Je Passe Partout’s story began in 1985, the International Year of Youth, with the creation of the Hochelaga-Maisonneuve youth roundtable.
Given the rise in school dropouts and the number of students leaving school as early as Secondary 1 or 2, the roundtable poured its initial efforts into a prevention project. It recognized that, without intervention, undereducated young people risk staying trapped in a cycle of poverty.
Initially overseen by a roundtable committee, Je Passe Partout has been working independently since 1992. Five years later, it started receiving support from Centraide. Even today, collective action guides what it does.
“The biggest strength of Je Passe Partout is our collaborative approach. (…) We are active wherever we are needed, ensuring we find the right solutions for the challenges we face and building strong partnerships to make our interventions effective.”
Since its creation, Je Passe Partout has grown considerably. The agency now works in four neighbourhoods in Montreal’s east end: Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, Mercier-Est, Mercier-Ouest and Saint-Léonard. Every year, it helps over 800 students aged 3 to 15 who have learning or behavioural problems or who are experiencing family issues. They are referred by the school or the health network.
Je Passe Partout provides support directly at 12 schools (after class time), at one of the agency’s 13 points of service, or directly at home with students, which gives the agency multiple avenues to work with families in a more comprehensive way. Overall, 150 families benefit from this support.
“Many of the families supported by Je Passe Partout are in situations of extreme poverty, and it’s often difficult for them to juggle their various challenges.”
With the new school year just a few days away, Je Passe Partout is getting ready to meet the challenges that crop up year after year. Thanks to its collective approach and deep roots in the neighbourhoods it serves, the agency continues to provide essential support to vulnerable students. Its goal is always the same: to break the cycle of poverty by giving young people tools to succeed at school and, by extension, in life.
Meet Samuel Carrier, Executive Director of Je Passe Partout, in this short video.
Watch the video
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