Adrien is in his second year of the Grande Ecole Program. Last year, he decided to make helping others and being useful his top priorities.
He got involved withAFEV, a network of students working together in priority neighborhoods to fight educational and social inequality.
Building on his experience, he is continuing his commitment this year. He shares his story and hopes to inspire other students on campus to get involved!
Good to know: AFEV is looking for seven student volunteers this year!
This allows you to do meaningful things and feel useful. Adrien
Why did you choose to become a mentor with AFEV as part of the Cordées de la réussite program?
It is above all a militant choice. I use this term because, as engineering students, it is easy for us to find families willing to pay for this kind of academic support. Having had classmates who struggled in middle school and high school and seeing them spend large sums of money on private lessons to make up for their shortcomings, I thought it would be a good idea to help families who cannot afford to pay for extra lessons for their children. It seems to me to be a good way to promote equal opportunities.
What have you learned from your experience?
This wasn't the first time I had taught high school students who were struggling, particularly in science subjects. However, it's always an interesting experience and you quickly form bonds with the young people. It's also worth noting that we don't have the same pressure as we do in paid classes, where we are required to achieve results. No need to panic! If we don't know the answer, we look it up together with the student.
What is your greatest achievement?
It's not very original, but I think it's the improvement in her grades in math and physics (the two subjects the high school student was struggling with). You could tell from her messages that she was relieved to finally succeed, even excel, in these subjects that had been causing her problems for several years. This allowed her to approach her final exams with more confidence and achieve good results.
What advice would you give to students who would like to get started?
Mainly, don't hesitate. It only takes one to two hours a week, so you won't lose any of your student life. It's also a good way to start teaching and gain confidence for those who don't yet feel ready to charge for their services. It can also be a gateway to the non-profit and charitable sector. From a purely personal point of view, it allows you to do meaningful work and feel useful.
Adrien and his new mentee
We need all the help we can get! Pauline, local development officer at AFEV
Since 2017, the campus has been a partner of theAFEVas part of the "Cordée de la réussite " program, in close collaboration with the Vauvenargues high school. Each year, around seven students from the campus work with high school students who are struggling academically.
This academic support program aims to help high school students succeed in their studies by offering them personalized guidance. The current context particularly accentuates educational inequalities, as many young people do not always benefit from good learning conditions.
Each high school student receiving mentoring is scheduled for one hour of support per week (or two hours every two weeks). Learning how to organize their work and find the right information, learning how to manage stress, helping with homework, sharing experiences, providing guidance and defining career or university plans, all within a close-knit relationship enables students to regain their self-confidence and improve their academic results. Cultural outings can also be planned as part of the mentoring program, with a dedicated budget.
As for the student tutors , in addition to feeling useful, they develop human and social skills (listening, communication, patience, consideration of cultural differences).
Pauline, head of local development and educational initiatives at AFEV, concludes: " Arts et Métiers students are Arts et Métiers left to their own devices. We support them in their efforts. We organize opportunities for discussion and sharing of practices. We offer them online training in mentoring via our REEC platform platform to enhance their commitment and develop their skills. With the help of the solidarity association Gasole, we will be meeting with students at the beginning of the year to introduce ourselves and raise awareness among new volunteers through an information booth."
Contact: magali.fournie@ensam.eu Head of Corporate Relations and Gasole, a partner association of the Grande Ecole Program gasole.kin@gadz.org
