an association of non-formal education & international mobility
Hors Pistes is an association active in the field of non-formal education, based in Marseille, which aims at supporting individual and collective empowerment and emancipation. In our local community and internationally, we create learning spaces where everyone can experiment, reflect, debate and grow. Through European projects, Hors Pistes promotes the Right to access to international mobility as a learning opportunity, and aims at making mobility more accessible, especially for those with fewer opportunities or facing more obstacles in their participation.
Through local activities Hors Pistes works with schools to bridge the gap between formal and non formal education, and provides trainings on a variety of topics for youngsters as well as professionals working in the NGO field.
We are involved in different educational programs at the international scale :
European Solidarity Corps :
Hors Pistes has been active in the field of European volunteering since 2013 and holds a ESC LEAD label, as well as a hosting and supporting label. Each year, we host around 6 ESC volunteers in our team and 25 other volunteers in local organisations that we support in the region of Marseille. We also support volunteers from France who participate in projects abroad in our network of partners in Europe and Neighbor countries. The organisation hosts 2 ESC-team volunteering projects per year in France. We put a strong focus on the inclusion of participants with fewer opportunities who face more obstacles in their participation.
To contact the team : volontariat@hors-pistes.org
Erasmus + Youth
Since 2013, Hors Pistes has also been active in the Erasmus + Youth program and holds the Erasmus + Youth accreditation. Every year, we organise a series of Youth Exchanges and Training courses on different topics, and our team of international trainers also facilitates international activities for other NGOs and Institutions (SALTO, National Agencies, Council of Europe). Hors Pistes is a member of a consortium of organisations designing international activities for youth workers called “The Constellation”.
To contact the team : echanges@hors-pistes.org
Erasmus + VET
Hors Pistes holds the Erasmus + accreditation for Vocational Education and Training and supports French participants for internships abroad in the field of youth and social work, as a part of their curricula.
To contact the team : stages@hors-pistes.org
How do we work?
Since 2024, Hors Pistes has adopted a system of collective and horizontal coordination, led by its 11 employees, originally inspired by sociocratic principles. This governance system is based on horizontality, without hierarchical power structures, and relies on solidarity, trust and the competences’ development of the team members.
This transformation, supported by the Board, reflects a shared desire to rethink the way an association can be run, by:
– decentralising decision-making and responsibilities;
– strengthening each member’s capabilities and autonomy;
– fostering an environment where everyone is listened to and encouraged to participate, regardless of their experience or seniority in the organisation;
– enhancing collective participation.