Volunteering in Grenoble may seem like a challenge at first, but after finding American Corner through CEA, it became a lot easier and helped fill up empty hours in my schedule.
American Corner is a program hosted by Maison de l’Internationale de Grenoble in coordination with the three major study abroad programs in Grenoble, including CEA. The program focuses on fostering French interest in American business and education and aiding French citizens in finding information on what steps they need to take to achieve their goals. For example, in my group we are working on creating a visa guide for people who want to work in the US or study in the US. This guide is meant to act as a stepping-stone for people looking into the American visa process and is not meant to be a replacement for the guidelines set down by the American Consulate. At the same time, we meet with people who have questions about getting started on their visa applications or the qualifications they need to gain an American visa.
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| Kuro is working hard on our visa guide to help French citizens get to the US |
Other groups in the program focus on other aspects of American culture. For example, one group is charged with setting up evening events that showcase American subjects with a French context. This month they put on a horror movie night with French films and held a discussion on the impact of horror in the film industry. Another project is coordinating a Christmas/holiday party with another program at the Maison de l’Internationale geared toward the spouses of master engineering students at the University of Grenoble.
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| Our workstation at the Maison de l'International de Grenoble. |
Another great volunteer opportunity happening in Grenoble this fall took place at the Musée de Grenoble in connection with its Georgia O’Keefe exhibit on display this fall through the spring. The Musée de Grenoble opened its doors for students to help create a welcoming atmosphere at the November 7th opening and offered the students a firsthand look at the exhibit. The importance of this opportunity was not lost on the students and many saw it as an opportunity to further their partnership with the museum and stage an artistic interpretation of some of O’Keefe’s works in the exhibit. This art performance begins a partnership between the Musée de Grenoble and the students of CEA amongst other study abroad programs in Grenoble. Its main goal is to engage with French students in American culture emphasized by O’Keefe’s outstanding works of art. The students each choose a piece of work to express in their own way, some through dance, others through poetry and others through music.
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| Myself, Alie and Rebecca hanging out after the successful opening of Georgia O'keefe's second European exhibit in history! We even got priority access badges! |
So if you have a passion for service, look no further than Grenoble, there’s plenty to do!
Lisa Brice is the Fall 2015 CEA MOJO Blogger in Grenoble, France. She is currently a junior at Baldwin Wallace University.