These students who get involved
Who said young people no longer have a taste for commitment? At UM, more than 130 associations invite you to discover the university in a spirit of solidarity and community.
Youth Takes Action: From the Streets of Montpellier to the Emergency in the Mediterranean
In just over two years, the association Jeunesse s'engage (Youth Commits) has managed to bring together no fewer than 80 members behind Thierry Escolar and his friend Olivier Saunier, the two students at the helm of an association that is reviving collective action. A history and political science student, Thierry advocates a "non-partisan and cross-divisive" approach. He encourages students and high schoolers to get involved in civic actions: patrolling the streets of Montpellier, health prevention campaigns, collecting hygiene products for disadvantaged women, and more.
It is through action that the young man flourishes: in the summer of 2016, Thierry arrived in Palermo with a ton of supplies for young migrants who had washed up on the shores of Sicily. Once there, he and a few others set up a humanitarian effort worthy of a professional NGO, offering sports activities, psychological support, training sessions, and more. The young political scientist invites all those of good will to join him: "There comes a time when protesting is no longer enough. After philosophy comes action."
Health tutoring, for equal opportunities in PACES
Health studies tutoring involves more than 1,000 multiple-choice questions, course reviews, mock exams, and valuable methodological advice provided to students in their first year of health studies (PACES). Provided by students in higher years of medicine, pharmacy, dentistry, or midwifery, health tutoring brings together nearly 250 tutors trained in the basics of teaching. Their role is to support PACES students during this decisive year, which culminates in a highly selective exam.
And the results speak for themselves: " students who have benefited from tutoring are six times more likely to pass the competitive exam, a figure equivalent to that of students who have attended a prep school," says Mathieu Bauer, president of the FED, which brings together various health tutoring associations. Private prep schools offer support for several thousand euros, while tutoring is free. Funded by the university, this program mobilizes teachers each year to train tutors.
The UM Naturalist Group at the forefront of biodiversity
At GNUM, we make little distinction between beginners, passionate amateurs, and professional researchers. It's a way of celebrating diversity that fits well with this association, whose goal is precisely to promote an unsuspected (bio)diversity: that of our campuses. Thanks to the Inventaire fac' project, GNUM has highlighted hundreds of plant and animal species that thrive at our feet or above our heads, thus contributing to valuable monitoring of the state of local biodiversity. This is a fine example of "participatory science" that has been emulated in Marseille and Toulouse. GNUM also carries out awareness-raising activities with schoolchildren in Celleneuve and La Mosson, organizes nature outings and events such as the 24-hour biodiversity event in Triolet with scientific activities, observations, school workshops, and more. Above all, GNUM seeks to raise awareness: "We always want to protect what we know," sums up Thomas, who completed his civic service last year with this association, which has 170 members. At the heart of GNUM's philosophy is the mixing of levels and skills. The association invites everyone, whether they are from UM or not, to come and get their hands dirty and their feet in the soil to help advance knowledge and protection of this discreet but vital biodiversity.
iTALKs: When speech is liberated
Inspired by the famous TED talks, iTALKs were launched in 2017 at the Richter Student Union. In April, around 20 students took to the stage at the MDE, often for the first time.
The concept: for five minutes, each participant presents a topic that is important to them to the audience with humor, seriousness, or emotion. While the format is lighthearted, the goal is very serious: to practice public speaking, which is a source of anxiety for many students. However, it is an essential exercise for presenting one's work effectively. Beyond their educational value, iTALKs are an opportunity for students from very different campuses and backgrounds to meet. "The goal is also to allow everyone to share a passion or personal experience with an audience of strangers and in front of a jury," explains Nicolas Heckmann, who initiated the project. The topics covered in this first edition ranged from experiences of racism and childhood in Tahiti to the blue economy and the death of a loved one.
To prepare for their presentations, the iTalkers benefited from eight training sessions led by an instructor from the Cours Florent drama school and a coach from the doctoral school. After all, public speaking is not something that can be improvised. "Daring to speak up is real work," confirms Frauke Batbedat, stage manager at the MDE.
iTalks are back in 2018, so stay tuned!