From classroom to victory on the Course en Cours track

The month of May saw the regional and national finals of the 2023 edition of Course en Cours, a competition in which students from the Saint Philippe Educational and Ecological Campus of the Apprentis d’Auteuil in Meudon, mentored by Dassault Systèmes’ volunteers, excelled brilliantly! Here is a look back at this great learning experience.    

Course en Cours is a national contest, in which teams of 4 to 6 students from the same school have to imagine, design, build, promote and race a remote-controlled electric mini car. Since 2016, La Fondation Dassault Systèmes has been supporting the Apprentis d’Auteuil in this competition, as part of its commitment to more innovative and inclusive education.

The whole experience is a real springboard for students from very diverse backgrounds. Course en Cours is an innovative educational tool that complements traditional teaching methods. It is a unique opportunity for students to discover the different aspects of an “industrial” project, and learn hands-on some of the techniques and 3D technology that are currently used by leading companies.

Beyond the results, the aim is for these young people to broaden their horizons and gain confidence in their own abilities. Throughout the year, over the course of the sessions with their mentors, they have developed numerous invaluable hard and soft skills: team spirit and collaboration, creativity, project management, presentation, public speaking (in French and English) as well as a better understanding of the importance of taking on a more sustainable approach for their car and other aspects of their project such as marketing. In the process, students have experienced commitment and responsibility, enabling them to explore and imagine an ambitious future.

The “Ice Wind and Fire” team showed off all their skills, both on and off the track with their miniature racer. They came first in the overall standings in the regional finals, organized at the IUT of Mantes en Yvelines, France, on May 16, thereby securing their ticket to the national finals held at La Cité des sciences et de l’industrie in Paris on May 31! It was the first time in six participations that a team from Saint Philippe made it to the "big" finals ! But the story doesn’t end here…

The national finals was another full day of competition but on a much grander scale this time. An opportunity for the five schoolboys to measure themselves against other highly innovative and creative teams from all over France. The young Apprentis d’Auteuil engineers were once again outstanding and their car was ultra-quick. They won all the races they took part in outright, proudly claiming the Schools KO (Knock Out) prize as well as the Super KO prize against university students. Hats off to them! We could not have wished for a better ending to this extraordinary season.  

La Fondation Dassault Systèmes congratulates the five students for their achievement and the remarkable progress they have made since the beginning of the year. We extend a heartfelt “thank you” to the wonderful Dassault Systèmes volunteers who have been passing on their skills with passion in this great intergenerational human adventure. Every Wednesday since November, they have shared their knowledge with enthusiasm and kindness. Their enduring dedication was key in helping the team achieve their dreams and feel proud of what they have accomplished together. 

Congratulations to all the contestants, volunteers, school staff and organizers for this great success, and see you next year!