AFOCAL

AFOCAL — the Association pour la Formation des Cadres de l'Animation et des Loisirs — is a French youth and popular-education (éducation populaire) association created in 1980. It was founded at the initiative of holiday-camp organisers, family associations, parents' associations and social-sector bodies, and it is recognised and authorised by the French Ministry responsible for youth. Its core business is the training of volunteer activity leaders and camp directors in accueils collectifs de mineurs (collective minors' centres, i.e. holiday camps and leisure centres), principally through the BAFA (Brevet d'aptitude aux fonctions d'animateur) and BAFD (Brevet d'aptitude aux fonctions de directeur) qualifications, as well as professional and continuing-education pathways such as BPJEPS and CPJEPS. Beyond the BAFA/BAFD core, AFOCAL runs citizenship-awareness and prevention programmes, and offers bespoke services to educational structures: management, parenting support, return-to-work, seminars and conferences, VAE (validation of acquired experience), PSC1 first-aid training, and support to patronages and to associations and local authorities. It also helps associations and collectivités host Service civique volunteers without carrying the accreditation procedures themselves. The association describes a specific pedagogy of 'accompagnement', balancing demanding quality standards with benevolence towards people. AFOCAL is a national actor: it organises more than 500 sessions each year and trains more than 10,000 trainees, under a national habilitation granted by the youth ministry. It is a member of the CNAJEP (Comité pour les relations nationales et internationales des associations de jeunesse et d'éducation populaire) and holds the JEP (Jeunesse et Éducation Populaire) accreditation. It is also engaged within the Union des Patronages and the Fondation des Patronages. Its educational project is rooted in the post-war popular-education movement, scouting and the educational holiday-camp tradition. Its founding values are set out in the 1984 'Déclaration fondamentale', which places the human person at the centre and calls for developing young people's capacities, curiosity, sense of solidarity and acceptance of difference. The association also works against hatred, racism and all forms of discrimination — for example through training at the Camp des Milles in Aix-en-Provence — and cooperates with the Observatoire de la laïcité and religious bodies on respect for religions and secularism.

AFOCAL was founded in 1980 by the leaders of twenty-one holiday-camp associations. The founding impulse was explicitly educational and disciplinary: 'Devant le laxisme et les abus de non-directivité de trop de directeurs et d'animateurs, ces associations se sont unies pour sélectionner et former de vrais éducateurs qui répondent au grand besoin de sécurité des jeunes, qui aient l'esprit de service et des mœurs irréprochables, et qui ne craignent pas d'exercer leur autorité.' The association's creation notice was published in the Journal Officiel on 5 January 1980, and it received its 'Jeunesse Éducation Populaire' accreditation on 18 April 1980 (renewed on 17 August 2005). In its early years AFOCAL built its institutional identity. On 16 May 1984 it adopted its educational project, the 'Déclaration fondamentale'. On 13 March 1985 it constituted a sponsorship committee bringing together figures such as L.-E. Petiti (former judge at the European Court of Human Rights), Alfred Grosser (professor emeritus at Sciences Po Paris), Marcel Corneloup (president of the Mouvement À Cœur Joie) and France Quéré (writer and member of the Comité consultatif national d'éthique). On 12 November 1987 Michel Richelmy was appointed Délégué général. On 26 November 1990 the French Senate hosted a conference, 'Éducation et valeurs', to mark the association's tenth anniversary. Leadership passed through several hands: on 21 March 1991 founder François Dausset handed the presidency to Jacques Ozanam; on 14 May 1992 Michel Richelmy became president; and on 24 May 2000 Jacques Dupoyet succeeded Michel Richelmy as president. On 26 November 2010 a forum marked the association's thirtieth anniversary. On 11 September 2014 Marc Guidoni became secrétaire général after several years as deputy. On 23 September 2015 AFOCAL hosted the first 'plateforme des organisateurs chrétiens d'accueils de mineurs', and on 10 October 2015 it launched a plan to fight discrimination in and through minors' centres, 'Vivre ensemble : j'agis avec toi !'. It obtained 'service civique' accreditation on 17 November 2016, and in 2016 its teams were authorised to deploy VRL training in connection with the ANCT. In 2019 AFOCAL opened training on the prevention of violence and began work on certifying courses. In 2024 Lisa Destrel arrived as secrétaire générale. In 2025 the association renewed its JEP accreditation and obtained France Compétences recognition for an RPM course. Its BAFA and BAFD habilitation was renewed for 2026. Throughout, AFOCAL has remained a national actor in youth leader and director training, organising more than 500 sessions a year for more than 10,000 trainees, and a member of the CNAJEP.

• Publication in the Journal Officiel of the notice of AFOCAL's creation.

• AFOCAL receives the 'Jeunesse Éducation Populaire' accreditation (renewed 17 August 2005).

• Adoption of the association's educational project, the 'Déclaration fondamentale'.

• Constitution of the association's sponsorship committee.

• Michel Richelmy appointed Délégué général.

• The French Senate hosts a conference 'Éducation et valeurs' for AFOCAL's 10th anniversary.

• Founder François Dausset hands the presidency to Jacques Ozanam.

• Michel Richelmy becomes President.

• Jacques Dupoyet succeeds Michel Richelmy as President.

• Anniversary forum for AFOCAL's 30th anniversary.

• Marc Guidoni becomes secrétaire général.

• AFOCAL hosts the first 'plateforme des organisateurs chrétiens d'accueils de mineurs'.

• Launch of the anti-discrimination plan 'Vivre ensemble : j'agis avec toi !'.

• AFOCAL obtains 'service civique' accreditation.

• AFOCAL teams authorised to deploy VRL training in connection with the ANCT.

• Opening of training on the prevention of violence and launch of work on certifying courses.

• Lisa Destrel arrives as secrétaire générale.

• Renewal of the JEP accreditation and recognition by France Compétences for an RPM course.

• BAFA and BAFD habilitation renewed.

A nationally recognised and ministry-authorised popular-education association specialising in the training of youth activity leaders and camp directors, with a pedagogy of 'accompagnement' and a strong citizenship and prevention dimension.

• BAFA general training

  General training for the Brevet d'aptitude aux fonctions d'animateur.

• BAFA approfondissement

  Deepening course within the BAFA pathway.

• BAFD

  Training for the Brevet d'aptitude aux fonctions de directeur (camp director).

• BPJEPS / CPJEPS

  Professional youth and popular-education qualifications.

• Citizenship awareness

  Awareness programmes on citizenship.

• Prevention training

  Training on prevention, including prevention of violence and discrimination.

• Customised services

  Bespoke training in management, parenting, return-to-work, seminars, conferences, VAE, PSC1.

• Service civique support

  Helps associations and local authorities host Service civique volunteers without carrying accreditation procedures.

• Vivre ensemble : j'agis avec toi !

1. 1AFOCAL official website homepageafocal.fr
2. 2Formations et services personnalisés - AFOCALafocal.fr
3. 3Wikidata: Afocalwikidata.org
4. 4Association pour la formation des cadres de l'animation et des loisirsfr.wikipedia.org