2024 Colorado Academy Middle School Quebec Program

Accommodations

Hotel Champlain

Located within the walls of Old Quebec, this exceptional boutique hotel provides features an unrivaled location only steps from the area’s best restaurants, shopping centers and historical sites. This accommodation offers comfortable rooms equipped with a private bathroom and AC. Bathrooms are fully equipped and there is Wi-Fi available throughout the property.  Hotel Champlain offers a delicious breakfast and free cappuccinos and espresso, available 24-hours a day. 

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Hotel 2170 Ave Lincoln

Located in downtown Montreal, Hotel 2170 Ave Lincoln is strategically located next to some of the city’s most important attractions such as the Museum of Fine Arts, Mount Royal Park and McGill University. There is high speed Wifi available throughout the entire property, air conditioning, kitchenettes in each room and meeting spaces.

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Group Flight

Once your flight has been confirmed, the itinerary will appear here.

Walking Tree will secure a seat on the group flight for each participant unless otherwise instructed.

Travelers are responsible for checked baggage fees. Please visit the airline’s baggage webpage to learn if you should expect to pay anything.

We will provide a group manifest – complete with reservation codes and ticket numbers – to the Group Organizer/s before departure, and travelers will need to check in at the airport in order to receive their boarding pass and have documents verified. We recommend arriving no later than three hours prior to the scheduled departure, but contact your Group Organizer for specific details on exactly where and when to meet on the day of departure.

FLIGHT INTERRUPTION, DELAY OR CANCELLATION 
Air travel can be unpredictable.  Regardless of proper planning, there may still be instances when a flight is delayed or cancelled due to staffing shortages, weather, mechanical problems, etc.  Please note that in such an event, Walking Tree Travel (WTT) is not financially responsible for unanticipated costs incurred by travelers en route.  Our programs officially begin and end in the destination country, and because our staff doesn’t fly with the group, Group Organizers (the traveling faculty member/s) become the front-line advocate for the group in the event of a delay. In most cases of cancellations or delays, the airline will be the one who re-books travel or possibly arranges a hotel and food the night.  Our primary role will be to  keep families updated and provide support to the Group Organizer to reach a  quick and effective resolution.

Host Community and Project Details

Quebec City is the ideal location to truly immerse yourself in French Canadian culture. We have partnered with a local language school to provide the perfect host family experience to maximize your language learning while in Quebec City. Students will live with families which are located close to the language school near downtown. You will find that homes in Quebec City are very similar to homes in the United States. Some homes may be hundreds of years old and date back to the colonial past of Quebec, while others may be homes built within the past few decades. Quebec City is full of history and provides the perfect setting to transport yourself back in time to the early colonial days.

Packing List

Below is a sample packing list that is provided as a guideline. If something is required it will be specified, otherwise feel free to adjust as necessary. We recommend you bring one larger piece of luggage like a backpack, duffle or suitcase alongside a smaller backpack that you can use on the flights and hikes, weekend excursions and shorter activities.

“Less is more” is a packing tip we encourage for all travelers. We suggest bringing only as much as you are able to carry on your own.

Finally, a few days before departure, it’s a good idea to consult a weather forecast for your destination. If you have questions about what to bring or how to bring it, just ask!  

CLOTHES

• Underwear
• Socks
• T-shirts,
• Long sleeve shirts
• Sweatshirt/sweaters
• Pants
• Rain jacket
• Sturdy shoes (appropriate for lots of walking)
• Sports sandals ie Chacos/Tevas etc. (optional)
• Hat/s

TOILETRIES

• Your basics
• Sunscreen
• Face masks
• Band Aids and Neosporin, basic first aid kid
• Hand Sanitizer
• Medication in properly marked original container

MISCELLANEOUS

• Sense of adventure!
• Passport
• Student ID
• Sunglasses
• Journal and pen
• Book/s
• Camera
• Debit card/US Dollars (we recommend about $100-$200, depending on amount of desired souvenirs, extra items etc.)
• Durable water bottle
• Deck of cards or other portable games

Support Team

At a minimum, one experienced Program Leader will travel on every trip. In addition to this full time leadership presence, Walking Tree has additional support staff in all destinations and 24/7 support from our headquarters in Denver, Colorado. Below you’ll find a list of the team members involved in the planning, organizing, and leadership of your program.

