Program Overview

Program Overview

The Social Enterprise and Community Empowerment in Former Coal Mine Towns program is a DukeEngage initiative that takes place in Saint-Avold, France. The program focuses on partnering with non-profit organizations to work on employment integration programs, neighborhood restoration initiatives, and cultural projects to empower communities and encourage local youth and adults to become actors of socioeconomic growth.

Program Details

• Dates: May 22 - July 17, 2026
• Program Focus: Partnering with non-profit organizations in former coal mine and industrial small towns in northeastern France to work in employment integration programs, neighborhood restoration initiatives, and cultural projects to empower communities and encourage local youth and adults as actors of socioeconomic growth.
• Program Leaders:
  • Germain Choffart, a Lecturing Fellow in the French Language Program in Romance Studies at Duke.

Program Themes

• Arts
• Economic Development
• Education
• Public Policy
• Social Enterprise

Program Description

Saint-Avold is located in Moselle, Lorraine, in Northeastern France on the border with Germany and is a sister city of Fayetteville, NC. It is a historically rich and culturally diverse region with a unique identity marked by coal mines and industries, successive waves of immigration, rolling fields of farmlands, forests, and the remnants of WWI and WWII. The program will couple the motivation and skills of Duke students with the abilities, creativity, and aspirations of local young and adult community members through meaningful initiatives led by the non-profit organizations.

Community Partnerships

• A.S.B.H. (Association d’Action Sociale du Bassin Houiller – Organization for Social Action in the Coal Basin): Originally founded in 1978 to support mine workers and their families, this non-profit organization now provides support to all communities through employment integration programs for young professionals and adults, social enterprises for vocational training, educational and cultural activities for underprivileged children and teens, early-childhood care, after-school support, and parental support for families.
• The town of Saint-Avold
• Mission Locale du Bassin Houiller and Mission Locale Moselle-Centre: non-profit organizations working primarily with young people (16-25 years old) out of the school system. It provides support in the form of professional development and training, business idea start-ups, housing needs, sports and physical activity, health education, administrative support, and geographical mobility.
• Audaces’s (Association d’Union des Activités Culturelles, Éducatives, Sociales et Sportives – Organization for cultural, educational, social, and sporting activities): a non-profit community center located in Folschviller near Saint-Avold providing meaningful social work and support for locals: support for female and minority groups, administrative assistance, pedagogical and educational activities for the youth, school lunches and after-school support, and creative and design studios to encourage business idea development.

Program Requirements

• Language: A minimum of intermediate level French is required of all participants.
• Coursework: Any course in the French Language Program in addition to FR203 is recommended.
• Skills: A strong willingness to learn with and from others, to be patient and flexible. A desire to work on hands-on projects. Some skills or prior experience with the following could be useful: web design, podcasting, social media, teaching, filming, cooking, landscaping and gardening, marketing, and theater.
• Personal Qualities:
  • DukeEngage France volunteers will thrive if they are motivated and enthusiastic for meaningful work with partner organization leaders and participants.
  • Students should exhibit a willingness to share decision making, collaborate, and discuss with patience and thoughtfulness.
  • Participation in the program should originate from a true desire to learn from diversity and different cultures, respecting different backgrounds and viewpoints, working with young and less young humans, and being open to thriving in an unfamiliar environment, such as living in a foreign country for eight weeks.

Logistics

• Housing, meals, and transportation: Students will live in single-occupancy studios in a university residence in Saint-Avold within walking distance of the town center, supermarkets, restaurants, shops, and laundry facilities.
• Local safety, security, and cultural norms: We encourage students who have questions or concerns about health or safety in international programs to check Duke’s International SOS (ISOS) portal for relevant information.

Academic Connections

This program is open to all and may appeal specifically to students interested in pursuing further courses and opportunities in French studies, public policy, cultural anthropology, sociology, political science, business, environmental science, international comparative studies, and community service. Ideally, this program would be part of a constellation of experiences that students pursue regardless of their major, but participation in DukeEngage France could strengthen experience to pursue careers in French studies, NGO leadership, education, social work, or social enterprises.