Haiti 🇭🇹 Impact Trip: July 2019 (Part 8): Report about the new Preschool 🏫 (“Hope Academy of Bois d’eau”)

Friends and Supporters:

One of the goals of my recent trip to Haiti (July 17-25, 2019) was to plan for the new Preschool we will open in September 2019. After meeting with the school staff, conducting research, I want to give you a brief report about this important educational project.

A. Name: The name we have chosen for the new school is “Hope Academy of Bois d’eau” (“Académie d’Espoir de Bois d’eau”) located in the rural area of Bois d’eau, Port-Margot (Northern Haiti).

B. School Staff: Six individuals make up the staff of the school, including the school’s principal, the kindergarten teacher, the teacher’s aid, the security officer, two cooks or kitchen aids.

C. Curriculum & School’s Philosophy:

1) Kreyòl will be incorporated into the school’s curriculum and pedagogy, beginning with our first preschool class composing of 3-5 yr old;

2) Emphasis on comprehension, not memorization, reasoning, questioning, critical thinking, analyzing data, inferencing/inferences, collaborating learning, etc.;

3) Incorporation of religious education in the curriculum;

4) Emphasis on praxis (practice);

5) No corporal discipline/punishment allowed;

6) Emphasis on personal and corporate responsibility, good citizenship, and civic engagement/participation;

7) Emphasis on the role of (effective) education and (sustaining) development (i.e. the individual, the community, the society, and the nation);

8) Use of technology in the classroom (we need 27 tablets= 24 for the students, 1 for the teacher’s aid, 2 extras);

9) Projected Budget for the academic year 2019-2020: $ 7, 500.00

A) With the help of our donors and supporters, Hope Academy of Bois d’eau will be fully funded and tuition fee for all students;

B) The annual salary for both teachers is
$ 2,000.00;

C) The annual salary for the kitchen aids is
$ 1, 000.00;

D) The annual salary for the principal is
$ 1, 000.00;

E) Food (Lunch) for 24 children: $ 2, 000.00;

F) Miscellaneous (school supplies, sanitary items, security/safety issues): $ 1, 500.00

***We need to raise $ 7, 500.00 for the academic year 2019-2020 to cover all the costs and provide a free education to all our anticipated 24 children.