La Rotonde signed a partnership agreement with the Michelin Corporate Foundation to support the rollout of its Explora-trices project, designed to tackle the under-representation of girls in scientific and industrial careers.
On September 15, La Rotonde’s teams gathered to attend the launch of a major partnership with the Michelin Corporate Foundation. For Jacques Fayolle, Director of Mines Saint-Étienne, “this commitment reflects a shared conviction: science is a lever for transforming society, and it is an integral part of our missions to provide knowledge and share it with the general public”.
This partnership focuses on the Explora-trices project designed by La Rotonde, the Centre for Scientific, Technical and Industrial Culture (CCSTI) at Mines Saint-Étienne, and winner of the “Jobs for the Future” call for projects launched by the Michelin Corporate Foundation.
Its aim is to address stereotypes, because as Jeanne-Marie Mas, Deputy Director of La Rotonde, reminds us, “in France, girls represent only 28% of enrolments in engineering programmes. Yet they lack neither curiosity nor ability for science. But perceptions are formed very early on. They limit what girls imagine is possible”.
The programme will therefore create spaces that enable girls of all generations to experiment freely with science and build confidence.
3 years, 30 projects and more than 1,500 people reached
La Rotonde plans to implement 30 initiatives between 2026 and 2029. Meetings, practical workshops and an educational pathway are planned in particular, and should reach more than 1,500 people.
In practical terms, Explora-trices will offer:
- Mother–daughter workshops to address family perceptions
- Visits by women scientists to middle and high schools
- An educational pathway, SchooLab Sciences en Tous Genres, which will follow 4 classes each year in Loire and Bouches-du-Rhône
- Training in inclusive science communication for women engaged in science
This ambitious project is fully aligned with the values of the Michelin Corporate Foundation. Forrest Patterson, the Foundation’s Director of Civic Engagement, also highlighted the relevance of these initiatives for acting from an early age: “with the support of Mines Saint-Étienne, you have a scheme that is truly unique: from discovering science to support and training”.
