Marc-André Perron
École secondaire Saint-Pierre et des Sentiers

Born into a family of teachers, Marc-André Perron knew as early as elementary school that he’d keep the family tradition alive. He had no idea at the time however just how dedicated he would be to his work and above all how passionate he would feel about it. Today, the 26-year-old teacher at Saint-Pierre and Des Sentiers high school in Québec City is already recognized for his dynamism, commitment and determination to push young people to continually strive to surpass themselves. And he does so mainly by using the performing arts!

It was during his own high school years that Marc-André Perron took his first steps on the stage, quickly realising he harboured a strong interest in the theatre. One thing led to another and, while still pursuing his studies in the theatrical arts, he began to write and produce plays. His love for the stage even prompted him to establish his own theatre company called Les Pijorats. And because he seems to possess an unquenchable thirst for this artistic discipline, for the past few years Marc-André Perron has been supervising the two theatre troupes at his school, one for Secondary 1 and 2 (Mécum) and the other for Secondary 3, 4 and 5 (Énygma).

Although all this means that he has to always be available and have a particularly keen ability to manage his time and coordinate groups, Marc-André Perron sees his commitment to young people as a means of evolving both personally and professionally while offering students a learning experience that will in turn enable them to grow.

“The theatre has sharpened my abilities and this is what I want for my students. By allowing them to discover the theatre, singing and dance, I help them to understand that through effort and hard work, they can achieve anything. I want to give them a taste for getting involved in all sorts of things and to do so of their own accord. I shake them and push them, and it’s always worth it in the long run,” he explains.

This is why Marc-André lets students play a huge part in all the productions he stages. Be it in the choice of choreographies, the costumes, the hairstyling, the stage sets and even the financing, young people must dedicate themselves and learn to work together. “I push them as far as they are willing to go. I let them progress and motivate them. Together, they can move mountains and this is what they do every time,” the plastic arts teacher fervently points out.

It is not only through the arts that Marc-André Perron seeks to encourage his students to leave their comfort zone. With the help of a colleague, he set up an international cooperation project in Guatemala that will be carried out this summer. Having already accompanied groups on two similar trips to Cuba, he wanted to take advantage of his past experience to organize something different that would be beneficial for his students.

“I hope that this project will make students realize that the efforts they make, both here and elsewhere, can have a tremendously positive impact and a trip such as this can bring to light our individual and collective strengths.”

“Just having a teacher like Mr. Perron is a chance in itself for us because he’s always in a good mood, he comes up with new projects to make his classes more interesting and he constantly encourages us to surpass ourselves and attain new goals,” Secondary 4 students Marjorie Boies and Mylina Perron-Simard point out.

Marc-André gets the greatest satisfaction from the achievements of the students he works with. Every time he witnesses the ties of friendship and solidarity that develop thanks to the projects he oversees, he understands why he gets involved with such enthusiasm

“I believe that students need positive role models and I think my contagious appetite for the stage and playwriting can but be a source of inspiration. It’s important that they have projects, that they get through adolescence with something they can count on that will help them to blossom and discover who they really are. I’ve been there and this is what enabled me to be where I am today. I now want to give them what I received,” the teacher says in conclusion.

Marc-André Perron
École secondaire Saint-Pierre et des Sentiers