VGCC plans France trip in 2010

On the heels of a successful trip to Italy sponsored by Vance-Granville Community College’s Endowment Fund in 2009 — the college’s first “study abroad for the community” — plans have now been made for a similar educational trip to France in 2010.

The tour, scheduled for October 7 – 15, 2010, is open to adults in the college’s service area (Vance, Granville, Franklin and Warren counties).

The proposed itinerary for the “Jewels of France” tour starts in Paris, where participants will visit the Notre Dame Cathedral and receive a guided orientation of the city’s main highlights, including the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe. Other stops include the village of Giverny (the home of painter Claude Monet), the city of Rouen, and the seaside resort of Deauville. Of particular interest to history buffs will be a visit to the beaches of Normandy, where Allied troops landed on D-Day in 1944. Visitors can also learn about William the Conqueror’s feats as embroidered in the Bayeux Tapestry. The island of Mont St. Michel, the resort of St. Malo, the statue of Joan of Arc in Orleans, and the famous gothic cathedral at Chartres are also among the sites on the schedule. Two dinners and six breakfasts will be included in the tour package.

“We’re excited about experiencing the beauty, the history and the excitement of France, which I think will be just as educational and enjoyable as our trip to Italy was,” said Jo Anna Jones, VGCC’s Vice President of Institutional Advancement and Endowment Director.

The VGCC Endowment Fund and Scholarship Program has supported students by awarding more than 5,000 scholarships since 1982. VGCC’s fund awards more endowed scholarships than any program of its kind in the state. Tax-deductible donations to the VGCC Endowment Fund have often been used to honor or remember a person, group, business or industry with a lasting gift to education.

For more information, call Jo Anna Jones at (252) 738-3430.