"Coup de cœur" projects
As part of its mission, the Foundation launched in 2023 a “Coup de Cœur du comité” system which aims to support associations run by young people and serving young people, by providing them with a “helping hand” at the time of launch or deployment of their initiatives.
Les Rhiz’homes was founded during the 2022 Tocqueville Challenge. The organization runs a variety of weekly workshops (cooking, DIY, board games, outdoor activities, digital skills, photography, sewing, etc.) bringing together young people and seniors in Paris’s 19th arrondissement. Participants can either take part in activities or lead a workshop themselves, showcasing their skills. The organization promotes intergenerational connection and exchange, going beyond age-related stereotypes to encourage horizontal knowledge sharing and joint projects. Through its work, Les Rhiz’homes aims to bridge the generational gap by helping young people and seniors get to know each other better and overcome preconceived ideas about the other generation. The goal is to foster mutual understanding and break down the cultural and physical barriers that often isolate these two social groups.
Hanbition is an organization founded in 2023 to promote inclusion and equal opportunities for young people with disabilities, those supported by child welfare services, or those facing difficulties. Inspired by the personal journey of its founder, who lives with a disability, it is built on a simple belief: every young person, regardless of their challenges, should be able to build a future that reflects who they are. The organization aims to develop tailored support structured around four complementary areas: educational, socio-professional, cultural, and sports. Its objective is to strengthen autonomy, self-confidence, and self-determination, while opening more opportunities in fields that are often difficult to access, such as education, culture, and employment. Hanbition also acts as a tool for awareness and social change. Through field actions, conferences, film screenings and discussions, and educational materials, the organization fights marginalization, challenges prejudice and gives a central place to young people’s voices.
Melting POT is an association founded in 2022 by Alexandre Pastor, whose main mission is to help educate young people aged 11 to 25 in political, civic and institutional life. The “Comprendre, c’est agir” (“Understanding means acting”) project focuses on 2 main areas: providing young people with the tools to understand political institutions through an attractive teaching approach that makes politics interesting for them, and giving them back the power to act by making them aware of their responsibilities at an early stage. To achieve this, the association has developed a tailor-made program, “Le Programme POT”, deployed in schools (collèges and lycées), social centers and sports clubs.
Les Pilotes is an association that aims to empower young people aged 14 to 24 from disadvantaged neighborhoods in their career choices, in order to promote informed, chosen professional integration. Among its various programs, it intervenes by using entrepreneurship as a tool and a pedagogy through doing. “Le Bon Créneau” is an entrepreneurship competition that enables young people to acquire key skills and expand their professional network. It takes place over four months, during which participants benefit from 60 hours of training and several weeks of mentoring by a professional.
To meet the challenges of integration and equal opportunity for young people from the French overseas territories, UM-Mentor offers:
- A mentoring program lasting a minimum of 6 months. Each young person is put in touch with a mentor of ultramarine origin, who has a good understanding of the young person's situation and can help him or her on both a personal and professional level (looking for an internship or work-study program, work organization tools, financial management).
- Collective support to boost the academic, professional and social integration of young people in the French overseas territories (themed workshops)
Younited is an association whose mission is to prevent and combat loneliness among students and young people, helping them to make new acquaintances and deep, sincere friendships through events and outings in a caring, reassuring atmosphere.
The project is based on three pillars:
- Raising awareness and educating
- Strengthening social networks
- Promoting local and regional support networks
