Anne Lessard

Bio

As far back as I can remember, I have asked myself this question: Why do some students succeed in school while others struggle to do so? Understanding what motivates young people to learn is one thing; understanding what leads some of them to leave school is another. As early as 1991, my undergraduate thesis focused on an outdoor intervention designed to prevent school dropout.

I initially sought answers within the school system, first through a master’s-level ethnographic study examining the role of a school principal. The experience as vice-principal at a boarding school rekindled my research question and motivated me to pursue doctoral studies. In that context, I met with more than one hundred youth who had dropped out of school. Through these interviews, my initial question evolved: my why? became a how? How can we intervene to help these young people find their path—and their voice—so that they can become critical, active, and responsible citizens?

I had the privilege of holding a research chair for ten years, which allowed me to explore this question from two complementary perspectives. On the one hand, I observed teachers in their classrooms and accompanied them in adopting practices that foster student engagement. On the other, I contributed to the development of a community-based school dropout prevention program. These lines of research converge on one key finding: sustained, close, and ongoing support helps young people succeed. More specifically, practices that foster their autonomy, sense of belonging, and sense of competence are important levers for helping them move forward and thrive.

Since 2011, I have collaborated with Maison Jeunes-Est, a community organization located in Sherbrooke, Quebec, on the implementation of the Accès 5 program. This collaboration reflects a conviction that runs throughout my work: to provide lasting support for young people’s success, interventions must extend beyond school to encompass other spheres of their lives. I am therefore interested in how psychosocial support, learning assistance, extracurricular activities, and financial support can be brought together to help young people develop their potential and transform their life trajectories.

This research orientation places my work at the heart of Axis 1, which focuses on young people’s trajectories. It is also guided by a longstanding commitment to the interrelationship between research, training, and practice. Understandinyg the effects of interventions and determining the conditions under which they can be effective are inseparable from their implementation in real-world settings. My work therefore also aligns with Axis 2, which addresses the effectiveness of practices, and Axis 3, which focuses on implementation contexts. From this perspective, comparing the Eastern Townships region of Quebec with contexts in the rest of Canada, in France and Uganda offers a promising avenue for the development of my future research projects.

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