SEGL in Paris

Dates: July 19-August 2, 2026

This summer, SEGL is returning to Paris, France!

Paris is one of the world's greatest classrooms—not just because of its glitz and light, but because it challenges us with life's greatest questions.

What makes a life meaningful? How should we fight for our ideals? How should we respond when the world we inherit falls short of our ideals? How can we live together with those who are different? And what responsibilities come with the freedom to choose our own path?

For centuries, some of history's most influential thinkers, artists, and leaders have wrestled with these questions in Paris. Rousseau and Sartre, Monet and Picasso, Robespierre and de Gaulle all left their mark on the city while searching for truth, purpose, and a vision of a better society. This course invites you to join that conversation.

Through an interdisciplinary exploration of Paris, students will examine the ideas that have shaped modern life: revolution and democracy, art and beauty, identity and belonging, freedom and responsibility, meaning and purpose. Class discussions, readings, reflective writing, and site visits will transform the city itself into a text to be studied and experienced.

Along the way, you will not simply learn about Paris—you will learn from it. You will develop the habits of an independent traveler, gain the confidence to navigate one of the world's great cities, and craft a final mini-Credo that articulates your own emerging convictions about how to live and lead.

Paris will not provide easy answers. But if you engage it seriously, it may help you discover better questions—and a piece of the truth you need to craft a life of meaning.

About the Trip

In this course, Paris is your classroom. Rather than viewing the city through the window of a tour bus, you will learn to navigate it yourself—walking its streets, mastering its Metro system, and experiencing the rhythms of daily life in one of the world's most influential cities.

From the heights of the Eiffel Tower to the labyrinthine catacombs beneath the city, you will encounter Paris from dramatically different perspectives. You will stand before the Mona Lisa at the Louvre, wrestle with The Thinker at the Rodin Museum, and explore the revolutionary brushstrokes of the Impressionists at the Musée d'Orsay. You will compare the enduring grandeur of Notre-Dame with the striking modernity of the Centre Pompidou. You will trace the footsteps of revolutionaries at the Place de la Bastille and walk the Champs-Élysées, reflecting on the ideas, events, and individuals that shaped France—and continue to shape the modern world.

But some of the most memorable moments will not be found in guidebooks. There will be time to linger over Nutella crêpes beside the Seine, browse neighborhood bookshops and cafés, explore the winding streets of Montmartre, and discover the hidden corners of the city that reward curiosity and independence. By the end of the program, you will not only know Paris—you will know how to return to it as a confident, self-sufficient traveler.

Each evening, our group will gather for témoignages—conversations that invite students to reflect on the day's experiences, wrestle with important questions, and learn from one another. These discussions, combined with readings, site visits, writing, and informal French language practice, will help transform a remarkable travel experience into a meaningful intellectual and personal journey.

A Typical Day

While each day is different, you should expect your experience to be filled with discussion, reflection, and discovery. Most days will begin with a brief morning session to prepare for the day’s events. The group will then embark on an exploration of some of the best sites Paris has to offer. Evening debriefing sessions allow students to share and reflect on their experiences. Students should come prepared to travel throughout Paris by foot and by Metro.

Where We Will Stay

The group will be based at MIJE, a respected, well-supervised international student center located on the world-famous Marais district just steps from the newly-renovated Notre Dame and countless other sights. A metro stop near the MIJE will provide an efficient gateway for numerous excursions.

Trip Dates

Flights will leave from Dulles Airport in Washington, DC (IAD) on Sunday, July 19 and return to the U.S. on Sunday, August 2. The trip covers domestic travel to IAD. (Please note that some return flights to the West Coast may extend to the early morning of August 3rd.)

Trip Leaders

Two experienced SEGL faculty members (each of whom is also an SEGL graduate) will co-lead this trip: SEGL Director of Advancement Caitlin Forrest (Spring `10) and SEGL Director of Admissions Tyrel London (Fall `12). Both are experienced travelers and well-trained in SEGL's safety protocols.

Before coming to SEGL, Caitlin worked as the Director of the Renew Democracy Initiative's Frontlines of Freedom (FOF) program, which focused on amplifying dissident voices and building communities resilient to authoritarian influence. She also spent several years at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) in nonprofit management and operations, as well as a Research Analyst covering the Taliban and ISIS in Afghanistan. She published ISW’s Afghanistan Threat Assessment map series, and her work has been featured in the New York Times, the Washington Post, Reuters, and others. She also has worked at NPR and the Council for Children's Rights. She is a Spring 2010 graduate of SEGL and a graduate of Wake Forest University (where her majors included Politics, International Affairs, and French). She also lived in France for several months and studied at the Université de Bourgogne in 2014.

Tyrel is Director of Admissions and Financial Aid at SEGL. Prior to SEGL, he taught English at Estrella Foothills High School in Phoenix, Arizona. He is a summa cum laude graduate of the University of Notre Dame, where he majored in American Studies and Film, Television & Theater. He also acted and participated in departmental and professional theater productions, and worked with the American Indian Catholic Schools Network (AICSN), a consortium of American Indian Catholic schools from around the country that represents different states and tribes. Tyrel is from the White Mountains of Arizona, home of the world’s largest stand of ponderosa pines. He is also an SEGL graduate (DC Fall 2012).

SEGL Head of School Noah Bopp will be joining for part of the trip, and he has led expeditions for advanced high school students to Paris from 2001-2007. SEGL in Paris retains the best from those expeditions, which earned consistent accolades from both students and parents.

Tuition & Financial Aid

Tuition is $7,750 (includes airfare) plus vaccination/medication costs (check with your healthcare provider).

A limited amount of financial aid is available; we will work with applicants in need of financial aid to help secure the necessary funds. Depending on availability, students should expect the same percentage of aid they received to attend SEGL, after a minimum family contribution.

Questions?

As we get closer to our departure, we will share additional details that will help ensure the experience is safe, healthy, and meaningful. Please contact Caitlin Forrest at caitlin.forrest@schoolforethics.org with questions.