Haiti Partners Inc

HELPING HAITIANS CHANGE HAITI THROUGH EDUCATION.

QUALITY SCHOOLS PROGRAM - DEVELOPING SCHOOLS THAT HELP CHILDREN REALIZE THEIR POTENTIAL WHILE DRIVING COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND LIFELONG LEARNING. - PARTNERING WITH SIX HAITIAN PRIMARY SCHOOLS TO PROVIDE TEACHER TRAINING, MANAGEMENT TRAINING, AND PARTNERSHIP DEVELOPMENT FOR QUALITY EDUCATION TO OVER ONE THOUSAND STUDENTS- EXPANDING THE CHILDREN'S ACADEMY, AN INCUBATOR FOR QUALITY EDUCATION THAT WORKS HAND-IN-GLOVE WITH THE PARTNER SCHOOL NETWORK.THIS YEAR THE THIRD FLOOR OF THE 2ND BUILDING WAS COMPLETED WHICH PROVIDES 2700 ADDITIONAL SQUARE FEET AND ADEQUATE CLASSROOM SPACE FOR NEARLY 90 STUDENTS. THIS IS ALL EARTHQUAKE/HURRICANE RESISTANT CONSTRUCTION. THE CONSTRUCTION TEAM IS LARGELY COMPRISED OF PARENTS OF STUDENTS AT THE CHILDREN'S ACADEMY, INCLUDING FIVE MOTHERS. PLANS ARE IN PLACE TO CONSTRUCT TWO ADDITIONAL BUILDINGS IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS TO ACCOMMODATE ADDITIONAL STUDENTS AS WE CONTINUE TO ADD A GRADE EACH YEAR, UNTIL WE HAVE PROGRAMMING THROUGH HAITI'S 13TH GRADE, "PHILO."AT THE CHILDREN'S ACADEMY AND LEARNING CENTER 350 STUDENTS AGES 3 THROUGH 8TH GRADE ARE RECEIVING A HIGH QUALITY, STUDENT CENTERED, JOYFUL EDUCATION. THANKS TO THE EXCELLENT STAFF AND LEADERSHIP TEAM PROTOCOLS TO PROTECT STUDENTS AND STAFF FROM CONTRACTING COVID WERE HIGHLY EFFECTIVE: NO ONE THAT WE KNOW OF GOT COVID. 81,567 SERVICE HOURS WERE PROVIDED BY PARENTS AT THE CHILDREN'S ACADEMY. SERVICE HOURS ARE A REFLECTION OF PARENT ENGAGEMENT AT THE SCHOOL AND ACCOMPLISH A VARIETY OF IMPORTANT TASKS LIKE MAINTAINING PERMACULTURE GARDENS, ASSISTING TEACHERS IN CLASS, WORKING IN THE HAND PAPERMAKING/ GREETING CARD SOCIAL BUSINESS, TENDING TO SCHOOL GROUNDS, SERVING AS COMMUNITY HEALTH AGENTS, AND MORE. ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND SOCIAL BUSINESS ARE CRITICAL COMPONENTS OF THE EDUCATIONAL MODEL THAT HAITI PARTNERS IS DEVELOPING AT THE CHILDREN'S ACADEMY. HAITI PARTNERS TAKES A TWO-PRONG APPROACH TO THIS: 1) THERE IS A SOCIAL BUSINESS OF PRODUCING HANDMADE PAPER AND GREETING CARDS ON SITE AT THE CHILDREN'S ACADEMY. IT IS STAFFED BY SIX COMMUNITY MEMBERS. PARENTS OF STUDENTS HELP OUT VOLUNTARILY WITH PAPERMAKING GIVING SCHOOL SERVICE HOURS TO THE EFFORT. THE HANDMADE PAPER AND GREETING CARDS ARE SOLD TO RETAILERS AND END-USERS IN THE US. STUDENTS AT THE CHILDREN'S ACADEMY DON'T JUST LEARN ABOUT THE POWER OF BUSINESS AND SOCIAL BUSINESS FOR IMPACTING CHANGE, THEY WITNESS IT DAY IN AND DAY OUT AT THEIR SCHOOL. 2) THE CHILDREN'S ACADEMY FACILITATES VILLAGE SAVINGS AND LOANS GROUPS BOTH AMONG PARENTS, STAFF AND FOR STUDENTS BEGINNING AT GRADE 3. THIS IS A CONCRETE WAY OF HELPING STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES LEARN ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF SAVING MONEY, INVESTING WELL, AND COLLABORATING WITH OTHERS TO CREATE A FUND AND MAKE LOANS TO ONE ANOTHER. THEY ALSO LEARN HOW TO USE LOANS TO GENERATE INCOME AND DO OTHER IMPROVEMENTS THAT STRENGTHEN THEIR FAMILIES.COMMUNITY CHANGE GROUPS GREW BY 12% TO 1072 