ACA @ Canada
Montreal
Join ACA for the Summer-of-a-Lifetime!
Bienvenue a Montreal!
- 2 Enrichment Electives Daily
- Exciting Afternoon & Evening Activities
- Reside at the amazing DoubleTree by Hilton, a 4 star hotel in the center of Montreal complete with A/C, private baths, and swimming pool
- 8:1 Student-to-Staff Ratio
- Weekend Adventures to Toronto, Quebec, Six Flags and Mont-Tremblant
- Optional 7 day Bermuda Cruise Extension
- Local Private Transportation for ACA Students & Staff Only
- Chaperoned Group Flight from the NY area
2025 Dates & Tuition
Transportation is not included in tuition.
Weekday Schedule
-
8:30 am - 9:15 am
Breakfast -
9:30 am - 11:00 am
Elective 1 -
11:30 am - 1:00 pm
Elective 2 -
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Lunch -
2:00 pm - 3:30 pm
Break in hotel -
3:30 pm - 6:00 pm
Afternoon Activities
(Choice of Several Options) -
6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Shower, Change, Relax -
7:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Dinner -
9:00 pm - 11:00 pm
Evening Activities
(Choice of Several Options) -
11:00 pm - 12:00 am
Social Time in Hotel -
12:00 am
Goodnight (Individual Rooms)
Classes run Monday through Friday.
Safety
At ACA, we believe safety comes first. That’s why we maintain an eight-to-one student-to-staff ratio – one of the lowest in the industry! This lets us offer unmatched attention and unique personalized programs.
As part of our commitment to student safety, ACA staff members live on every student-occupied floor and accompany students on all activities and excursions. ACA also uses chartered coach and taxi services to get around town, never public transportation. All ACA staff members are always equipped with cellphones.
The hotel adds an additional element of security, as well. The front desk is staffed 24 hours a day with trained personnel for your comfort and convenience.
Parents will be reassured to know that Montreal is a friendly city with all the modern medical and safety resources one would expect of a popular Canadian tourist destination.
Travel to Montreal*
Students traveling to Nice will fly on ACA-staffed group flights from the New York area to Montreal.
We are also happy to make arrangements for students connecting to our ACA overseas group flight. Please contact the ACA office for additional information.
Students enrolled in the Bermuda Cruise Extension will also fly on ACA group flights, accompanied by ACA staff.
Of course, parents are also welcome to bring students to the programs directly.
Please Note: For your safety and convenience, we recommend students traveling to our international programs fly on ACA group flights. Students attending the Montreal program are also able to fly directly to Montreal.
*Transportation is not included in tuition.
Our Electives
ACA’s Montreal program combines a French language class, community service or your choice of specialized enrichment courses. Run by ACA utilizing the facilities of McGill University, the language classes benefit from being held in the midst of Montreal’s French culture, adding depth to the conversation few conventional classrooms can match! Courses are offered only to ACA students and meet five days a week.
ACA courses in Montreal are held at McGill University, a prestigious university well-known as the Harvard of Canada. Located in the midst of everything that makes Montreal marvelous, it’s an ideal location for genuine cultural and language immersion! Outstanding faculty and facilities mean every ACA student receives top-caliber enrichment, and that translates to a true learning advantage!
Choose 2 Electives:
Each weekday, you’ll attend French classes geared to your skill level, learning to master conversational and written communication as you practice linguistic structures and tenses, with a focus on proper pronunciation. Students with more advanced skills can focus on more complex sentence structure and verb tenses. The emphasis is on reading, writing and comprehension.
But most of all, you have the entire city of Montreal as your classroom! And whether you’re a total beginner or practically fluent, you’ll be amazed at how much better your French becomes and just how much fun learning a language can be when you immerse yourself in the culture.
The program offers three levels of classes to choose from, with placement dependent upon previous French-language experience, as well as your own comfort level:
Elementary French
The beginning class covers basic pronunciation, sentence structure, numbers, present-tense verb conjugation and the introduction of the past tense.
Intermediate French
This class picks up where the elementary class ends, covering more in-depth use of the past tense, along with the imperfect, future and conditional tenses, as well as subjunctives.
Advanced French
The ideal class for students who desire a greater proficiency in French conversation as well as composition. The course employs readings and discussions on contemporary subjects to put your speaking and writing ability to use.
