News

A day with the EFI family in Toulouse

Round tables, testimonials and good food, a stone’s throw from the Cité de l’Espace.

On 24 October, our UK ambassador Vania Rodière travelled to Toulouse for an En Famille International gathering at a salle associative, a local community hall, just around the corner from the Cité de l’Espace space museum.

The day brought together families, EFI ambassadors and volunteer members of the management office. Round-table discussions gave parents the chance to ask questions and compare notes, and presentations from the team explained how the reciprocal exchange works in practice.

For many, the highlight was hearing from the children themselves. During the presentations and round tables, adolescents who have already taken part in an exchange shared their experiences with prospective candidate families.

Attendees from across Europe shared lunch and dinner together, in a very full and friendly day of activities. Many thanks to everyone who made it to Toulouse and to the President of EFI who welcomed the families to her home city.

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Exploring New Zealand exchange opportunities

A visit to the embassy opens conversations about future programmes.

En Famille International recently visited the Embassy of New Zealand in Paris to discuss possible future exchange and immersion programmes.

The meeting offered a valuable introduction to New Zealand’s education system and international programmes, as well as an opportunity to explore how families could experience life and culture on the opposite side of the world.

Several ideas are now being considered, with Auckland among the potential destinations for future exchange programmes.

Many thanks to the Embassy of New Zealand in France for their warm welcome and inspiring discussions.

Ngā mihi nui.

EFI at the Parapluie FLAM Training Day

Sharing the benefits of family exchange with French-language educators.

On 17 May, En Famille International was delighted to participate in the Parapluie FLAM Training Day at the French Institute in London, represented by Director Céline Kline and UK Representative Vania Rodière.

The event brought together directors, teachers and volunteers from French supplementary schools across the UK for a day of professional development, networking and the exchange of best practice on governance, education, inclusion, communication and community engagement.

En Famille International was pleased to host a stand throughout the day and to present its reciprocal exchange programmes, which provide children and teenagers with immersive language-learning opportunities through stays with carefully matched families abroad. The presentation highlighted how these exchanges help young people strengthen their language skills, build confidence and develop meaningful international friendships.

We would like to thank Parapluie FLAM, the French Institute and all partners involved for organising such a valuable event and for their continued commitment to supporting French-language education and francophone families across the United Kingdom.

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A French connection: Jersey and France

A childhood exchange brings two families together.

In December 1991, the Jersey Evening Post featured two girls brought together through En Famille’s reciprocal exchange program linking French and English speaking families.

Nine-year-old Sophie Blum left her home in Brittany to spend six months with the Williams family in Jersey. She settled into family and school life, made friends and grew especially close to her exchange partner Hannah Williams, who at the time of the article, was preparing for her return stay with Sophie’s family in Paris.

The report shows how an exchange can offer so much more than language practice. Sharing another family’s everyday routines gave Sophie an insight into a different culture and helped her form a friendship that felt more like sisterhood.

Their story offers an now historical snapshot of one of the many personal connections at the heart of En Famille.