking staff
On-site bar, café and restaurant
Free breakfast (other meals not included)

Following your week of JOURNEY, your own travel will kick in again as you and the rest of The Village fan out across Europe on VisionQUEST2.

The Village calendar builds in three additional long weekends to see to it that you get hooked for life on exploring new places!