Bienvenue à Saline!

The French Flags will soon be flying again at the corners of Michigan Avenue and Ann Arbor Street.

Since 2006, Saline Middle School students have been participating in the French-American Student Exchange Program.

On April 21, 20 students will arrive at Detroit Metro from Lambersart, a northern French town close to the Belgium border. They will travel by school bus (a special treat for theses students since the French do not have school bus transportation) to Saline Middle School where they will be met by their host families to be immersed into American culture for two weeks.

While they are here, the students will have the opportunity to take part in uniquely Michigan experiences, including tours of both Detroit and the University of Michigan, a trip to Greenfield Village, and a Tigers game. They will experience an evening of laser tag, an afternoon of bowling and an American Thanksgiving dinner, which Busch’s has donated both their cooking time and the turkeys.

While here they will also attend classes at the middle school to experience what their day would be like if they were an American student.

Saline High School Sophomore Katie Frego participated in this exchange two years ago.

“This program really taught me a lot about relating to other people, being a diplomat for my country, and looking past stereotypes. I have made great friends, not only with my fellow classmates, but also with the students from Paris,” Frego said.

This program is not only a life-changing experience for the students and their families; it also brings the French language to life, showing that it is so much more than just a school subject. French opens the doors to art, music, fashion, food, architecture and literature, and is the only other global language behind English spoken in 53 different countries throughout the world.

Saline also has an economic connection to several businesses headquartered in France, including Condat Corporation of Lyon and Liebherr Aerospace of Toulouse. A few years ago, Saline Middle School students actually visited Liebherr Aerospace headquarters in Toulouse as part of this same exchange program.

The French students will return home on May 5 and begin their preparations for the Saline students’ two‐week visit starting on June 12.