Académie St Joan of Arc Terms and Conditions 2025

A. General Terms and Conditions

The purpose of the Academy Saint Joan of Arc (ASJA) is to give its students a Roman Catholic spiritual and human education, to help them become responsible Christian adults.

Each course is a training program mainly in English, combining intellectual studies, spiritual life, manual work, outdoor activities, pilgrimages, and discovery of the historical and religious heritage of France and neighboring countries. They offer possibilities to put oneself at the service of others, pray, and meditate, in high historical places of Christian spirituality, as part of organized trips.

Inspired by St Joan of Arc, the Academy wants to help everyone put Jesus back in the first place. It is a place of fraternal life open to all, male and female, Christian or not, of all nations, with no individual judgments. The training provided respects the Roman Catholic Church and its traditional positioning, particularly on social issues.

We aim to offer the best to our students and ask them in return to embrace the Academy’s code of conduct, our “esprit de corps”, and mutual respect at all times.

We do require from each of our future students to acknowledge and agree to the rules below, with the written consent of their parents if they are under 21 years old. Signing these rules will be a compulsory part of the registration process for any ASJA program.

1. Rules of life under ASJA’s responsibility:

Legal framework
o All participants must be at least 18 years old (the age of majority in France) on the 1st day of the selected course.
o Provided that Saint Joan of Arc Academy is a private French company, the contractual relationship between the student and Saint Joan of Arc Academy falls under the French law.
Compliance with the program
The program includes periods of time in abbeys or in Roman Catholic religious institutions (above 50% of the time, in average). Students will therefore be able to meet monks and nuns and live a Christian experience within the communities hosting them. They will be invited to participate in religious services, follow teachings or visits and participate in community life. Each participant pledges to follow the program as it is and to respect the rules of life which will be communicated to them.
Clothing
o The program has two main types of activities:
– Immersion in religious communities for which students are asked to be modestly dressed: legs covered by non-tight clothing (no leggings), stomach, back and shoulders covered.
– Outdoor activities (sightseeing, sport, pilgrimage, relaxation, etc…) with relevant clothing (sports, smart casual, trekking).
Mobile phones:
o As part of the spiritual and human training provided by the academy, students will have limited usage of their mobile phones. Experience proves that acquiring real freedom will imply for them to control the means of communication they rely upon. Daily breaks and rest times will be scheduled for them to communicate with their loved ones. Outside of those slots, they will be asked to put their phones on airplane mode. Meals will be a time of community sharing, incompatible with the use of mobile phones.
o Students will nevertheless be able to take as many photos as they wish, with due respect to sites’ regulations.
Food and accommodation
o ASJA gives access to the religious communities which agree to host us. As such, food and accommodation will be those provided by the monks. Being on the move for several days, the academy will adapt, and therefore will not be able to guarantee special meals or diets (beyond what those religious communities will be able to offer). During cultural, sporting or leisure activities, lunch boxes will be the preferred option.
o During their stay, students will be accommodated either in dorms or in 2- people tents. Either way, boys and girls will be separated, including for shower and toilet access
Social relations
o The academy prohibits any disrespectful or inappropriate behavior towards anyone. Focusing on training young Christians, it also expects from everyone to always live a chaste life.

2. Conditions for participation in the training

Equipment
o In addition to the clothing and toiletries required for everyday life, trainees must bring some sports and hiking gear (shoes + suitable socks, warm clothing), a swimsuit, a bath towel, a 0-degree sleeping bag, sunscreen and sunglasses, mosquito repellent, a water bottle, a flashlight, a hiking rucksack (minimum 55l).
o ASJA will provide backpacks (22l), caps, rain gear, polo- shirts (2/person), notebooks and pens for all. 2-people pop-up tents will also be provided when needed.
Health
o Walking is an integral component of our education program. Walks are scheduled at least every 3 days. Progressiveness and pedagogy will be applied in this area, but the ability to walk 3-to-5 miles with a 5-kilo backpack is highly recommended prior to joining the course, with a view to possibly walk up to 10 miles in mountainous terrain during the course.

3. Travel

Air transport:
ASJA does not arrange air transport for participants (neither international nor domestic flights). Ticket purchasing is the sole responsibility of individual course participants; for each course, ASJA will impose a rendezvous point and a 2-hour time window at a specific airport for participants’ pick-up, as well as for drop-off before departure. ASJA’s responsibility starts when meeting individual attendees upon arrival at the determined rendezvous point in the specified time window and ends at the determined departure airport the same way.
Passport must be valid for at least 6 months at the time of your entry (American citizens do not need a visa to enter France for a stay of less than 90 days – for other nationalities, please check with your embassy); please check official guidance at U.S. Travelers in Europe’s Schengen Area (state.gov).
Other formalities (vaccinations, PCR test, etc.): Participants are responsible for checking formalities before departure, as these may be modified without notice by the country’s authorities.
Insurance
o ASJA will be covered as organizer for all scheduled activities, including a “civil liability” insurance.
o Each participant is required to subscribe a personal insurance covering possible health costs in France (and Spain when the program includes stages in Spain).
o Repatriation assistance is not included in our rates. You are therefore not covered by any repatriation assistance for which we are responsible.
Personal expenses
o Students will be fully cared for meals, accommodation, transport and all scheduled group activities in France and Spain.
o Students may incur personal expenses (accessories, products, gifts, etc.) for which they should bring pocket money in euros; ASJA will not provide currency exchange services.

