Association Sportive et Culturelle Vigee Lebrun - ASCVL
  Using IT to help disadvantaged children
The "Association Sportive et Culturelle Vigée Lebrun" (Vigée Lebrun sports and cultural association) was created in 1980 by parents and teachers and is managed by them on a voluntary basis. It consists of three primary schools, regrouping 670 children from various social and ethnic backgrounds located in Paris' west side. Its goal is to bring these children, parents and teachers together and improve their quality of life, particularly through information technology.
 
According to JM Albouy, chairman of ASCVL:
"We are lucky to be in such a socially varied district, where public schools welcome affluent families as well as those with financial and language difficulties. (There are 36 different ethnic origins within the district). The IT workshop was requested ten times more than the traditional workshops. Information Technology attract modest families since they offer a guarantee against unemployment, facilitate written communication and erase the distance between family members still in their country of origin. Furthermore, it makes our work easier which helps generate parent volunteers."
 
ASCVL Computer lab    

The Steria Foundation-Institut de France made a commitment to ASCVL

The Steria Foundation-Institut de France worked with ASCVL on five levels to help it expand its scope of action:

Helping define needs and building a computer lab (hardware provision, network installation, skills transfer, etc.).

Hiring two student workers, who work and study alternatively (Technical Degree). This assures the daily functioning of the computer lab.

Training students in information technology for preparation of an IT diploma.

Training teachers and adults, by Steria voluteers, to improve their IT knowledge and enable them to work with children in the IT environment.

Providing a project sponsor, Anne, project manager at Steria.

 

 
Anne, project sponsor: "I was immediately drawn to this commitment because it is primarily aimed at deprived children and their families, and is based on establishing a close relationship between the learning and working world. As Steria sponsor, my role will be to provide the support that ASCVL needs in the form of actions facilitating access to new technology. This solidarity will be the source of even greater enrichment all around!"
 



Mission Accomplished!

Since 2003, the collaboration between the Vigée Lebrun sports and cultural association and the Fondation Steria-Institut de France has allowed for the completion of their computer lab along with the training of lab monitors.

The training provided to teachers and parents has really paid off: the workshop is now completely autonomous.


For further information contact Dominique Lambert: dominique.lambert@fondationsteria.org