Mobilizing companies to combat early school leaving: partnerships for success
Every year, more Montréal entrepreneurs are taking action on school retention. According to a survey by Montreal Hooked on School, 40% of companies that get involved do so through a community organization.
There are many ways to take action:
- Employees mentoring young people
- Employees participating regularly in academic or extracurricular activities, enhanced by the company’s expertise
- Projects that focus on the employability of young people in a sector of activity
In a previous post, we featured the experiences of Cirque du Soleil and Osedea, which started their own projects to motivate kids in school. This week, we present accounts of partnerships developed by SNC-Lavalin and Arani with organizations that work with young people.
SNC-Lavalin and Alloprof
SNC-Lavalin decided to partner with Alloprof, a one-of-a-kind charity that offers elementary and high school students free help with their homework. SNC-Lavalin decided to invest $150,000 over three years to create, promote and host a virtual education assistance tool. This innovative service will expand the ecosystem of resources available to students who are struggling with certain subjects at school.
Arani and Fusion Jeunesse
Arani, a manufacturer and distributor of LED lighting, is working to reduce the drop-out rate and get young people involved in the community with Montréal’s Youth Fusion.
Together they offer students a year-long science project through a series of interactive activities and practical presentations that deliver a key message: stay in school and persevere!
The methods used are entertaining, concrete and based on knowledge sharing. Students learn how technological advances (video games, phones, cars, etc.) work, along with the importance of education, which makes them possible. Discussions with and knowledge sharing by these entrepreneurs allows students to develop a taste for learning and commitment to school. Last year, over 20 students expressed the desire to go on to study engineering thanks to this science project with Arani.
“Mentorship has played a huge role in starting and building my own company. As a business and community leader, it is my responsibility to invest in the city’s next generation right now, so that the future generations will be part of a thriving Montréal business community... I am extremely proud to support this initiative.”
In the next blog post, we will present testimonials from two speakers who have worked with youth at risk.