4. Course interruption

Initiated by the trainee:
o if a trainee decides to interrupt the course on his own initiative (except in cases of force majeure), the ASJA will ask him to complete a release form. The academy will not be required to reimburse the course costs or to accompany him back to the airport; it will however make his/her return as easy as possible.
o If a trainee must return for a compelling reason (death of a family member, proven medical unfitness to continue), the ASJA will make all possible efforts to facilitate his return and will consider reimbursement in proportion to the days not completed.
Initiated by the ASJA: ASJA reserves the right to exclude from the course any student whose behavior seriously contravenes the rules above or jeopardizes the smooth running of the course. Whenever feasible, warnings will precede. In this case, ASJA will not be required to reimburse the course fee, and no compensation will be paid. However, ASJA will ensure the student is flown back to the US.

B. Special Conditions of Sale

Our terms and conditions of sale comply with the French Tourism Code and the general terms and conditions of sale laid down by Order 2017-1717 of 20/12/2017, Decree 2017-1871 of 29 December 2017 and the Order of 01/03/2018 laying down the conditions for the exercise of activities relating to the organization and sale of travel and holidays. Details of these conditions are available on request.

1. Registration & Payment

Registration for one of our courses implies acceptance of the general terms and conditions as well as the special conditions of sale specified on the Internet at https://asjafrance.com/ or on the registration form you will be sent upon application.

You can register by internet, paying at least 30% deposit. By providing us with your e-mail address when you register, you agree to receive by e-mail all administrative documents relating to your trip (registration confirmation, invoice, etc.). Your deposit is calculated in advance, based on the maximum number of participants and with the options chosen (single rooms, etc.). ASJA will then send you written confirmation of your registration. In accordance with article L221-28 of the French Consumer Code, you have no right of withdrawal when you register for one of our programs.

You will receive your final invoice no later than 20 days before departure. The balance must be paid no later than 15 days before departure. Your invoice must be paid in full before departure. Failing this, ASJA will not provide services on site.

2. Prices

Our prices do not include lunches on the day of arrival and departure. Prices are based on students’ accommodation in multiple rooms; if requested by individuals “single room” supplement will apply.

3. Insufficient number of participants

The minimum number of participants is specified for each program. If this number is not reached, ASJA will inform you 60 days before departure of the cancellation of the said trip and will refund all sums paid. Under no circumstances will ASJA be liable to pay any compensation for damages. In the event of cancellation of a course by ASJA, for lack of a sufficient number of participants, pre- and post-trip reservations (flight, train, airport hotel, cabs) booked and paid for by the customer will not be reimbursed by ASJA and may not be subject to compensation for damages. ASJA will not be bound by these reservations until the final invoice has been sent to the customer, as confirmation of the course.

4. Service modification

The program may be modified for practical reasons, in cases of force majeure or for reasons beyond our control, but all courses will be maintained. In such cases, the customer has no right to claim compensation.

5. Cancellation & transfer of contract

Your cancellation must be sent to ASJA by email with acknowledgement of receipt. The date of receipt in our offices will determine the number of days before the departure date. The date of receipt in our offices will then be the 1st day of the countdown and the day of departure will not be included in the countdown. The amount of cancellation fees per person is based on the following scale:
– Up to 60 days before departure €120
– 59 to 21 days before departure 25% of total price
– 20 to 8 days before departure 50% of total price
– 7 to 3 days before departure 75% of total price
– Less than 3 days before departure 100% of total price

If the participant is unable to travel because he/she has not shown up within the time limit specified in the invitation or because he/she has not fulfilled the formalities required for the trip (valid passport, vaccination certificate, visas, coronavirus test, etc.), the cancellation fee is 100%.

In accordance with article L211-11 of the French Tourism Code, you have the option of transferring the present contract to a person fulfilling the same conditions as you, by notifying the agency by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt, as long as the contract has not produced any effect and up to 7 days before departure. The transfer of your contract may be subject to a fee which will be communicated to you by ASJA. You and the beneficiary of the transfer will remain jointly and severally liable for payment of the balance of the contract and the transfer fees which will be communicated to you.

6. Imprevus

ASJA accepts no responsibility for:

Delays in departure or return of aircraft, strikes or changes in connecting schedules, changes of airport on the outward or return journey, and the financial consequences on pre- and post-carriage.
Overnight schedules, which we sometimes find out about at the last minute, changes to airline and charter company schedules, which may cut into half a day or a meal.
All expenses incurred by these inconveniences (cab, hotel, meals, communications, changes in transport fares, meals not taken, visits not made, etc.).
Administrative measures taken by governments for health reasons.
Cases of force majeure (conflicts, civil wars, terrorist attacks, strikes, epidemics, pandemics, volcanic eruptions, etc.).
Traffic and access restrictions imposed by local authorities.

7. Disputes

Any dispute shall be referred to the jurisdiction of Chateauroux (Tribunal de Commerce 11 rue Paul-Louis Courier – BP 633 – 36020 CHATEAUROUX CEDEX). All claims must be sent by registered letter within 8 days of the date of return from the trip. After this deadline, no claim will be considered.

8. Confidentiality of your data

Within the framework of the law of 25/05/2018 known as RGPD, we process your data within a framework of legitimate interest and for the processing of your registration for one of our courses. You can consult our “privacy policy” on the home page of our website or by any request to our Data Protection Manager (Mr. Simon de Fautereau) at the email address: contact@asjafrance.com.