LaCASE Association · Civic Service Volunteer

Supporting international students toward lasting integration

Context

Every year, several hundred international students arrive in France and face numerous challenges: administrative procedures, access to rights, isolation, financial hardship, cultural adaptation and mental health.

Within the LaCASE Association, I helped develop initiatives to support their social integration and independence.

My role

Civic service volunteer, responsible for supporting international students with their administrative and social procedures and their day-to-day integration.

My main contributions

Social and administrative support

• Supporting more than 200 international students a year with their administrative procedures
• Referring students to mainstream services (CAF, health insurance, housing, prefecture, etc.)
• Providing information on social rights and individualised support based on each person's needs

Creating a listening unit

To combat the isolation of international students and prevent psychological hardship, I set up a listening unit offering a space for dialogue, guidance and support. More than 100 students used it. It's probably one of the achievements I'm proudest of, and it directly inspired the creation of a radio programme on these same issues.

• Breaking isolation and preventing situations of distress
• Supporting students' wellbeing
• Strengthening ties with partner organisations

Coordinating a food aid programme

In partnership with Solidarité DOM-TOM. Of the 200 students registered for our support, 50 received food aid over the course of the year.

• Logistics coordination and partner relations
• Registering beneficiaries and organising distributions
• More than 500 parcels distributed, at a unit value of €10.50
• Weekly updates to the association's website

Communication and events

• Contributing to the Case Campus radio programme
• Showcasing the association's work and animating its community
• Helping organise conferences, round tables and intercultural events

"In and Out of the Box" radio programme

A bi-monthly programme on Radio Campus Montpellier, which I contributed to, born from my experience with the listening unit. It aimed to shine a light on the struggles of minorities, and of students in general, in Montpellier: isolation, discrimination, hardship in all its forms.

Training with partner networks

In connection with the partner networks Animafac and Engagé·e·s et Déterminé·e·s (E&D).

• Advocacy training with E&D (6 May 2023, Paris): workshop defining advocacy, learning methodologies through case studies, testimonials from advocacy professionals, hands-on practice building one's own strategy, tips for public speaking
• FOCUS Toulouse (4-5 February 2023)
• Civic and citizenship training (15-16 December 2022, Bordeaux), with Jeunes Européens France: preparing civic service volunteers for French and European citizenship and civic life

World café and awareness campaign

Facilitating a discussion group at a world café conference on tackling discrimination and mental health prevention. Contributing to the "La pauvreté c'est nulle" ("Poverty sucks") campaign, aimed at deconstructing myths around hardship in general.

Results

• 200 international students registered, 50 food aid beneficiaries over the year
• More than 500 parcels distributed (unit value: €10.50)
• Creation of a listening unit
• Strengthened partnerships

Skills mobilised

What this experience taught me

This experience profoundly changed how I think about support work. I came to understand that meeting a need is not just about offering a solution. It's above all about creating an environment where everyone can regain their bearings, rebuild confidence, and become a full participant in their own journey.

Gallery

Photos, posters, articles or certificates related to this project.

In the media

Midi Libre: "La Case œuvre contre la précarité et l'isolement des étudiants", Social section, Montpellier, 28/03/2023.