Transmitting the riches
of our mountains
The Mountain Care Project supports organisations working to make the mountains accessible to all.
En passant par la montagne
- Amount awarded: 8000 €
The organisation
For over 30 years, En Passant Par la Montagne has been committed to making the mountains accessible to everyone, especially people facing poverty, social exclusion, disability, illness, or school dropout.
Its mission has three main goals:
- support vulnerable groups toward a fresh start,
- promote the mountain as an educational and inclusive tool,
- use popular education as a bridge to autonomy and self-confidence.
The project
In 2025, the Mountain Care Project will support a flagship initiative: the development of inclusive mountain sports clubs.
Already well established with two climbing clubs and one hiking club, these spaces welcome people from diverse backgrounds every week: youth facing social challenges, older adults, unaccompanied minors, people with disabilities, and anyone who loves nature and community.
The activities go far beyond regular sessions and include weekend trips, special outings, snowshoeing, canyoning, interclub meetings, and in 2025, the creation of an artistic performance to celebrate the association’s 30th anniversary.
Support from Mountain Care will help sustain and expand these activities, explore a new inclusive discipline (trail running or mountaineering), and continue to promote a mountain environment that is more open, humane, and deeply supportive.
Les Enfermés Dehors
- Amount awarded: 10000 €
The organisation
Les Enfermés Dehors is committed to making mountains accessible to everyone, with a special focus on young people from Albertville’s underserved neighborhoods and low-income families.
The association runs two academies offering immersive sport-and-nature programs. Through seasonal outdoor experiences, it trains young persons in mountain safety and environmental preservation, while also introducing them to various mountain-related professions along the trails.
The project
Support from the Mountain Care Project would enable the creation of a second group for younger participants, expand the association’s outreach within local communities, and continue transforming the mountains into spaces for relaxation, learning, and social inclusion.
Yambi
- Amount awarded: 8000 €
The organisation
Founded in 2020 in Annecy, YAMBI is an association dedicated to welcoming and supporting exiled and refugee individuals by combining mountain sports, socio-professional integration, and environmental awareness.
Its mission is to build bridges between local and exiled communities, promoting social diversity and deepening understanding of climate and human issues. The organisation is driven by dedicated leadership, a diverse board, and an active staff, all united by the values of solidarity, dignity, and mutual support.
The project
Cordée d’Avenir is a people-first environmental initiative that blends physical activity, ecological education, and empowerment. Developed in response to the interconnected challenges of exile and climate change, the program includes two complementary components.
The first includes nature-based workshops, educational “fresques” (interactive group activities on climate, migration, and the mountains), and custom-designed board games—tools that build ecological awareness, encourage critical thinking, and foster civic engagement.
The second is physical and symbolic, using climbing to promote mental health, as well as physical and personal empowerment, especially for exiled women. Over time, some participants will be trained to pass these skills on to others.
1% Mont-Blanc
- Amount awarded: 4805 €
The organisation
Founded in February 2024 in Chamonix, 1% Mont Blanc is a young nonprofit inspired by the Vail Valley Foundation model. Its mission is to empower local youth to become changemakers through initiatives focused on sports, culture, and the environment.
The project
With support from the Mountain Care Project, 1% Mont Blanc will be able to continue and expand its programming in 2025. Plans include growing flagship events like the Super Pitch, offering new opportunities for engagement, such as masterclasses and meetings with inspiring figures, and launching a wider range of youth-led initiatives throughout the region.
CIMME
- Amount awarded: 15000 €
The organisation
Founded in 2022, the Centre for Integration through Mountain and Environmental Professions (CIMME) supports the professional inclusion of disadvantaged youth by training them for future-oriented careers tied to ecological transition in mountain regions.
Backed by the ETRE network (Schools for the Ecological Transition), CIMME develops innovative programs that blend time spent in nature, hands-on projects, meetings with professionals, and skill-building experiences.
The project
With support from the Mountain Care Project, CIMME will offer a pre-qualification program focused on careers in sustainable tourism and mountain conservation. This two- to three-month course is designed for young people transitioning careers or planning to settle in mountainous regions, who often lack professional networks, technical experience, and a solid understanding of local environmental issues. Participants receive field-based training from dedicated professionals in a supportive, immersive setting.
The funding will help CIMME co-finance support for eight participants and organize field trips to explore mountain ecosystems, an essential step in fostering ecological awareness and career readiness.
École des Pôles
- Amount awarded: 6000 €
The organisation
École des Pôles is dedicated to raising climate awareness among the younger generation, particularly those facing social inclusion challenges, through the lens of science and wonder.
Its educational model combines scientific rigor with the exploration of polar regions, equipping new generations with a deeper understanding of climate change.
The project
In April 2025, École des Pôles led three weeks of climate awareness workshops in Bassens, near Chambéry, with a key objective: to reach over 600 students, many from underprivileged school settings (REP, SEGPA, multilingual classes, etc.).
These interactive three-hour workshops combine scientific exploration, quizzes, experiments, videos, and polar-inspired stories, fostering awareness that is both emotional and evidence-based.
Each session helps participants understand, feel, and act through mental mapping exercises, practical discussions of solutions, and personalized carbon footprint assessments (in partnership with ADEME) for older students.
Support from the Mountain Care Project will strengthen local impact, cover the costs associated with hosting these specific audiences, and provide sustainable educational materials to partner schools.
