Ateliers Gemmes - Gemmes.org - Reflexion Inspiration Action

Our workshops

Gemmes workshops take place either during schools hours or as part of extra-curricular activities. For the time being, they are only offered in France and Switzerland (in French). They are deep and interactive workshops for young people aged 12 to 24. They provide an opportunity to explore a number of themes, enabling them to better understand themselves as individuals and as part of a group, to analyze their environments, and to become agents of change for the collective well-being.

Our workshops have been developed around four main pillars: Réflexion, Inspiration, Action et Arts.

Why Introspection ?

Before you can understand the outside world, you need to understand what is happening inside yourself.

In our society, we generally work the opposite way round: first we learn about a subject, or how to do a job, or the way the world works, and only much later do some people start a process of “personal development”. As a result, opportunities for introspection are often offered or adapted exclusively to adults.

However, self-knowledge ought to be an integral part of learning offered to young people, especially during such a crucial and complex period as adolescence.

Why Inspiration ?

Inspiration feeds our interaction with the world and gives us momentum. Inspiration starts by looking at and connecting with what is around us.

Then we try to understand, analyse, and feel what clicks with us: observing what disturbs us, what excites us, what we would like to change, what we would like to participate in.

Why Action ?

Wanting change and imagining it are important steps. However, we need to be able to move on to achieving real and collective change, each at his or her own level, in order to live it fully.

If the Gemmes workshops offer keys to transforming young people’s ideas into action, you are already becoming active by participating in the program.

Why Arts ?

The arts are at the heart of the Gemmes programs because they links concepts together and illustrate them in a different and often more accessible way. The arts help participants to connect with their emotions, and to express them to convey a stronger message.

The arts also stimulate our thinking in a different way, calling on our imagination and creativity. It is also a call to action, moving us forward and transforming an idea or message into reality. Last but not least, artistic activities are a time of unity and shared joy.

Format and workshops

When Gemmes workshops are facilitated within middle or high schools (in France and Switzerland), they are combined to the SPARKS program as part of a full year program (“Parcours Gemmes” in French).

When Gemmes workshops are facilitated outside schools, they can be combined and organized over one to five days. They are suitable to young people between 12 and 24.

"It's rare that we get so much out of a mentor time slot at school ! [...] I would like to thank you for coming this morning; the workshop was very rich, and there were a variety of approaches for the students."

"There was a great atmosphere, they presented it so well, it was so good I just loved it!"

"I discovered lots of points of view and concepts that helped me grow and reflect on myself (...) I felt happy and educated when I came out of this camp."

"The theme of courage and the way in which it was approached were very appropriate for our youth, and the more 'artistic' workshop was a great way of encouraging self-expression and creating a beautiful memory. [...] It was a wonderful culmination to our project, which aims to help young people learn to look at themselves in a more positive light."

"Well done, too, for guiding the children away from binary thinking patterns and for helping them to look at the world in a subtle way."

"The camp was incredibly well organized and the animators are really top notch! (...) I learned a lot during the camp. For example, the three short videos we created as a group taught me to see certain things differently."

"In the ‘World and me’ workshop, the part about inclusion and unity gave me a greater vision of the world and changed my way of thinking. My favorite workshop was ‘slam poetry’ because I'm glad I was able to write and find inspiration to send a positive message."

"I was able to debate on some very interesting topics and put my qualities to good use in the group. I realized that we are all connected"

"During these camps, they develop their gift of creativity, listening, sharing, helping each other, a sense of unity that is concretized in a concrete project like the slam, thank you. My wish is that as many young people as possible can benefit one day from these camps, so that they can let their hearts and talents express themselves."

Pricing

The price of the workshops depends on their duration, the number of facilitators required and the location.

At Gemmes, we don't want price to be a barrier to participation.
If necessary, Gemmes can subsidize certain partners who are unable to pay the full cost of the workshops.

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