Since 1947, Maped has become over the years a key player in back-to-school in more than 125 countries around the world, giving children around the world access to high-quality products.

In parallel with its mission as a school supplier, the company has always been committed to supporting educational projects, particularly through product donations. In Europe, Latin America and Asia, through the group’s subsidiaries, distribution network and employees, thousands of children have been able to benefit from Maped products and thus equip themselves to learn.

 

In 2021, Maped structures and develops its sponsorship action by creating the 1% For Education Fund. Aiming to finance the maximum number of initiatives in favour of education around the world!

 

With several hundred million products sold around the world, some of which will see 1% of their turnover donated to the Fund, we are convinced that we can participate at our level in improving the education of many children around the world.

 

 

The missions of the 1% For Education fund

PROVIDE ACCESS TO EDUCATION FOR ALL CHILDREN

• Facilitating access to school, regardless of the child’s place of life, disability or origin

• Equipping for learning, so that every child can go to school with the supplies they need
• By fighting against early school leaving, so that schooling continues to the end

 

DEVELOPING CHILDREN’S TALENTS TO CHANGE THE WORLD

• By valuing creativity, especially through manual experimentation
• By allowing each child to discover and develop their own talents

• By supporting innovative educational projects and new forms of education

 

Beyond financial support, the fund’s objective is also to enable human adventures. It allows maped group employees to get involved in projects with associations and to give their time to participate in the action of partner associations.

 

 

The first projects supported

 

The Way Youth zone

The Way Youth Zone is dedicated to giving young people from diverse backgrounds access to incredible facilities in a vibrant, purpose-built space packed with engaging activities, and the opportunity to make friends, develop new skills, unlock their potential and have fun. Beyond the amazing building, their greatest strength is the team of dedicated and caring youth workers – who are there for young people every day of the week, however they need them. Whether through a conversation, a project, a game or targeted support, they provide life-changing support that helps local young people to thrive.

 

Established in 2012 when Wolverhampton City Council in partnership with local businesses teamed up with Onside to provide the young people of Wolverhampton access to a Youth Zone, and the benefits it can bring for the whole community. Ever since then The Way Youth Zone has been opening its doors to young people aged 8-18 years and offering over 20 activities every night.

 

Thanks to the 1% for Education Fund, Maped Helix has handed over £5,000 worth of music equipment to The Way Youth Zone, including four electric guitars, four acoustic guitars, a drum kit and two top-of-the-range amps.

 

Kay Aldridge, Arts Co-Ordinator at The Way, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to receive this extraordinary donation from Maped Helix. Our young people are over the moon to have the chance to learn to play these incredible new instruments.

 

“Our Youth Zone welcomes over a thousand young people – six days a week – giving them somewhere to go, something to do and someone to talk to in a safe environment.

 

“We run up to 20 different activities each night, such as team sports, climbing, creative arts and music – all for just £5 annual membership and 50p per visit.

 

“One of our most popular spaces is the music room, where young people can get creative and learn new skills with guidance from our leaders and volunteers.

 

“Some of our equipment was getting old and tired, so these new instruments have come at just the right time.”

 

Rebecca Ostrowski, Marketing Executive at Maped Helix, said the company was delighted to support The Way.

 

She said: “Maped Helix’s mission is to empower every child to change the world with their own hands and to make access to education easier to develop every child’s potential. This is why the 1% for Education initiative was launched, to allow us to give something back to our local community by supporting charities and not-for-profit organisations with a clear focus on education.

 

“The Way is an amazing facility that does really valuable work with Wolverhampton’s young people and we are delighted to be able to help with this donation of music equipment. It was a real privilege to see the joy on the faces of some of the young people as they unboxed the new instruments.

 

“Music is a great way to inspire creativity and relieve stress. We hope this equipment brings many years of joy.”

 

 

Our projects around the world

 

The Shechem Association

Created by a Haut-Savoyarde who fell in love with Senegal and was marked by the difficulties of access to education in this country, the Shechem association’s mission is to contribute to development and education throughout French-speaking Africa.

 

The first school of the association opened its doors in 2017, in the village of La Somone in Senegal. In 2020, 70 children are enrolled in school from the age of 2, some with disabilities. Thanks to the association and teaching of local teachers, they learn to read, write, count and acquire the basics of the French language, a skill necessary for the pursuit of schooling.

 

1% For Education is committed to working alongside the association to offer access to education to all children in the country. In the first place by allowing him to finalize the construction of the current school and thus cover the entire cycle of primary school.

 

In June 2021, 9 volunteer Maped employees committed to their holidays to participate in the construction of the new classrooms and to lead workshops with children. A rich and unique experience, a real awareness of the country’s problems.

 

 

The association Ma Chance Moi Aussi

The association, based in Chambéry, was created by André Payerne, an industrialist from Haut-Savoyard, who noted the social inequality that exists in the disadvantaged suburbs of our country. Himself mobilized to transmit to the children of very fragile families fundamental values, to offer them an awakening to various activities and an opening to the world, he created Ma Chance Moi Aussi in 2015. The mission of the association is simple: to offer the same chances of success to all children!

 

Through these institutions, more than 200 children aged 5 to 16, 92% of whom come from families below the poverty line, are offered a chance to succeed in school.

The strong presence of the association in the Rhône-Alpes region, and the alignment of their mission and that of the 1% For Education fund have naturally led us to want to support its development and help it spread its innovative model throughout France.

 

Maped employees are associated with the association’s project by imagining workshops for children from different schools. So many opportunities to help them develop their creativity, to discover the world of business or to understand how a new product is born!

 

 

The association Grandir et Création

The Annecy association “Grandir et Création” was created 5 years ago. Its mission: to support parents and education professionals who wish to set up initiatives to strengthen children’s connection to nature, to themselves and to others.

 

In 2021, the association “Grandir et Création” launches the first edition of the Festival des Jeunes en Action. The objective is to bring together as many actors and initiatives as possible from the department and at the national level, who share the desire to allow children to feel that they are part of the society in which they live, to gain confidence in their creative resources, and to choose to grow as agents of change, confident, creative and fulfilled.

This event was made possible thanks to the financial support of partners like Maped through the 1% For Education fund.