Mission
Énergie Scolaire (ÉS), a program powered by Forces AVENIR (FA), aims to fund student commitment in projects that contribute to the development of socially conscious, responsible, active and persevering citizens who are both dedicated to their community and open to the world.
Description of the Énergie Scolaire Program
Created in 2020, Énergie Scolaire (ÉS) is a new Forces AVENIR (FA) program and the result of a partnership between the Québec government, the Secrétariat à la jeunesse and the Forces AVENIR Foundation (FAF).
As the program’s actions are intended to be different from those of existing FA programs, it will operate under a separate trademark.
The first phase of the ÉS Program was launched in 2020 and marked the beginning of the fundraising campaign. The program will therefore fund its first projects in 2021. At the end of the next five-year period, ÉS will provide annual support to between 80 and 100 science and technology projects at the high school, college and university levels.
The funding amounts of the ÉS Program will range from $500 to $1,000 at the high school level, from $1,500 to $2,000 at the college level and from $2,000 to $2,500 at the university level. When the program has reached its full potential in 2025-2026, the projects will share a total of $161,000. Until that time, the amounts granted to projects will increase year by year, as indicated in the table below.
2021-2022 |
2022-2023 |
2023-2024 |
2024-2025 |
2025-2026 |
89 000 $ |
125 000 $ |
135 000 $ |
145 000 $ |
161 000 $ |
NB: When the $1.5M campaign with the private sector has been completed, the funding for projects will increase from $161,000 to $210,000 and targets will be adjusted accordingly.
Fundraising campaign
The government has given FAF the opportunity to establish a fund reserved for the Science and Technology category so it can provide financial support and encourage student engagement in fields related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). This partnership consists of $4.5M in financial assistance, which will take the form of match funding, and will be combined in part with contributions from the private sector, up to the amount of $1.5M.
In doing so, by 2026, FAF will have accumulated $6M in permanent capital and the usufruct of 3.5% will be used as a source of funding for projects undertaken by students and educational institutions in the Science and Technology category. This will ensure the sustainability of the program for future generations. FAF agrees to respect the funding ratio of a $1 contribution from the private sector for every $3 government contribution.
FAF and FA will be responsible for making the necessary representations with government agencies and private companies so that projects in the other categories are also eligible to receive funding in the coming years. To do so, FAF will conduct a major fundraising campaign with both the public and private sectors which will be carried out over a period of approximately 10 years in order to establish a fund for each of the other categories.
The campaign target is $42M. In doing so, FAF will accumulate capital, the interest on which will be used to fund initiatives in all the categories. Furthermore, this way of managing capital will ensure the sustainability of the program for future generations.
Forces AVENIR – Promoting engagement
“PROMOTING AS A MEANS OF ADVOCATNG”
Forces AVENIR (FA) believes that all individuals have the right to live in a society where the prevailing conditions will enable them to reach their full potential and is dedicated to taking responsible action which will pave the way to all opportunities: this action is promotion of student engagement in society as a means of advocating.
FA has chosen to target youth and make known inspiring examples which illustrate the avenues that can be pursued so that society and the education system can better fulfil their mission: to build a world that is a better place where each and every one of us can live and contribute to the development of socially conscious, fulfilled, responsible and committed citizens.
Why youth and education ?
Youth is a critical period in life. This transitional time is conducive to personal development, a period when each and every one of us can reach our full potential and this is why society should ensure its well-being. It is important to be aware of this and to act accordingly with intelligence and kindness. Our future depends on it.
For this reason, the FA movement will always serve the education system. Along with the family unit, the academic environment is where individuals progress towards fully developing the strengths that build our world.
Forces AVENIR mission
To recognize, honour and promote the civic engagement of students in projects that contribute to the development of socially conscious, responsible, active and persevering citizens who are both dedicated to their community and open to the world.
Forces AVENIR long-term vision
To be an integral part of all educational institutions across Québec, from elementary school to university, and then open up to the world.
Forces AVENIR Foundation
The Forces AVENIR Foundation (FAF) was established in 2011, and in 2017 it launched an extensive fundraising campaign in collaboration with public and private sectors, which will enable it to raise a total of $24.5M. To this end, the organization will conduct three campaigns with the following targets :
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$15M from 2017 to 2022, of which $14.1M has been raised to date;
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$6.5M from 2021 to 2026, of which $5.37M has been raised to date;
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$3M for the 2020-2021 College Program, which has been completed and of which $3M was raised.
A significant amount of capital will be accumulated for FAF, and the usufruct (3.5%) will be invested in FA. This will help minimize financial risks, consolidate the strength of existing programs, develop new initiatives and ensure the sustainability of the FA mission in society.