Park City Formalizes French Exchange for 2030/2034 Olympics

Park City plans to formalize its long‑running French student exchange with Courchevel as both towns gear up for the 2030 and 2034 Winter Olympics.

Park City and Courchevel have shared a sister‑city bond since 1984, linking two mountain towns that rely on skiing and winter tourism. The relationship began as a cultural tie and grew into educational programs for local youth.

The exchange began in 1989 as a winter‑summer program that sends roughly one to two dozen Park City High School students to Courchevel each February for about ten days, with French students visiting Park City in July.

About 12 to 24 students participate annually in the winter‑summer leg, staying with host families and attending brief classroom activities.

A separate academic exchange launched in 2012 allows up to five juniors or seniors to study in Courchevel for up to three months, attending French high school while living with host families.

The academic leg costs roughly the price of airfare, far below the $20,000‑$30,000 typical for comparable study abroad programs, because host families cover lodging and meals.

District leaders say formalizing the exchange will clarify expectations for participation, absences, chaperones, insurance, academic credit, and district support, moving the program out of a "gray area."

Officials anticipate expanding the partnership beyond student travel to include leadership, municipal government, culinary, snowmaking, and grooming exchanges tied to Olympic preparations.

Watch for the district’s draft memorandum of understanding later this year and any pilot expansions tied to Olympic‑related training programs.