The social and family environment heavily influences a young person's path to success. "PISA studies show that, out of around 80 countries analyzed, we are one of the most unequal in terms of access to knowledge, despite the free nature of our education system," emphasizes Christine Genin.
Two significant vectors of inequality have been observed: culture and access to the professional world. Indeed, while a young person from a privileged background can benefit from cultural outings, travel, and connections with diverse individuals outside of school, a gap widens with those from disadvantaged neighborhoods.
The same applies to access to the professional world, as contacts, networks, and opportunities to discover training programs and receive guidance for their career paths can make a crucial difference.
This is why Culture Prioritaire has designed year-long programs, and sometimes longer, to support young people aged 13 to 25 from priority neighborhoods in their educational journeys, offering programs that can range from 50 to 80 hours annually, depending on their age and context.
These programs focus on cultural and professional openness, featuring interactive sessions, workshops for written and oral expression, cultural outings, and end-of-year trips, in partnership with cultural institutions and other organizations, as well as businesses.
“Young people will be able to discover a whole range of professions they had no knowledge of, which are constantly evolving,” explains Christine Genin. “And this encounter with the professional world will have a decisive impact, even on self-censorship or their hopes.”
“One of our primary objectives is for them to find higher education opportunities that suit them, simply because there is a ratio of 1 to 5 between a student who leaves the education system without a diploma and one who obtains a diploma. The purpose of education, it seems to me, is primarily to foster adaptability to different environments. And that is crucial,” concludes Christine Genin.