Luke Mueller

Co-Founder of Walking Tree Travel and Business Lead - Denver, CO

[email protected]

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Emory University – B.A. Sociology and minor in Latin American History

During college, Luke spent a semester living and traveling in rural Mexico. His experience sparked a fascination with Latin America and a commitment to community service that continues to this day. Upon graduating from college, he joined WorldTeach and lived with a local family in a small village in Costa Rica while teaching elementary English. After this experience, he moved to San José, the capital and largest city of Costa Rica, and wrote for The Tico Times newspaper. Luke has since traveled to over 60 countries on five different continents.  Now settled in Denver with his family, he continues to crave massive helpings of rice and beans.

Cathy Harding

Canada Country Director

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Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario – Bachelor of Arts, French Major                                                                             

Cathy grew up in Southern Ontario and now lives in Guelph, a small city about an hour’s drive from Toronto. She caught the travel bug early on, during summer vacations that involved crisscrossing the continent with her parents, grandparents, and five siblings, all loaded into the family station wagon.

At age 11, Cathy was selected to represent Canada at the Children’s International Summer Village in Washington, D.C. While living in a Friends school dormitory, she played games and sports, sampled new foods, and learned how to make small talk in various languages with fellow participants from all over the world. This experience left a lasting impression on Cathy, and it shaped her education and career pathways.

After studying French and German at university, Cathy spent an exciting 10 years as a researcher at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. She happily stayed home to raise her two sons, who are now enjoying their careers in Toronto and Vancouver, before returning to university to become a teacher. Cathy is a Special Education teacher, and she has taught English as a Second Language to school kids, teenagers, university students, and senior citizens. As a homestay coordinator, she brought young people who come to Canada for high school or volunteering together with Guelph families and welcomed them into her life.

Always curious and eager to learn, Cathy has traveled across Canada (although the far north is still on her bucket list), and visited many of the American states, Aruba, Costa Rica, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, France, Jamaica, Portugal, and Spain. Wherever she goes, she brings a smile. For Cathy, there are no strangers – only friends she hasn’t yet met.

Alexandre Rehbinder

Program Leader

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California State University, Northridge – B.S. Management; Bard College – MBA in Sustainability

Born and raised in Los Angeles to a hard-working French-American family, Alex developed a diverse set of skills to contend with the world. During his bachelor’s degree, he mentored high school robotics teams in Southern California as a F.I.R.S.T. Robotics Ambassador. After college, Alex co-founded a secondhand fashion business and moved to Paris, France, where he began working at a law firm to support his entrepreneurial venture. Staying in touch with his roots, he took on a leadership role within a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering his fellow American expats. Living abroad and traveling have been critical to his development, and you will likely hear him say that “a fish does not know it is in water until you take it out.” He has since returned to school to complete an MBA in Sustainability in NYC and maintains a sustainable finance consultancy. He also maintains that the greatest obstacle to achieving something great is believing it can be done!

Joey Mac Intosh

Program Leader

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Concordia University – B.F.A Acting for the Theatre
Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) – Undergraduate Certificate Screenwriting

Flying between the suburbs of Montreal, the iconic Hollywood Sign of Los Angeles, and the serene beaches of Mexico, Joey was raised with a profound love for languages and the bonds they forge between people. Throughout his college days, he dedicated himself to teaching French to Chinese immigrants aspiring for citizenship, later transitioning to instructing in high school for a period. Nurturing his artistic inclinations, he yearned to articulate his affection for humanity, now embarking on a quest to traverse the globe and immerse himself in its diverse cultural and natural wonders.

Group Roster

Below is a list of the travelers enrolled on the program.

