There is no need to wait until you’re 18 to start working on a project or get involved in your neighborhood or village…: The “Junior Association” allows young people under 18 to organize and carry out their projects while discovering the associative dynamic: create a dance group, restore a skate ramp, go on vacation alone, create a street show, offer role-playing games or LAN parties, create a newspaper or a web magazine, protect nature or animals…
So many initiatives carried out by young people aged between 12 and 18: more than 800 Junior Associations active in the 2008/2009 school year and nearly 8000 minors leading these projects… So why not you?
The main accreditation rules are simple: be at least 2 with no maximum, a majority of young people under 18, two representatives (or more if you wish) who are minors at the time of the accreditation request. The operation must of course be democratic, and the project must be led by the youth. Adults can help and advise you, but they will not be part of the Junior Association. Finally, the accreditation is valid for one school year and is renewable every year. We advise you to have an adult mentor (whom we call a local advisor, who is neither a member of the Junior Association nor a departmental liaison).
How to create a Junior Association?
Any group of young people wishing to create one or more common activities can form a Junior Association and apply for accreditation with the National Network. It’s a simple project approach. Just complete an accreditation application (either in paper format or via an online form) and return it, accompanied by a 10 euro fee (regardless of the number of young members of the Junior Association) to one of the Departmental Relays, whose address can be found in the Relays directory.
To complete this application, simply:
• Choose the name of your Junior Association,
• Describe your project,
• Tell us about the creation of this project and your Junior Association,
• Explain how you plan to grow and develop your structure!
And answer the following questions:
How many members will there be?
How do we plan to organize ourselves?
What will be the next actions?
What will be the needs to achieve them (material, premises, human, financial)?
What useful contacts will there be (municipalities, associations, institutions…)?
The creation of this dossier can be carried out with the assistance of a resource person to set up the project and define the group’s initiatives, while leaving plenty of room for the creativity, inventiveness, and desires of the young people.
You will then meet your Departmental Relay to discuss your project, and if all goes well, they will send the file to the national accreditation commission. This commission meets every month and will send you its decision quickly.
You will then benefit from insurance for the members of the Junior Association and can apply to open a bank account whenever you need it.
You will also gain access to an extranet, providing you with various information and documents that can help you with your projects.
