Notre raison d’être

"I find that the SPARKS workshops change the relationships between students and also change the relationships we, as teachers, can have with them. Since we did the workshops quite early in the year, it really helped turn around sometimes complicated situations with certain students. I had two students whom I was constantly correcting, and our relationships were rather tense (…) When we returned to class after the workshops, they were much more open toward me, and naturally, it changed the classroom atmosphere."

"We see those who said nothing at all at the beginning and who, by the end, finally dare to speak up. We see those who are willing to play their role and take on certain projects. Personally, it did me a lot of good as well; it brings out a lot of positivity. This workshop [Editor's note: a combination of 'Building Courage in Me' and 'Slam Poetry' workshops] is really well designed and substantial. It is very well suited to our context. We take young people seriously by going in-depth, while also respecting each person's pace. It’s very balanced, more demanding than lenient, but demanding in a thoughtful way."

"If we want things to go well in the classroom, even before learning any academic knowledge, there must be trust and all these psychosocial skills. The workshops also allow some students to reveal themselves, young people who never spoke about themselves, either because they didn’t feel like it or didn’t want to bother others. And in fact, they come out with support because others have listened."

"If we ask students which activities stood out for them this year, they mention the empathy activities. We built a collaboration with a retirement home in the town where the high school is located, where we conducted an intergenerational exchange between young people and the elderly. I saw the benefit of engaging students differently, getting them moving, and having them interact in new ways."

"What reveals students' capacity for transformation is the new knowledge they gain and also the joy they experience from it. Personal transformation happens through service... the most impactful experience for young people is when they are in service to others. We hold intercultural exchanges with refugees, visit retirement homes... those are the experiences that will leave a mark on them. (…) We include collaborative games... these leave an impression. They come out of their passivity and shyness. (…) We see a different classroom atmosphere... even if students are more or less shy, they feel more comfortable. We notice a change in mindset in many students, especially toward those around them; their understanding of others' emotions, their ability to express themselves, to show empathy, and to ask more questions to get to know other students better. Several students also report that the Empathy and Responsibility workshop helped them improve their mental well-being."