• 1 Alexis Rodriguez
• 2 Ava Sorensen
• 3 Avery Koch
• 4 Benjamin Cushman
• 5 Caroline Lauchli
• 6 Charlotte Emerson
• 7 Cooper Jack Marshall
• 8 Devon Sisneros
• 9 Hailey Hudson
• 10 Jennifer Wilczewski
• 11 Mike Kim
• 12 Nabiha Tujammul
• 13 Remy Emerson
• 14 Sebastian Sullivan
• 15 Sophia Prall
• 16 Sydney Fox
• 17 Victoria Rodriguez Stuve
• 18 Wyatt Strasburg
• 19 Zowie Abukar

Blog and Communication

During travel we will work hard to keep families updated as frequently as possible with blogs and photos, giving you peace of mind that your traveler is safe and thriving on their program.  Students regularly contribute to these posts, giving parents a great way to vicariously track the progress of the trip. You will receive an email notification when the first blog is posted, after which we recommend you check in regularly via the black “Program Blog” button at the top of this page.

Beyond this proactive approach to communication during the trip, most destinations are wired enough to allow participants semi-regular access to WiFi so you can also expect to communicate with your traveler directly. Ask your Walking Tree representative about the degree of connectivity on your program.

GLC Curriculum

Standards of Behavior

In order to run a safe and successful program, it is important that we create an environment of trust, security and respect. All individuals participating in our programs are required to take responsibility for their actions and adhere to a high standard of behavioral conduct.

ABSOLUTE DISMISSAL

1.  Possessing, consuming or distributing alcohol or illegal drugs.
2. Associating with participants while they are in possession of, or are consuming, or distributing alcohol or illegal drugs.
3. Behaving in a way that consistently damages the group dynamic or jeopardizes personal or group safety.
4. This includes consistently displaying a negative attitude, intimidating or excluding other participants, sneaking out, disobeying group leaders, and any other behavior that is not conducive to an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect.

GROUNDS FOR DISMISSAL OR IN-COUNTRY CONSEQUENCE

1. Getting a piercing or tattoo.
2. Stealing, or deliberately damaging or defacing any personal property, buildings or materials.
3. Threatening physical or emotional harm, or brandishing a weapon.
4. Possessing, consuming, or distributing tobacco or nicotine, including vape pens.
5. Riding mopeds, motorcycles, or any other type of unauthorized vehicle.
6. Being out of designated area or accommodations after curfew.
7. Breaking group rules.

These standards of behavior are essential for the successful completion of your program. Please take the time to review these as a family and make sure everyone understands and agrees to them.

Health and Safety

We strongly recommend visiting the CDC Canada website to get the most updated information on health and vaccination considerations in your destination country. In addition, we encourage you to consult with your personal family physician so you can be as informed as possible when making important decisions about vaccinations and other necessary health-related preparations before travel.

Our in-country staff prepare meticulously for all programs. Walking Tree will register our programs and travelers with the U.S. Department of State Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) in case of emergency. In country staff also verify the safety records of our partner organizations, vendors, and transportation providers, thoroughly vet homestay families via in depth interviews and home visits, and keep up on important current events in the region.

Program Leaders are seasoned travelers who are CPR and First Aid certified, undergo thorough training in crisis management, and participate in a multi-day leadership training retreat. We do our best to prepare for any eventuality and have detailed emergency protocols for our leaders, in-country staff and U.S.-based staff.

We receive medical disclosures from all participants to ensure we are able to meet every students’ needs during the program. Please inform us immediately of any additional health issues that you did not list during your initial registration process. Program Leaders will also hold an online information session before your departure, as well as an arrival orientation in-country, in order to give participants important instructions on food safety, hygiene and preventing injury and illness. Leaders and in-country staff always respond immediately to any mental, physical or emotional health issues and follow comprehensive emergency protocols.

Insurance

While we work hard to ensure the safest experience possible for our travelers on program, experience teaches that travel is never without risk. For this reason, we recommend that all travelers consider a travel insurance policy with  two additional provisions: Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) and Bed Rest. Detailed explanations of both provisions can be found on the link below.

To provide families with a quality option, Walking Tree has partnered with Travel Insured International, one of the most respected providers in the industry.  Begin by getting a quote here.

IMPORTANT NOTE: in order to secure coverage with CFAR included, you must purchase the plan within 21 days of your deposit/first payment. You must also insure 100% of your trip cost, so program tuition + flight.