The Alisal High School French Club would like to thank the Alliance Française of the Monterey Peninsula for their generous financial support for our June 2010 trip to France. As the French teacher and club advisor, I have taken great care to plan a trip that will be of maximum educational benefit for these underprivileged youths.

The students at Alisal High are from very low socio-economic backgrounds. They come from hard working families who have made great personal sacrifices for the betterment of their children’s futures. To be selected for this trip the students must have excellent grades and behavior. They are a credit to their families and bring honor to their community. I am in awe every day of what they are able to achieve despite the many obstacles they have had to surmount in their young lives.

To better prepare our youth for the future, and the reality of a global economy, we must do all we can to assure that their horizons are not limited. The students selected for this trip are already ahead of the game because they are bilingual in Spanish and English and have a strong foundation in French. This language ability coupled with travel opens up the world; it gives faces to statistics, and breaks stereotypes. It will give them perspective on their lives, communities and country. It will lead them to reflect, question and appreciate. Travel is an excellent contributor to personal growth and maturity.  This newfound confidence and self-assurance will help bridge the transition from their sheltered community to college; a step which has been difficult for so many of our students.

Since last March the students, their parents and I have been working hard to fundraise and we will continue to do so until the day of our departure.  Unfortunately, we are finding Car Washes and Bake Sales are not filling in the large gap between what the families can afford and what the trip actually costs ($3,600. per student). As educators we do all we can, but it is in partnership with the community that we will truly achieve our goal of guiding our students towards successful futures where they will become contributing members of society. Without help such as yours a life changing trip like this would remain merely a dream for our students.

I invite you to review the itinerary for our trip as well as the outline of our goals and objectives by clicking on the icons below.

Itinerary     Objectives

Please feel free to contact me with any questions or suggestions: Work phone 796-7600    Home phone: 659-162 work email: molvera@salinas.k12.ca.us

Again thank you for your invaluable support,

Melissa Manke de Olvera, MA

French teacher, Alisal High School