This Teacher Retreat in Martinique is built for educators who want depth, not a postcard version of “French culture.”

Over 10 days, participants will explore Martinique as a fully Francophone space with its own histories, aesthetics, intellectual traditions, languages, and ecological realities. The program combines guided field experiences, conversations with local scholars and cultural practitioners, hands-on workshops, and structured Teacher Labs designed to help educators translate the experience into meaningful classroom practice.

Rather than treating Martinique as a backdrop, this retreat approaches the island as a living classroom. Fort-de-France, Saint-Pierre, the northern landscape, the mangrove, traditional arts, foodways, memory sites, and coastal spaces become entry points for teaching the French Caribbean with more context and confidence.

Expect a program that balances cultural and historical depth, ecological awareness, local arts and aesthetics, guided reflection, pedagogy, and real breathing room. Beach time and free moments are intentionally built into the schedule because good professional learning also needs space to process.

Participants may earn up to 48 hours of professional learning through LinguaHQ, a Texas Education Agency Approved CPE Provider.

You will return with more than photos. You will return with language, context, and a stronger way to teach the French Caribbean.

This program is designed for French teachers, World Language educators, and educators in U.S. institutions who want to teach the Francophone world beyond mainland France.

It is a strong fit for:

• French teachers at the middle school, high school, or university level

• World Language educators looking to expand how they teach the Francophone world

• Teachers who want concrete classroom takeaways, not just inspiration

• Educators who value honest cultural work: rigorous, respectful, and unsanitized

• Curriculum leaders or department chairs looking for stronger ways to include Martinique and the French Caribbean

• Educators who want to connect language teaching with history, ecology, memory, art, identity, and lived realities

Participants are responsible for making sure they meet all travel requirements for Martinique before departure.

Passport

A valid passport is required for U.S. travelers.

Your passport should be valid for the duration of your stay. We strongly recommend having at least 6 months of validity remaining beyond your return date, as some airlines and travel providers may apply stricter rules.

Flights

International airfare is not included in the program price.

Participants are responsible for booking their own flights to and from Martinique . JD Agency Experience will provide recommended arrival and departure windows so airport transfers can be coordinated.

Scheduled airport transfers are included on the official arrival and departure days.

Travel Insurance

Travel insurance is required for all participants.

Participants may use JD Agency Experience’s recommended provider or choose their own travel insurance provider, as long as proof of coverage is submitted before departure.

Coverage should include trip cancellation, travel delays, medical emergencies, lost luggage, and other unexpected situations.

Health & Mobility

This retreat includes walking tours, outdoor visits, boat excursions, stairs, uneven ground, warm weather, and some full program days.

Participants should be comfortable walking, spending time outdoors, boarding boats, and participating in field-based activities.

Important Note

Travel requirements may change before departure. Participants are responsible for checking current entry, airline, passport, and health requirements before traveling.

• Arrive in Martinique
• Hotel check-in
• 6:30 PM Welcome dinner and activity

Guided visit in Fort-de-France with a renowned historian and author, followed by free time at the market and in the city center, then lunch. In the afternoon, visit an art exhibition at L’Atrium Martinique – National Scene, followed by a conference led by Dr. Myriam Moïse: Introduction to Martinique: History, Culture, Traditions. Late afternoon return to the hotel with your first guided Teacher Lab.

Start the day with a personal development session designed to help you reset and reconnect with what you need this year. Then move into a hands-on Creole cooking workshop with lunch included. In the afternoon, take a guided mangrove boat experience to explore Martinique through an ecological lens. Late afternoon Teacher Lab Session.

We start the morning with an immersive visit at La Roche Perma, focused on a Creole garden and permaculture in action; guided walk through the site, plant knowledge, and a look at sustainable growing systems. Lunch is included. Then we continue north to explore the ruins of Saint-Pierre and Montagne Pelée (UNESCO World Heritage), followed by the Saint-Pierre 1902 Memorial Museum. We’ll also have an on-site academic moment with a specialist, before ending the day with a final stop at Depaz Distillery.

We start the morning in Le Diamant with a guided visit to key sites (Like cap 110) that connect landscape, memory, and local history. Then you’ll have time to slow down free lunch and beach time back in the Anse d'Arlets. In the afternoon, we step into embodied culture with a traditional music and dance workshop led by cultural practitioners, followed by a guided Teacher Lab sessiom.

This day connects you with Martinique’s academic world through a a meet-and-greet event with local educators. In the afternoon, you’ll take part in an initiation to the traditional yole—a traditional boat sailing experience. Late afternoon return to the hotel.

The morning is dedicated to a conference on Martinican Black intellectual history and key frameworks with a renowned author. Negritude, Creolisation, and Créolité will give you strong language and structure for teaching complex topics without smoothing them out. The afternoon is lighter: lunch and free time, followed by a Teacher Lab session to help you turn the content into classroom-ready angles.

We begin with a visit to Habitation Clément, combining plantation history with a contemporary art perspective. Then we slow down with a seaside lunch/picnic before heading out on the water for the Fonds Blancs experience in François—sandbanks, islets, and coastal landscape, with time to enjoy the setting and discuss tourism narratives versus local realities. Late afternoon return to the hotel.

This morning is dedicated to Martinican aesthetics and cultural heritage through a guided visit focused on local craft traditions, artisan spaces, and a heritage village experience. After lunch, the afternoon is intentionally free—time to rest, swim, journal, or finish building your classroom resources. In the evening, we close with a farewell experiential dinner and final wrap-up: what you’re taking back, and how you’ll teach it.

After breakfast, we’ll check out and transfer out in the late morning. Return flights are scheduled for the afternoon.