Summer workshops for hosting center kids

Educational workshops for summer learning

More than 190 children from extremely vulnerable families are housed by the Salvation Army Foundation on the “Grandes Voisines” site in the Lyon area.

The risk of these children dropping out of school during the vacations can be as high as 3 or 4 months’ loss of learning. The Salvation Army Foundation is therefore working to provide vacation activities that ensure educational continuity for the children.

With the help of the 1% For Education Fund and other partners, in 2024, two weeks of workshops led by Ateliers Amasco were organized on the Grandes Voisines site.

The objectives of these workshops are to

• restore taste for learning and prevent school dropout
• develop children’s psycho-social and cognitive skills
• develop children’s soft skills (e.g. team spirit, cooperation, empathy)
• develop children’s psycho-motor skills (dexterity, fine motor skills)

Just like a real school day! A workshop day runs from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., with welcome periods at the beginning and end of the day. A quality lunch is provided during the lunch break, giving them the energy they need for a day rich in learning and discovery.

For this pilot, 33 children, aged 6 to 9, took part in these 5-day workshops during the Easter and summer vacations of 2024.

The results of this first edition were very positive, with almost all the children satisfied with their experience, and their parents unanimously agreeing that they had improved their self-confidence and enjoyment of learning.

These workshops also create social bonds, cohesion and camaraderie for children living in close quarters. Some of the children’s tensions have eased, making the work of the site’s social workers easier.

The experiment is due to be repeated in summer 2025.