FONDATION APPRENTIS D'AUTEUIL (GROUPE SCOLAIRE NOTRE-DAME-DE-LOURDES)

Apprentis d’Auteuil is a Catholic Foundation, which was founded in 1866, and is recognized since 1929 by the French State as a foundation of public utility, acting in close proximity to children, young people and their families in vulnerable situations in more than 240 services in France. Among them, the educational site Notre Dame de Lourdes (see Annex 8). The Foundation’s goal is to give every young person, of any geographical, cultural and social origin, the chance of receiving a good education and training, enabling him or her to find their place in society, helping them directly and supporting their family. Over 150 years, Apprentis d’Auteuil has constantly evolved to meet the challenges of the times and prevent exclusion. Every day, over 5.500 employees and as many volunteers, including 1.000 who are regular volunteers, support over 25.000 young people and their families. The organisation operates in the fields of child protection, education, training and insertion and support of families in their parental role. 1 - Child protection At the request of departmental councils, Apprentis d’Auteuil takes in children and adolescents in danger or at risk. The reception arrangements are wide-ranging and depending on the situation, can cover anything from at-home support to comprehensive care of very unstructured young people. In the vast majority of placements, links with the parents are actively encouraged, or even re-built. This mission extends to unaccompanied minors considered at risk due to the lack of legal representation in French territory. Over 1.300 unaccompanied minors are taken in by Apprentis d’Auteuil. 2 – Education (Fighting school dropout rates) In all its schools and high schools, Apprentis d’Auteuil has developed appropriate educational solutions for vulnerable young people and specific re-boot programmes allowing them to return to a traditional school cursus after a few weeks. Through its educational boarding schools, young people have accommodation and receive strong educational support to let them get their bearings and re-learn the rules, particularly in the key period of schooling from the age of 11-15. 3 – Training and Insertion Programs Alongside schooling in its vocational high schools or general education, the Foundation offers training through apprenticeships to those who are really struggling in school and likely to leave school without a diploma. For young people without qualifications or family support, Apprentis d’Auteuil’s professionals offer social support, schemes to help them choose a career, refresher courses for further education and help to access housing and healthcare. 4 – Support to families (Parenthood) By developing nurseries, social residences, mother and child venues and Open Family Homes, we help parents make the right educational choices from early childhood, to become aware of their skills and take ownership of their responsibilities. All actions to preserve the quality of the family relationship and prevent the occurrence of major difficulties. Notre-Dame de Lourdes’s middle school welcomes around 300 young people from 6th to 9th grades. It offers educational programs adapted to the needs of each student, in collaboration with families and our partners, in order to help each student succeed.