The BDI is not just there to guide, but also to assist young students in their research. It does not set out to remedy the weak points of the establishment or the student in question, but it lends a listening ear and can make the necessary tools available. In concrete terms, it is a place open to young people and parents alike 17 1/2 hours per week. Comprehensive documentation will set students on the right track. The documentation resources contain :

• ONISEP documentation (French national office of information on education and occupations)
• CIDJ data sheets (French youth information and documentation centre)
• Guidance software (Parade, Horizon, Après le Bac)
• current editions of "L'Etudiant"
• current editions of "Parcours"
• etc.

Initiatives introduced to facilitate student guidance

Every year, the BDI also holds a forum on professions within the establishment: former pupils and higher education teachers are invited to present their post-Bac training programmes to the institution's lower and upper sixth form pupils. The BDI also visits all upper sixth form classes to explain post-baccalaureat registration procedures. In the Collège, the BDI meets with classes in the teacher's presence in order to answer any questions. It is also possible to meet the manager in person. It is not enough to gather together a copious amount of top-quality documentation. The key is to draw pupils into the BDI and inspire them to conduct research. The group information sessions are therefore an important part of motivating them and getting them to discover the venue made available to them.

A space for freedom

It is also a space for freedom where individuals come to seek a direction and future to their studies, or obtain documentation, and to meet other young people of different levels. 
We have just mentioned direction and future, but sometimes it is also a question of furthering relations with adults. Free speech and human relations mean that individuals can talk in confidence about anything they like, especially what usually goes unsaid. 

To conclude

It is an important place for young people. The BDI assists, guides, listens and puts young people in touch with themselves. It assuages their fears about the future and relativises those regarding work and adolescence. 
The BDI is very outward-looking and continues to assist some pupils after they have left Saint-Gabriel.