French Conversation
Encouraging basic conversation, this course will take your French beyond the grammar and language focus of intro classes to the next level of fluency! Learn how to order from a menu or shop with conversational confidence. Discuss French periodicals, appreciate popular French music and discuss the lyrics. A fun, informative way to absorb and appreciate a great Romantic language! (Intermediate and Advanced students only)
History comes to life in this incredible class, with Montreal itself as the center of your study! In short lectures held twice each week, you learn about the diverse influences that shaped this region. You’ll also see how this created a unique environment that encouraged creativity and made Montreal one of the world’s great sources of art and intellect. Three days a week, you visit sites discussed in class, an experience beyond any textbook! This is real interactive learning!
Getting Involved, Giving Back
“Only a life lived in the service of others is a life worth living.” So said Albert Einstein, and we think you’ll agree that these opportunities provide rewarding ways to spend some of your time, reaching out to the less-advantaged residents of Montreal. ACA’s carefully crafted program exposes you to multiple aspects of service, ensuring fulfilling projects that leave a positive mark. Earn 30 hours of community service in three weeks. Upon completion, every participant receives an official certificate highlighting the total number of hours volunteered and projects completed.
Examples of ACA Service-Learning Projects Include:
- Volunteering with children
- Distributing food at food pantries
- Playing games and engaging in conversation at a senior center
Please Note: Public transportation accompanied by ACA staff is permitted if you are enrolled in this course.
The French know football! Here’s your chance to really kick it, français style. A top local coach will help you take your game to the next level, with focused practice sessions designed to help you improve footwork, passing, endurance – all the skills essential to winning soccer! Whether you’re a star player or just lacing them up for the first time, you’re going to enjoy taking the field in France!
Explore the city by bike, hit the trail for a hike, or spend some time in Mount Royal Park. Whether you’re up for some zip lining, Segway tour, hiking, and kayaking or you want to try your rock climbing skills, this course is the perfect fit for any outdoor sports enthusiast.
Please Note: Public transportation accompanied by ACA staff is permitted if you are enrolled in this course.
It’s no surprise that such a vibrant, colorful culture has such amazing cuisine. Here’s your chance to learn some kitchen fundamentals that will make you the star of the next family feast! Learn from excellent professional chefs who know how to satisfy big appetites. Of course you get to enjoy your efforts, so show up hungry! Please note: This course provides unique opportunities to train with culinary instructors preparing truly gourmet and authentic meals.
Get a close look at the way the world really works! Learn how world markets interact and how investors learn to profit as a result. The euro has changed the way the European Union, and therefore the world, does business! Examine the interaction of currencies, which play a huge role in the health and wealth of the world’s economy. You’ll learn about the distinct challenges of running a successful company in the dynamic international arena.
Improve your picture-taking ability in Montreal, a region that demands to be photographed. The spectacular city of Montreal provide you with centuries of artistic and architectural beauty – remarkable subject matter that will give you plenty of inspiration! This course will help you develop an understanding of how to create unforgettable photos using proper lighting and composition. Please note: A darkroom is not featured in this course, and students must supply their own cameras.
Longing to indulge your creative side? If so, this course is ideal for the artist inside you. Select either the drawing or the painting concentration, then view legendary works of French art and use them to inspire your own skills. Pursue painting and watercolor techniques, or try your hand at both surreal and traditional French-inspired drawing and sketching. See if you can tap your inner Monet or Matisse!
What better place than France to learn how today’s fashion concepts become tomorrow’s “must-have” trends? You’ll peek behind the curtain to discover the storied worlds of modeling and fashion are not just about glitz and glamour. Learn how to draw different garments and suggest bold styles. Examine how fabric, texture and color come to life on the catwalk. You’ll study the French fashion industry firsthand with field trips to fashion hot spots! Plus, you’ll get the chance to design and develop a fashion idea of your very own. Très chic, indeed!
Enjoy access to the local gym. Plan a workout regimen to help meet your fitness goals.
Activities include:
Circuit Training
Body Sculpt
Hight Intensity
Interval Training
Total Body
Body Tone
Postural
* A supplemental supply or lab fee will apply.
