Coming from all backgrounds, aged 16 to 25, often disengaged from school, young people join the civic service offered by the association Cités d'Or. This organization, based in the Lyon metropolitan area, helps them regain motivation and self-confidence.
The association also offers training to help them move forward. “They have experienced different life paths, different life stories that prevent them today from envisioning a serene future and that make them feel illegitimate in playing a positive role in society,” explains Marion Dupaigne Scotton.
For six months, four days a week, they are guided to carry out various projects, engaging in activities that benefit society: “... organizing a neighborhood party to raise awareness about nutrition and physical activity [...] lending a hand to an organization that runs a solidarity project. We can also offer them the chance to experience volunteering individually or collectively.” The director emphasizes that they then participate in workshops on “self-confidence” and “understanding the world” to help them decode “the world around them.”
Each year, about fifty students are welcomed. The selection process is designed to be very flexible to “maintain diversity within the groups.”
The main goal of Cités d'Or? To regain self-confidence and future projects.
“Training, studies, or professional pathways... 86% of them had what we call a positive outcome in 2023,” confirms the director.
