Our impact

"I'm very grateful to the Institut, because I sincerely believe that I couldn't have done what I've done without their help. They gave me back my confidence and they trusted me. I owe them a huge debt of gratitude. After a complicated start at university and a Civic Service, William found the resources within himself to build a project and join the Institut de l'Engagement. With the support of his counsellor, he took a liking to his studies and obtained a Bachelor's degree in international and societal development project coordination, followed by a Master's degree in Conflict and Development at Sciences Po Lille. The Institut de l'Engagement enabled him to continue his studies with peace of mind by granting him scholarships. This path has since led him to build an entrepreneurial project with his wife (also a prize-winner!): Sign&Oz, an association offering tailor-made extra-curricular support in French sign language for young people. He was awarded the Deloitte Prize in 2023.

Pour Aurore, l'Institut de l'Engagement a été “un beau jalon dans mon parcours professionnel et personnel.” Après un cursus d'études artistiques en graphisme, Aurore était sans idée précise sur ce qu’elle souhaitait construire, sans réseau particulier, et sur un marché du travail saturé de candidats. D’ailleurs, l’idée de travailler pour de grandes marques politiquement et philosophiquement éloignées de ses valeurs, ne l’enchantaient pas. L’opportunité du Service Civique puis de l’Institut se sont présentés à elle. Il lui a montré, dès l'entretien d'admission, que les pistes de réflexion étaient plus vastes et nombreuses qu’elle ne le croyait, qu'il était possible de prendre des chemins de traverse, pour l’amener à son projet singulier collant avec sa personnalité. Ensuite, durant les universités de l’Engagement, elle a pu sentir à l'œuvre “la force du collectif, rencontrer des dizaines de belles personnes qui inventent tous les jours des solutions dans leurs secteurs respectifs, qui se mettent en mouvement et se coordonnent. Elles lui ont également permis de collaborer professionnellement avec certaines lauréates de sa promotion. “Ce sont des temps d'inspiration, d'empouvoirement et de partage très riches émotionnellement.” Sa chargée d'accompagnement lui a permis d’évoluer dans un contexte bienveillant réconfortant, un véritable soutien. Aujourd’hui, Aurore est reconnaissante envers l’Institut, car elle est artiste, illustratrice-graphiste, autrice à son compte, et elle en est très heureuse.

Davide, who has a Masters 2 in Political Science and Asian Studies, wanted to explore the professional world. With no experience and no real career goals, he decided to embark on a Civic Service with the AFEV association, which fights against educational and social inequalities. He wanted to find out more about working in the voluntary sector. At the end of his Civic Service, he discovered the Institut de l'Engagement: the "turning point in his life". This was a real opportunity for him, as it put him in touch with various partners, with whom he was interviewed to become a Junior Consultant, which he did successfully. It was the start of a career that saw Davide become an expert in IT project management, moving to Singapore and then Tokyo, where he continues to develop professionally today.

After a gap year during which she did a 6-month Civic Service in Togo in the environmental field, Chiara resumed her studies in Master 2 Economics of Sustainable Development at Paris I University. She took advantage of the Institute's mentoring services to help her find a work placement for the end of her studies, and also to help her define her career plan, which she was considering for an international institution, but didn't know exactly what she wanted to do or what job she wanted to do. Without any judgement," she says, "even though it was a difficult process for me, my mentor always gave me advice and support, and listened carefully to what I had to say. This enabled her to take a step back from what interested her, how to present herself, how to achieve her goals, etc. This mentoring helped her to realise that she wanted to work in project design: Chiara then found an internship in social policy in an international development organisation, in a Central African country: exactly what she concluded was the internship of her dreams.