Vice Versa D-53687: Appren’TISSAGE, with five Niagara schools

The Appren’TISSAGE project was created in response to a need voiced by students at the Conseil scolaire Viamonde schools in the Niagara region, from kindergarten to Grade 12: to promote physical, mental and social well-being while building leadership among secondary school students. Students said they wanted to take part in a long-term project that supports social justice, inclusion, respect for differences and the creation of healthy, caring school environments.

The project also aims to strengthen the partnership between the Conseil scolaire Viamonde and the community organization SOFIFRAN, in order to support francophone initiatives that meet the needs of young people in the region. Through this collaboration, students have the chance to build their leadership skills while making a positive contribution to their school community.

Participating schools: École secondaire Franco-Niagara, École élémentaire Franco-Niagara, École élémentaire L’Héritage, École élémentaire LaMarsh, École élémentaire Nouvel Horizon.

Partners: SOFIFRAN, Conseil scolaire Viamonde, Vice Versa grant.

About the activity

On June 12, 2026, as part of the Appren’TISSAGE project, students took part in the launch of a long-term initiative focused on overall well-being, social justice and student leadership. Carried out in partnership with SOFIFRAN, the project will give students access to educational activities, workshops and talks offered in French throughout the year by experts from a range of fields.

The project aims in particular to:

• Raise students’ awareness of the importance of mental health and give them tools that support their emotional and psychological well-being.
• Encourage discussion and reflection on themes tied to social justice, equity, diversity and inclusion.
• Offer awareness workshops on racism and discrimination.
• Create safe spaces where students can talk about topics such as bullying, LGBTQIA2+ realities, cultural belonging and respect for differences.
• Deepen students’ knowledge of Indigenous perspectives and reconciliation.
• Encourage secondary school students to exercise their leadership by helping plan, promote and lead some of the activities offered to their peers.

Through this initiative, students are called on to become agents of change in their school by helping build a school community that is more inclusive, more engaged and more caring. The project also strengthens the ties between the school, families and the francophone community organizations of the Niagara region.

Thank you

We thank Vice Versa for the financial support that made this meaningful project possible. Thanks to this grant, students were able to live their Francophonie in an authentic, inclusive and creative way, while building lasting ties with the community.