Since 2014, the ACFO-SDG has been organizing a comedy competition for Franco-Ontarian teenagers, the LOL – Mort de Rire! Contest. This project introduces more than 250 students aged 14 to 18 to the practice of humor. Ontario’s Francophone schools located mainly in the North, East, South-Central and South-West-West regions. The Youth – Humor project wants to engage a growing number of young people in a learning process in creation and humorous service. This commitment will enable youth and adults who support them to develop artistic skills that will foster the professionalization of the next generation of artistic leaders. By increasing the number of school boards participating in the project, and therefore the number of students, the project hopes to create a unifying Franco-Ontarian project that mobilizes youth from across the province. Humor will become not only a way of expressing oneself, but also of living one’s Francophone culture and heritage. The intent of ACFO SDG is to transform this project into a viable social economy enterprise recognized by the Ontario Ministry of Education and the education community as a significant contribution to language planning.
To help stakeholders achieve their goals, Christelle Paré is conducting an impact study that will, on the one hand, measure and understand more the effects of its experience and, on the other, participate in the study. scientific conversation about the use of humor in:
- Transmission of language and culture;
- Increasing self-esteem
- The construction of the identity of an individual in relation to his community.
In doing so, the leaders of Jeunesse – Humour hope, through research:
- Consolidate the beneficial aspects of the project;
- Improve the more sensitive aspects;
- To root its legitimacy with the actors of education and culture.