Gabriel Lopez hated high school. Now he's battling drop out rates in Quebec
'My greatest joy is to see kids perform and succeed.'
In Quebec, three out of 10 young people reach the age of 20 without a high school diploma.
Gabriel Lopez, 33, hated high school himself, but by the time he turned 25, he formed a charity that keeps thousands of kids from dropping out.
I dream of a Canada with education systems that ensure that all the kids regardless of their background and difficulties, can have access to experiential learning.- Gabriel Lopez
YouthFusion is an ingenious program that keeps troubled teens at school by engaging them in year-long art and science projects, from music to video games, that require a daily time commitment outside of classes. The program is reaching kids all over Quebec, from downtown Montreal to remote northern communities, with the goal of reversing drop-out rates.
"I dream of a Canada with education systems that ensure that all the kids regardless of their background and difficulties, can have access to experiential learning," says Lopez. "Not just for a day. Throughout the entire school year."
"We need as a society to keep the kids in school because that's how they're going to become more engaged citizens."
Lopez is one of a new generation of passionate change-makers profiled in CBC's new series We Are Canada. Watch the series Sundays at 7 p.m. on CBC and online.