2018 annual and sustainable performance report

An open attitude

Arkema Promotes Education

The mission of the Arkema Education Fund, created in 2016 on our tenth anniversary, is to support the hard work and commitment of employees who volunteer for educational and humanitarian causes at nonprofits, regardless of country. It is a direct outgrowth of our CSR program. Resources were donated to around 30 nonprofits supported by Arkema employees to fund facilities, scholarships, school supplies and equipment, support at-risk groups and help people with disabilities. Two iconic, award-winning projects, L’Oiseau Bleu and Proxité, are featured below.

Proxité  was created in 2002 in the northern suburbs of Paris. Its goal is to build bridges between urban youth, usually isolated minors, and the work world through education-related projects. The nonprofit stands out for its decision to work with companies, such as Arkema, located near its service areas. Mentors from partner businesses commit to helping young people academically, rounding out their support by introducing them to their own professional world. Direct donations from the Arkema Education Fund also helped Proxité buy new supplies and textbooks, recruit a civic service volunteer and expand the scope of its services.


I wanted to do something in the realm of education by donating a little of my time to at-risk youth. They need to have structure in their lives, get motivated about school and gain self-confidence. I chose Proxité’s approach because it combines academic support and working professionals, at the local level. It’s very much about connecting two worlds that share the same space but unfortunately still don’t cross paths very much.

Benoît Girard, BPO Manufacturing, Bostik, and Proxité volunteer

L’Oiseau  Bleu [Blue Bird], a nonprofit based in Normandy, supports and advises people on the autism spectrum and their families. Aid provided by the Arkema Education Fund helped set up a specialized experimental classroom for autistic children ages 6 to 12, based in a regular public school. This genuinely pioneering effort in France, christened the “Blue Nest,” is designed to help students learn the basics (reading, writing, counting and social skills) by providing a full range of support focused on achieving greater independence and education. Its specialized team includes a teacher and an educator trained in autism, medical-psychological assistance, a special needs teacher’s aide and a medical-social support unit with a psychomotor therapist, psychologist and speech therapist.


The Arkema Education Fund contributed significantly to furnishing a sensory room for which we had to buy professional equipment designed specifically for autism. We wouldn’t have been able to do it alone with our current funding.

Patrice Perret, Assistant Director, Cerdato R&D center, active member of L’Oiseau Bleu