Cosmopolitan Montreal - Exceptional Combination of Canada and France
The vieux and nouveau blend seamlessly in Montreal, a stunning city where old-world charm meets the cosmopolitan downtown. Montreal is a major industrial center, commercial and financial metropolis, railway and maritime bridgehead, and one of the centers of francophone culture in North America. Enjoy the beauty of the cobblestone street in Old-Town while you grab a latte and fresh pastry as you stroll over and view the beauty of the mighty Saint Lawrence and Ottawa Rivers. Get swept away by the sounds of laughter at the Just for Laughs Montreal Summer Festival. Savor delicious international cuisines, or sample local specialties like tourtière. Take in breathtaking views of Mount Royal, the mountain that gave the city its name, has three summits: Mount Royal, Outremont and Westmount. The Canadian hospitality found in Montreal is unrivaled!
You can count on outstanding accommodations – this is ACA!
Your summer home, an upscale hotel, is located in the heart of Montreal’s cosmopolitan downtown with walking distance to old town and also the McGill Campus. It’s an ideal location for exploring this incredible city, and it’s also a great place to relax after you’ve had a day basking in the Canadian sun. The hotel’s idyllic location makes for an unforgettable experience combined with picturesque views of this magnificent world-class city! Of course, the building is secure and supervised at all times. Clean, comfortable rooms featuring daily housekeeping service, air conditioning, and WiFi. You get all the comforts of home you’ve come to expect from ACA! Of course, ACA staff live on-site, ensuring a safe, comfortable stay.
Dining the ACA Way
ACA serves up amazing meals throughout your stay in Montreal! Start your days at the hotel breakfast buffet, a serious spread of eggs, cereal, pastries, baked treats, and fresh juices and fruits. You’ll have no problem fueling up for the day.
For dinner Monday through Friday, you’ll enjoy ACA’s exclusive Dining-on-the-Town-Plan, which lets you choose from a variety of ACA-selected restaurants – and it’s included in your tuition! Whether you want to tackle some local delicacies or would rather stick with American-style favorites, you’re sure to find a restaurant that suits your taste.
Once a week, if you want, you can also venture beyond the Dining-on-the-Town-Plan and visit additional restaurants of your choice. It’s an additional opportunity to sample outstanding local restaurants featuring authentic French and Canadian cuisine. Need help translating the menu in French? Don’t worry, ACA staff are always at the restaurant ready to recommend a few favorites.
Around Town & Beyond
Take a flavor-filled walk through the lively street markets of Jean Talon Market. Browse chic boutiques and soak up the sun on the city’s 15 popular beaches. Discover a quaint cafe in one of the many “secret alleys’ in Old Town, and visit inspiring galleries and magnificent museums. Sample traditional French specialties at truly authentic bistros, but be sure to take a bite out of Montreal’s delicious Canadian heritage. Savor late-night ice cream in the city’s old town. Of course, a leisurely stroll down the legendary Sainte-Catherine, a street brimming with history, culture and shops, is a must!
Montreal is famous for its dazzling summer sunshine, gorgeous bridges and beaches! Pay attention while you stroll the streets marveling at Montreal’s stunning architecture on St-Paul and de la Commune streets. Looking fabulous is a way of life in Montreal. Explore the elegant Galleries and the beauty of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.
Ooh la la! Nighttime in Montreal is vibrant, colorful – and unforgettable! Take in the live show at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier, check out the cinema at Cinéma Excentris, or simply stroll along Saint-Paul Street in Old-Montreal. This charming city is a pedestrian’s paradise. Put on your most stylish walking shoes and take it all in!
Afternoon & Evening Activities
- Soak up the sun and stretch out on one of Montreal’s 15 beautiful local beaches.
- Get to know Montreal at its best during ACA’s welcome scavenger hunt!
- Be part of Montreal’s Sizzling Summer Celebrations at July’s annual Just for Laughs Festival, one of Montreal’s coveted Summer traditions.
- Spanning more than 75 hectares (185 acres), the Montreal Botanical Garden houses approximately 20,000 plant species and cultivars under cultivation and maintains a herbarium consisting of nearly 100,000 reference specimens.
- Hike up to Parc de la Gorge de Coaticook offering Montreal’s most popular trail, La Gorge Trail, which is known for being home to the longest pedestrian suspension bridge in all of North America
- Be sure to snap up endless photos of this breathtaking Canadian city, set on the banks of the St. Lawrence and Ottawa Rivers.
- Shop til you drop at the trendy stores on Rue Sainte-Catherine, the city’s main shopping street and is the place to be in Montreal.
