Expanding horizons with the Cordées de la réussite: an inspiring day for students from isolated rural areas

Territorial inequalities in educational pathways are well known and largely determined by students' social and geographical origins. For young people in rural areas, the range of possibilities is more limited than in large cities and is often accompanied by strong self-censorship mechanisms that limit ambitions and aspirations.

On March 29, as part of the "Cordées de la réussite - Mission Océan" program, more than 110 middle and high school students from the Normandy academy and their teachers had the opportunity to live a unique experience during their visit to the Dassault Systèmes campus. They were able to discover attractive career opportunities in France and internationally as well as learning about technological developments and the many training courses available to develop their skills.

A device of the Ministry of National Education and Youth, the "Cordées de la réussite" aim to make guidance counseling a real lever for equal opportunities. The main objective is to fight against self-censorship and raise students' academic ambition, from year 4 to high school and all the way to higher education. In this context, La Fondation Dassault Systèmes organized an exceptional day of visiting a place of innovation and meeting professionals in order to allow students living in rural and isolated areas to nurture their orientation projects. During this day rich in sharing, the various testimonies of inspiring professionals have indeed opened up new perspectives for them.

Thanks to the support of 38 Dassault Systèmes volunteers, students attended various workshops to explore the world of technology with the virtual twin and learn about the diversity of jobs within an international scientific company as well as soft skills and "business etiquette". This exhilarating day allowed the students to discover - or rediscover - the Mission Océan project, see virtual universes at the service of industry in action, meet with passionate professionals working in the fields of engineering, law and marketing at the service of innovation, and ask them many questions.