Safety and creativity: an immense success for the PEP64 video

• Road safety is a key value at TotalEnergies. Our aim is to reduce the number of road accident victims by heightening awareness, in particular among young people.
• The TotalEnergies Foundation and the Michelin Foundation joined forces to develop a global road safety education program for young people aged 10-18.
• The PEP64 in Pau took the training course and were then able to run the program for their students at the IME. The young people who received their certificates also took part in a creativeness competition by shooting a video.

“I’m particularly mindful of the topic of road safety, and it’s essential to raise awareness among young people to prevent road accidents. I also like to share my knowledge and skills, and the educational methods proposed in the VIA program appealed to me.” Hélène Ruiz, an advisor in social and family economics for people with disabilities at PEP64, ran the VIA program in Pau. The association groups together several establishments, including an IME, a medical-social clinic, for young people aged 14 to 20. They attend the institute as part of a pre-professional training course conducted by the departmental home for people with disabilities (MDPH). 130 students with slight to moderate disabilities attend workshops that give them an insight into different professions: cooking, maintenance, parks & gardens, etc. They also benefit from educational workshops and a care program.

Nine young people at the heart of an innovative educational approach

“The approach is extremely innovative; I really liked the new perspective that the VIA method provides. As instructors or teachers, we have knowledge that we pass on, whereas in this case, everything is based on discussion and exchange – among the young people. They observe situations and draw conclusions, discuss them together and make one another think about their behaviors. It’s a very interesting way of approaching a debate with students, as they find the solutions to problems themselves” observes Hélène Ruiz. She adds that the testimony given by Nadia Karmel, victim of a road accident in which her two daughters perished, really hit home. In a live session streamed just for their class, the students were able to talk to her once she had told her story.
 

The program which began in early December 2020, came to a close at the end of April 2021, to take the time to think and capitalize on the fruitful and interesting discussions. Over the months, a participant appointed by the TotalEnergies Foundation monitored the program and was able to give support and valuable advice on the implementation of the different modules. The program ended with the creativeness competition on the topic of speeding. Each establishment where the VIA program was run during the year, submitted an awareness-raising video, and TotalEnergies employees were asked to vote for the top three. “The students really threw themselves into it. They drew their inspiration from computer games in which they have several lives, unlike in real life... They made a short video that we edited with the help of a colleague from the IT workshop. Whatever the result, that they are eagerly awaiting*, they can be really proud of themselves, they’ve done a brilliant job!” their professor enthused.

Video submitted by the young people from PEP64: Djibril, Brice, Aleaia, Jean, Galdys Benjamin et Yousssef, Anthony et Yoan.

*The entry was not one of the prizewinners, but the video was shared in-house as part of the Safety Moment that all TotalEnergies employees are familiar with, as the opening session at all work meetings.