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Gaïa, centre for education to development and international citizenship

“Stop that talk of two worlds. The problems of the developing countries are the problems of all.”

Informing the youth about the dependency between the regions of the world and the means of a sustainable development. This is a way of making up them citizens, not only in their schools but also in their quarters and in a global sense.

An outstanding project in France

The centre Gaïa for Education to Development, and to International Citizenship is the only project of such manner in France. It has been inspired by Belgian associations of ‘Kinderwereldatelier’ in its proposition of an educational program, quite original and adapted to all groups of public.

At ‘Rue Victor-Renart in Lille-Sud, Gaïa especially invites the classes of Nursery school to the fifth secondary class which are situated in the region of Nord-Pas de Calais and the surrounding, to participate at the immersion workshop, constructed on an area of 300 m2. Other places of the centre will be offered to the institutions or associations practising education in development. Finally, Gaïa will become a centre of recourses for Education in Development.

Nowadays, the originality and quality of the educational programs are appreciated. Gaïa is supported by the foreign affairs ministry, the regional council of Nord-Pas de Calais, the general council of North and the town of Lille.

The centre works closely together with the National service of Education, foreign instructors and associations specialised on Development in Education.

The immersion workshops 

The participation of the children at the immersion workshops will take place with regard to educational values which will be framed by a sufficiently adapted scenario. The scenario will integrate on the one hand the activities of the children and on the other hand the possibility of individual reflection, followed then by collective, thanks to the intermissions brought in by the Gaïa instructors. 

Information :

A  teaching seance will be organised for the tutors.  It will expose to them the objectives of the workshops and introduce to them the necessary educational equipment for the information of the pupils on the problem of development.

During the seance of introduction, the tutors will receive two educational booklets. One which is called ‘’ Carnet de Voyage, Cap sur le Sénégal’’ intended for the pupils, whereas the second one ‘’ Le livret de l’ enseignant’’ will be for the tutors.

The role of the tutors will be substantial for the preparation in class, during the realisation of the workshop and in extending the work on citizenship in class.

Emotion :

During half a day, in a reconstructed environment, the children have to live in a village or a district of a major    city in the South (presently Senegal).

After a break of arrangements of the roles, the children are confronted by certain situation such as : (fall of the peanut price, ‘’rural exodus’’, organisation of a village festival) They have to survive all these situations while they are taught to work together in order to find a solution. They so discover the obligations but at the same time all the richness and values of a country.

Reflection :

Afterwards, in class the teachers will let the pupils talk of their experiences and answer the questions which emerged during the workshop seance. At the end the tutors evaluate together with the children their conclusions.