Help Bring France to Fredericksburg
The Fredericksburg-Fréjus Sister City Association is hosting students from Fréjus this summer and is looking for host students and families. Learn about the program and how you can get involved.
by Catherine Warder
GUEST WRITER
Area French students and Francophiles, are you interested in connecting with French teens? Would you enjoy an opportunity to immerse yourself in French culture without having to plan your own trip? Did you know that Fredericksburg has ties to France? Read on!
Since 1980, Fredericksburg has had a partnership with Fréjus, in southern France, as part of the Sister City program, created after World War II by President Eisenhower. Its purpose was to build international ties and foster friendship and an understanding of different cultures through “citizen diplomacy.” To that end, the mission of the Fredericksburg Sister City Association Inc. is to cultivate a special friendship and cultural exchange between the citizens of Fréjus, and those of the Fredericksburg area.
Fredericksburg’s relationship with Fréjus has continued for 42 years and counting. In September of 2022, the FSCA hosted representatives from Fréjus for the 40th anniversary of the pairing, a celebration that had been delayed for two years due to the pandemic. Honoring anniversaries is one of numerous traditions shared by Fredericksburg and Fréjus. Here, we host an annual Bastille Day party, and every 10 years, we commemorate the anniversary of our founding with a Giant Omelet celebration. In Fréjus, they celebrate our 4th of July and Thanksgiving each year.
The hallmark tradition of the Fredericksburg-Fréjus Sister City Association, however, has been the Student Exchange Program. The exchange began in 1980 and has continued every year since, except for the 2-year disruption caused by COVID. In July of 2022, an even year, the exchange resumed, and we received a group of French teenagers, who stayed with American host families for approximately two weeks. In odd years, American students go to Fréjus.
This coming summer (July, 2024), we will again welcome a group of French students to stay in the Fredericksburg area, so we are seeking students and their families who are interested in hosting. Those students who are selected to host will have the first option to be part of the 2025 exchange to Fréjus.
The ideal host student is between 14 and 17 years, and preferably has studied French for two years or more. Host families provide a “typical” American home atmosphere for their French exchange student. During weekdays, the American and French students will participate in numerous cultural and historical activities such as bus trips to D.C., Williamsburg, or Monticello, and trips to Kings Dominion and baseball games. On weekends, host families may organize further activities or excursions, as desired. Again, the objective of the exchange is to promote international understanding and to encourage friendships between our students and their French counterparts.
If you are interested in learning more about the exchange, or the Sister City program in general, visit www.fredericksburgfrejus.com, or contact us at fsca1980@gmail.com or on our Facebook page, Fredericksburg Sister City Association. Applications will be sent to area French teachers in November, and will also be available on the website.
Catherine Warder is a French teacher at King George High School and currently serves on the FSCA Board of Directors. Her first experience with the exchange was to host a chaperone in 2018. Since then, both of her children have participated and she chaperoned trips to Fréjus in 2019 and 2023.
Local Obituaries
To view local obituaries or to send a note to family and loved ones, please visit our website at the link that follows.
Weather and Traffic
Support Award-winning, Locally Focused Journalism
In less than a year, FXBG Advance has become the news leader in Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, and Stafford through its innovative mix of:
Twice-daily newsletter - At 6 AM and 5 PM every Monday through Friday, the Advance brings the most important news directly to your inbox.
Education Reporting - Adele Uphaus has won multiple awards for her coverage of education issues locally and across the state. Now, she brings her experience, insights, and expertise to the Advance, providing our citizens some of the finest education writing and reporting in the commonwealth.
Political Reporting - From council meetings to campaigns, and fundraising to finance, the Advance is returning the Fourth Estate to its rightful place as a government watch dog.
Breaking News - From court cases to high-profile government moves, the Advance is the first to inform residents.
Investigative Journalism - Last year, the Advance broke major stories around improperly filed election documents, misleading sample ballots, disenfranchising Spotsylvania Count School parents, and book bans.
Election Coverage - The Advance offered the most complete coverage of the 2023 election, with in-depth candidate profiles, daily tracking of events, leading debates, and pre-dawn to post-midnight Election Day coverage. And 2024 brings even greater coverage.
Spotlights - From local businesses to nonprofit organizations and regional leaders, the Advance brings the people who make things happen to your attention.
Multi-partisan Commentary - Martin Davis is a 20-plus-year journalist recognized for superior commentary and political writing; Shaun Kenney has his hands on the pulse of political leaders across the Commonwealth. Together, they bring an unparalleled level of analysis and insight into the issues that drive debate in our region.
Political Cartoons - Clay Jones is a nationally recognized talent who draws weekly for CNN. He has returned to Fredericksburg to level his critical eye and razor-sharp drawing at the topics which make us both laugh, and look closer at ourselves.
New Dominion Podcast - Each week, Martin Davis and Shaun Kenney interview guests from across the region and the state. Growing to over 1,000 listeners in just six months, NDP has become a leading force in political, cultural, and social discussion.
We thank each and every one of you who have made the Advance a part of your day, and we’re excited to say that more-exciting announcements are just around the corner as we continue to innovate and expand our coverage of the region.
The donations of individual readers have made this year possible. Please join the hundreds who are supporting excellence in journalism by subscribing for just $8 a month.
Where does your money go?
It goes to support the great journalists we have - like Adele Uphaus - and the ones we look to hire in the year ahead.
If you can spare $8 a month, we’ll be both grateful, and reward your trust in us with more journalism, more stories, and more connections to organizations and people who make our region a great place to live.
If you can’t, thank you for reading the FXBG Advance!, and consider sharing us with your friends.
In 2024, let’s build an even better Advance - together!
Thank you for reading and supporting FXBG Advance.
-Martin Davis, Editor-in-Chief