Centre DÉBAT: The Story

A gamble supporting autonomy and knowledge

At the origin of the creation of the Centre DÉBAT and its establishment in the Hochelaga-Maisonneuve/ Mercier district in 1991, a shared passion moved the two founders, Lise Duplain and Johanne Bisson, then two students in Literacy Education at UQAM: to allow individuals with little schooling to break free from their social and economic isolation by giving them access to a basic literacy training adapted to their needs and environment. It was a dynamic training, in constant evolution, given in the workplace, and based on both research and the awareness of the specific realities of the area as well as the people involved in the training.

Close and productive partnerships

Fully committed to keeping this gamble alive, right from the beginning the Centre DÉBAT worked in collaboration with community and socio-economic workers from the district, and succeeded in establishing flexible and productive partnerships with several among them. It was with Cartons St-Laurent, Lavo, Lallemand Inc., the Guichet multi-services, the Commission scolaire de la Pointe de l'Ile, the CDEST project, by way of integration, as well as the Chic Resto Pop, la Cuisine collective Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, through workplace integration, the Bureaux d'Antoine, SOS Vélo and Éco-quartier Pierre-de-Coubertin, that the training projects, adjusted according to their development strategies, were developed and carried out to the benefit of the workers and organizations.      

A willingness and determination to remain tuned-in

Conscious of the dynamic and evolutionary character of the learning process, and determined to remain close to the people and partners, the Centre DÉBAT not stopping at perfecting its approach, attributed a high priority to research and development. It not only designed didactic material specifically for people in difficulty, but also created, for individuals with little schooling and in collaboration with the l’Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue (UQAT), the first ever cognitive education program, Learning to Learn, which in turn contributed to the creation of the program Apprends-moi à apprendre (Teach me to Learn).