On Wednesday, November 15 the Patrick Henry Senior High French Club will host its third annual Wine and Cheese Event. This year the group has bigger dreams than ever. This marks the third Patrick Henry High School (PHHS) France trip since 2003. Each time the group has doubled in size.
“Last time there were 12. [Our classmates] saw that working for a big goal like this was possible, they believed it, and now we have twice as many students traveling to France this spring,” said senior and 2005 trip participant Ka Xiong.
The trip isn’t a tourist excursion; it’s an intense language and culture immersion experience, including a six-day family stay.
“In an increasingly global society, it’s students who know other languages and can understand people from other cultures who will help us build a more peaceful future,” said Minneapolis World Language Curriculum Specialist Gaelle Berg.
For the family-stay portion of the trip, students chose to travel to the Loire Valley, a region of France known for its royal castles and beautiful gardens. Tours, the capital of the region, has a sister-city relationship with Minneapolis that the group is excited to explore. “C’est notre ville jumelle!” said junior Danny Vu, sharing his enthusiasm and his French.
The total cost of the two-week trip is around $2,300 per student including spending money. Demographic data from Patrick Henry shows that over 75 percent of the student body qualifies for free or reduced lunch, giving PHHS the third highest poverty rate of the seven Minneapolis public high schools.
Students work for their trip. Of the $2,300 total cost, trip leader and PHHS French teacher Tina Maynor estimates that the average student works to earn around $1,500.
“I’m proud to take students who learn to work for their trip - they are so invested in learning French and creating cross-cultural understanding after hours and hours of work to get there,” said Maynor.
Between student work and family contributions, there is room for help. Two years ago the group opened an invitation to the community to help them reach their goals. The result: An annual scholarship fundraiser.
“These students are learning the best lesson in life - have dreams and work for them. I can’t think of a more important cause to support,” said former PHHS French teacher Elisabeth Cleveland.
Join the PHHS French Club Wednesday, November 15 from 7-9 p.m. at the St. Petersburg Restaurant, 3610 France Ave. N. in Robbinsdale. Tickets are $20 each, or reserve a bundle of four ($60) or eight ($120) and treat a group of friends or family. The group is offering a special for donors to sponsor a student: a reserved table for up to 10 when you donate a total of $500 or more. Call 612-668-1948 for Wine and Cheese Event tickets and info about supporting the Patrick Henry France Trip.