A New Springboard for Social and Gender Diversity

A joint initiative by CentraleSupélec, the ENS Paris-Saclay and the École des Ponts ParisTech

This program, aimed at fostering social and gender diversity, will come into action at the start of school year 2024-2025. It is a significant step towards greater inclusivity in the scientific French Grandes Écoles. By offering tailored tools and support systems, the schools are committed to creating an inclusive environment for the growth and success of talented students, regardless of their social background or their gender.

Goal of the program: getting more people accepted into the Grandes Écoles

The main goal is to support students in scientific CPGE classes in schools of the neighboring region, to help them prepare for the competitive exams to be accepted into the partner schools.

The program aims to:

• Fight stereotypes and self-censorship
• Multiply the chances of success for students from modest backgrounds and young women

Proximity and a territorial outlook

The Schools will sign partnership conventions with neighboring high schools; the selection of candidates will be done by these high schools on the basis of social and academic criteria.

The students must fill one of the following criteria:

• Be a young woman,
• Be a bursary beneficiary,
• Have a disability,
• Be from one of the city’s Priority Districts,
• Have registered for exams to be accepted into one of the program’s partner schools.

The final selection will be overseen by a commission from the partner schools.

Concrete actions for the students’success

The program features:

• Tutoring/mentoring sessions all year long with our students and/or alumni; each tutor/mentor individually follows a CPGE student for the whole year;
• Work sessions on campus (visiting hours, work hours dedicated to preparing for specific tests in the competitive exams - english, Supervised Personal Initiative Work, etc., as well as discussions with our students);
• Thematic webinars (methods, stress management, public speaking);
• Financial support for any exam fees for all non-bursary beneficiaries;
• A 1000€ grant for some students with limited financial capabilities in order for them to focus on their studies.

A pilot phase starting in 2024-2025

The pilot phase will involve students in their second year of CPGE specialising in Math-Physics, Physics-Chemistry, Engineering and Math-Engineering. About 30 students will take part in the program at the start of the school year, ten per high school. The goal is for the program to support several dozens of students in their first or second year of CPGE each year.