What Happened on a Design Student’s Quest to Help a Refugee Camp
For the first few hours in the camp, I was scoping out potential design related modifications to make the refugees’ stay more… adequate? I had come expecting to experience a eureka moment: “I’m going to make this camp so much better, good Design will solve the refugee crisis!”. Boy was I wrong.
Father’s Day in France: Two Teens Who Think Their Dads Are Cool
Father’s Day in France is this weekend, so we asked two teenagers to tell us what makes their relationship with their papas special and how they plan to spend the day.
Teen Coach: How to Prevent Losing Your Teens Online
A father says that his 12-year old son has entered middle school. He wrinkles his nose and says that he is not working enough, and he isn’t talking much either. Then he laughs, “Oh well.” I laugh back. Then I add, “Whatever you do, don’t get him his own smartphone or tablet.” One look at the father’s face, and I know that it is too late.
Teen Coach: Open Letter to Families in French Schools
Many of us bash the French school system because our teens are subject to rigorous requirements, tough grading, and receive sparse encouragement from their teachers; while “at home” teachers encourage their students and reward them with easy grading.
5 Reasons Why I Need a Gap Year After High School
The end of high school is a scary and exhilarating moment. Faced with stepping in to the sitcom-worthy world of college, internships and tiny apartments is enough to warrant a moment of reflection in three simple words: Am I ready?
Teen Scene: The Difficult Choice between Fromage and Cheesecake
It’s hard to believe that just one month ago I was landing in New York with a very busy schedule and some important decisions to make. Now it’s time to go back to school in Paris. Yes, the dreaded “rentrée” has arrived. But before I return to sneakers, alarm clocks and the airless metro wagons of line 13 (or as I call it: purgatory on wheels), let me recap my summer.
Career Advice for Teens: Perspectives on “La Situation”
Coach Jane Mobille offers career advice for teens (and their parents) on how to pursue a path that is both financially stable and personally fulfilling.
Backbreaking Grape Picking in France: You Can Do It!
Is picking grapes in the idyllic French countryside by day and enjoying wine by night the ideal summer job? Find out from 18-year-old Diane Robert...
6 Essential Tips to Boost a Student’s Budget in Paris
For young adults, Paris doesn't have to cost a fortune. Check out these helpful tips to maximize a student's budget and make the most of the city.
The Smoking Gun: Parisian Teens and Cigarettes
Nearly every day for seven years now, my morning ritual has included a cloud of smoke hanging over a throng of students, many of whom have a cigarette in hand... No matter which arrondissement teens come from, the clothes they wear and the music they listen to, their main accessory is a cigarette (aka a “clope”).