French Immersion Program

Hi everyone! My name is Joy Rogers and I am a Junior Early Intervention and French double major at The University of Dayton. As a double majoring student in Early Intervention and French, my future plans entail working with young children, around the ages of 0-3 years, with special needs in a ecole maternelle en France. (a preschool in France!). It has been my absolute dream for as long as I can remember to visit France and this summer might be my absolute chance. At The University of Dayton, there is a 27-day (July 1-28) immersion program in Angers, France (about an hour outside of the city of Paris). Through this program, I would take French language classes during the day at a French institution and at night, stay with a host family to fully immerse myself in the culture. Also during my time in France, I would visit and volunteer at preschools with special needs programs, specifically to understand the difference in the French education system and the American education system. My dream job is to be an Early Intervention teacher at the International School of Paris. However, there is seemingly a disconnect in understanding children with disabilities as children first. These young students are children first; they have likes, dislikes, favorite activities, favorite foods, even favorite memories just like their non-disabled peers. These children deserve nothing but love, support, attention, patience and a world of opportunities. They deserve a socially-just teacher who will advocate for all of their needs. France needs me, Joy Marie Rogers. One of the major places these students would receive all of these things is at school; however, this cannot happen if the schools or teachers are focused on the child's lack of ability or hindrances. This is my teaching philosophy: to ensure that all of these things are granted to my future little learners. While in France, I plan to share this philosophy with teachers, specialists and organizations and hopefully shed a light on a new view of this outcasted group.  Not only do I want to go to France to immerse myself in a new culture and present new ideas about a group I care for so much, I also want to go to France to ensure I receive my dual-degree. Let me explain: at my university, you are not allowed to take over 18 credit hours of classes without paying thousands of dollars. Coming from a single parent and a single teaching salary household, this is financially and affordably a problem. Due to the rigor of my education classes and the requirements of their placement during fall and spring semesters, as well as financial aid during the school year, I would need to take my French classes over the summer to avoid paying about $10,000 extra for classes. I truly believe, also, I will gain so much more from a genuine French experience, in a bilingual classroom, than in my American classroom here in Dayton, Ohio. The program tuition is about $9,300 and I am applying for scholarship after scholarship, I promise. However, that does not account for the other $6,000 worth of expenses such as housing, a passport, a plane ticket, food, etc. Also, if unfortunately I do not receive any scholarship money, this amount of 6,000 dollars will go towards tuition. I honestly do not believe God would have put this opportunity in front of me if He did not want me to take a chance with it! With your help, whether it is a penny or 5 dollars, I can begin my dream of changing the early special needs world in a country I love so much.  Any amount helps and so does prayer, positivity, love and good vibes! Thank you in advance and please please PLEASE share with as many people as possible!!! :)