PARTICIPANTS. WITH THE GOAL OF STRENGTHENING FAMILIES AND PROTECTING THE VULNERABLE, THESE GROUPS DO COLLECTIVE GARDENING, VILLAGE SAVINGS AND LOAN PROGRAMMING AND ONGOING TRAINING IN CHILD PROTECTION AND GENDER EQUALITY. THEY PROVIDE PARENTS THE SKILLS THEY NEED TO BE MORE LOVING TO THEIR KIDS AND EACH OTHER, WHILE ACHIEVING GREATER FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE. HAND PAPERMAKING/GREETING CARD SOCIAL BUSINESS CONTINUES TO GROW AND IMPROVE AT THE THE CHILDREN'S ACADEMY AND HAS INCREASED PRODUCTION BY OVER 50% AND IS NOW CONSISTENTLY PRODUCING HIGH QUALITY PAPER AND CARDS. A RETAILER IN IOWA IS USING THE PAPER FOR UNIQUE PIECES OF ART, PURCHASING SEVERAL THOUSAND OF SHEETS AT A TIME AT $2.50 EACH SHEET. HAITI PARTNERS IS ALSO SENDING THE CARDS TO MORE THAN 2000 PEOPLE A YEAR TO WISH THEM HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND TO THANK THEM FOR THEIR GIFTS. THESE GREETING CARDS ARE MADE AVAILABLE ON HAITI PARTNERS ONLINE GIFTSHOP FOR A SUGGESTED DONATION. THE HAND PAPERMAKING AND GREETING CARD PRODUCTION ALONG WITH THE VILLAGE SAVINGS AND LOANS GROUPS ARE PLAYING AN IMPORTANT PART IN CREATING A CULTURE OF INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP. AS THE STUDENTS WITNESS THE ADULTS AROUND THEM COLLABORATING TO CREATE AND SELL PRODUCTS AND TO BUILD FUNDS AND MAKE LOANS, IT'S NO WONDER THAT THEY, THE STUDENTS IN TURN, ARE DOING INCOME GENERATING ACTIVITIES SUCH AS GARDENING, RAISING CHICKENS, GOATS AND PIGS AND PURCHASING WHOLESALE PRODUCTS THAT THAT THEY CAN SELL FOR A PROFIT.HOME GARDENS, AN INITIATIVE STARTED IN 2019-20, IS WITHIN THE SCHOOLS PROGRAM AND IS DESIGNED TO EQUIP FAMILIES WITH SUPPORT THEY NEED TO DRAMATICALLY INCREASE PRODUCTION IN THEIR OWN GARDENS TO ADDRESS FOOD SCARCITY AND ECONOMIC HARDSHIP. THROUGH PROVIDING FAMILIES WITH SEEDS, TECHNICAL SUPPORT, WATER CATCHMENT SYSTEMS, AND A STRUCTURE OF COOPERATIVE WORK TEAMS KNOWN AS KONBIT, HAITI PARTNERS AND THE CHILDREN'S ACADEMY ARE STRENGTHENING FAMILIES WHILE ALSO DEMONSTRATING TO STUDENTS AND THEIR SIBLINGS CONCRETE EXAMPLES OF COOPERATIVE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, TRUST AND COLLABORATION. 743 GARDENS OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS WERE EITHER PLANTED OR IMPROVED UPON AND WATER CATCHMENT SYSTEMS WERE INSTALLED AT HOMES OF 220 FAMILIES OF STUDENTS AND STAFF.TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION: ALL 3RD GRADERS AND OLDER STUDENTS WORK IN THE ON-SITE COMPUTER LAB TWO TIMES EACH WEEK. STUDENTS LEARN BOTH THE BASICS ABOUT HOW TO OPERATE A COMPUTER, BUT ALSO, WITH HELP FROM THEIR TEACHERS, DO THINGS LIKE ENGLISH, FRENCH AND SPANISH LANGUAGE LEARNING AND DIGITAL ART. 1204 PARTNER SCHOOL STUDENTS RECEIVED STUDENT-CENTERED EDUCATION. DURING THE COVID-19 SHUTDOWNS, THE SIX PARTNER SCHOOLS ALL SUPPORTED THEIR SCHOOL COMMUNITIES IN A VARIETY OF WAYS INCLUDING DISTRIBUTING MASKS AND HYGIENE KITS, CREATING HAND-WASHING STATIONS IN PUBLIC PLACES, DISTRIBUTING EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS ABOUT THE VIRUS AND EVEN DISTRIBUTING CASH TO THE MOST VULNERABLE TO PROTECT THEM FROM HUNGER.