- Hoop it up at the ACA 3-on-3 basketball tournament and find out who rules the court
- Montreal comes to life at Night in the heart of Old Town. Spend an evening strolling through the cobblestone streets admiring the local flavor visiting the many boutiques and cafes.
- Catch a breathtaking sunset at St. Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal; the view of Montreal doesn’t get much better.
- Savor a latte while exploring the scene at the famed Old Town featuring quaint cafes and cobblestone boulevards.
- Score a goal in a pick up fútbol game with your new friends and staff!
Staying in Shape
Weekend Adventures
Complete your ACA Montreal experience with exciting weekend adventures.
Quebec City (3 Week Program)
ACA will embark on this exciting overnight stay in Quebec City! Sharing many characteristics with French culture—particularly the predominance of the French language—the people of Québec City have forged their own identity. They are known for their “joie de vivre,” colorful French accents, culinary traditions, and their warmth. Québec City sits on the Saint Lawrence River in Canada’s mostly French-speaking Québec province. Dating to 1608, it has a fortified colonial core, Vieux-Québec and Place Royale, with stone buildings and narrow streets. The Petit Champlain district’s charming cobblestone streets are lined with delicious bistros and beautiful boutiques and are just waiting for ACA students to visit and enjoy.
Toronto - 3 day excursion
(2 & 3 Week programS)
Toronto shines during the summer with bustling beaches, boutiques, art galleries, cafes, restaurants and nightlife. Canada’s largest city and a world leader in business, finance, technology, entertainment and culture. Its large population of immigrants from all over the globe has also made Toronto one of the most multicultural cities in the world. ACA students will love that Toronto offers something special for everyone and is a world-wide favorite international tourist destination.
Please Note: The excursion to Toronto replaces the day trips to Six Flags and Mont-Tremblant for students who select this excursion.
(Supplemental fee of $695)
Six Flags & Mont-Tremblant
(2 & 3 WEEK PROGRAMS)
Six Flags– From roller coasters and water slides to animal experiences, festivals, food and games, Six Flags La Ronde is filled with excitement! It was originally built as the entertainment complex for Expo 67, the 1967 World Fair.
Mont-Tremblant– This picturesque ski village on the shores of Lake Tremblant, features acclaimed winter sports, golf courses, a shopping village and amazing restaurants. The expansive Mont-Tremblant National Park offers hiking trails and lakes for canoeing, and more summer activities! Hit the summer slopes on a ledge ride and check out the scene at the International Blues Festival.
Bermuda Cruise Extension
Add 7 days to your program
Add to your ACA experience and explore Bermuda on one of Norwegian’s incredible ships featuring entertainment, waterslides, bumper cars and more. Once underway we will set sail to relax and enjoy breathtaking Bermuda, from Hamilton to St George’s.
Bermuda offers many stunning beaches around the island, but the curved Horseshoe Bay Beach is one of the most popular in Bermuda, thanks to its iconic pink sands and azure water.
Catch some rays on the pink sands, check out the scene at the party resorts of Hamilton an St. George’s, and soak in the richness and warmth of this one-of-a-kind tropical spot. It’s all possible as we hit the high seas on Norwegian and enjoy the beautiful waters of Bermuda.
If you are looking for some serious adventure, our ship, the Norwegian Joy which first set sail in 2017, is absolutely incredible. It offers an entertainment area called the Galaxy Pavilion where you can amuse yourself with arcade games and hovercraft bumper cars. There are also VR roller-coaster rides and simulated sky-diving experiences on board. For those who love the water, the ship has several swimming pools and state-of-the-art water slides with daring dips and turns to enjoy!
Travel & Accommodations
You’ll remain in the secure company of trusted ACA staff members, as well as many of the friends you’ve made on your ACA program. Of course, you’ll also enjoy the comfortable accommodations and superior guidance you’ve come to expect from ACA.
Our cruise will depart from the New York area. ACA students and staff will fly together from Montreal to Newark for this brief 90 minute flight. Our accommodations on the Norwegian Joy feature staterooms holding 4 ACA students. For those who want more space, doubles or triples are available. (supplemental tuition required)
Highlights
Photos
TestimonialS
What Alumni are Saying
"I had the best summer ever on my ACA program! I made amazing friends and memories that will last a lifetime!"
"ACA was amazing, seriously it was SICK!!! It was unbelievable! I love my new friends and definitely all the staff! I am so glad that i was able to experience ACA!"
The most Personalized program
your Summer!
