Program Success

Annual and Short-term programs

The following programs have been paramount in creating a multilingual and multicultural environment at the Abbey, focused on personal enrichment and intellectual growth. These programs are a few examples of the successful and expanding organizations The Eur-Am Center continues to welcome and cultivate.

University of Southern Mississippi ( USM)

USM, along with a consortium of American universities, hosts an integrative study abroad program for university students. Each semester-long session offers students the opportunity to study language, literature, European history, and other humanitarian courses from a variety of international professors. The curriculum aids students in developing a global perspective  through regional exploration and immersion in the local culture.

Le Festival de Musique

For over 20 years, this renowned music festival has invited well-known musicians from throughout Europe to perform in the Abbey's chapel and historic Manège. This summer concert series welcomes over 3,000 spectators annually and brings national attention to the local community. The Eur-Am Center offers its resources to this long-standing tradition.

Masters de Pontlevoy International Music Academy

The Masters de Pontlevoy, under the artistic direction of Alexandre Brussilovsky, hosts 11-day workshops for accomplished classical and chamber music students. The opportunity for these young musicians to study with some of the world's greatest virtuosos is enhanced by the chance to perform publicly as solo artists during a student/professor concert series.This series is offered free of charge, allowing greater public access to the rich cultural life of Pontlevoy.

Un Sens À Ma Vie

The local Catholic diocese organizes a weekend youth retreat at the Abbey, with activities including adoration, discussion groups, evening prayer vigils, and a mass in the chapel. Over 400 participants from throughout France attend the event, which fosters spiritual growth and personal enrichment for the youth. The weekend's activities culminate in a performance by a nationally-renowned theater troupe or music group.

Jacksonville University Dance Program

Jacksonville University welcomes upper-level dance students to the Abbey for an intensive learning session. The three-week program includes a lecture series with renowned European dance professionals, focused practice sessions, group and individual work, and resulting public performances. The program continues to expand annually to include a larger number of European partners.

SHORT-TERM PROGRAMS

ELEE

The Eur-Am Center worked with The European Landscape Educational Exchange Partnership (ELEE) to transform the Abbey's historic gardens into an outdoor living laboratory for design, preservation, and horticulture.

Wayne State University

Wayne State University brought a group of students to the Abbey for a three-week study abroad program highlighting cross-cultural perspectives on disability.

Salve Regina University

Salve Regina University sent a group of French language students to the Abbey to participate in a two-week foreign study excursion, offering intensive linguistic training as well as cultural immersion in the historic setting of the Loire Valley.

University of Wisconsin-Stout-Business Program

UW-Stout hosted a short-term program on international business at the Abbey of Pontlevoy. The course focused on corporate practices between the United States and the European Union.

University of Southern Mississippi (USM) Châteaux de la Loire

USM hosted a two-week course on the history of the local chateaux and the French Renaissance.

Loyola Marymount University (ULM)

Students and professors from ULM held a one-week intensive study course on landscape architecture. The students were required to individually create a master plan for the renovation of the Abbey's gardens.

Centre de Linguisique Appliqué (CLA)

In 2004, the CLA, a division of the University of Franche Comté sent a large group of students from Besançon, France to the Abbey for a unique excursion rich with history and culture.