The goal of the Culture and Diversity Foundation is to prepare high school students who are socially and geographically distant from culture for some of the most selective competitions in major artistic and cultural schools, such as Fine Arts, architecture schools, or fashion schools. 170 high school students were able to participate in intensive workshops for equal opportunities.
Standing or sitting, often in groups, they draw, measure, cut, assemble… Romain stands out with his bright red tie. He showed determination in his journey. “I come from a vocational high school, I couldn’t directly join the architecture professional baccalaureate, so I had to go through a CAP in wood carpentry,” explains the young man who was struggling at school. “It’s really a chance for me to have been accepted here.” Now, he is in an equal opportunities workshop at the prestigious National School of Architecture in Paris, which reassures him. “I had a little lack of confidence, wondering if I would be able to simply follow the courses,” he confides. “I saw that the schedules are more demanding, the courses more substantial than in high school, but the subjects are really interesting and it allows me to prepare for applying to an architecture school later.”
Helping these high school students in writing is also part of the goals of these workshops. “These are students who often are less accustomed to reading, have less confidence in themselves, especially in literary subjects, in writing ability and expression, even though they have all the intellectual abilities,” explains Camille Bidaud, a lecturer in architectural history. “There is no problem with that, but they tend to feel less legitimate.”
A concrete learning experience
These students often come from vocations that lead to a profession, indicates Laurence Veillet, architect and teacher at ENSA Paris-Val de Seine. “They tend to reside in the expertise they have,” she continues. “Their strength is indeed this expertise, their difficulty is to step back and accept to take a step aside to be in the development of the project and not in the professional side of architecture.” This step aside, Inès seems to have understood: “That’s what I like about architecture. You think of something in your head and then you project an idea into a real object.” And what Antoine appreciates in the workshop is the practical experience: “I learn on the field, whether it’s making models or everything related to visits,” describes Antoine enthusiastically. “We visited a construction site, then the steps to enter architecture school, how to apply, how to prepare for the interview and for our future.”
“The stage’s beautiful idea is to bring together 30 young people from all over France,” says Inès and Mélanie. “We share a lot of things as you can see. So, we work on projects in groups. Seeing everyone’s ideas allows us to have a much broader, much more thoughtful overview.”
“I love, as a teacher, to see my students reveal themselves and flourish,” shares Laurence Veillet. “Here, with these high school students who come from all over France, from fields not always well regarded, seeing them open a window, allowing themselves to open a door, is what amazes me.”
Enabling these young people to practice the profession they have chosen is the entire ambition of the Culture and Diversity Foundation, especially when considering that 65% of students in major schools come from very privileged backgrounds.
