Arianne Pingledis, Program Assistant, August 20, 2012
As a new Program Assistant with Hope for Haiti, last week I was able to attend the second annual school directors’ meeting. Nearly 40 directors from all of our partner schools came to discuss Hope for Haiti’s programming and to receive their reporting forms for the 2012-13 school year. As school directors prepare for the upcoming school year, which will begin in October, Hope for Haiti will provide support through our Book Share Program, Back-to-School Fund, and Teacher Salary Subsidies.
 |
 |
| Country Director Jessica Jean-Francois discusses positive and negative aspects of our programs with school directors. |
Education Program Manager Paula Prince discusses Hope for Haiti’s programs with a school director |
While the directors enjoyed breakfast, we discussed successes and took suggestions for improvements within our programs. We went over important reporting information and then broke off into smaller focus groups to gain detailed feedback. Meanwhile, Education Program Manager, Paula Prince, met with school directors individually to discuss support for the upcoming school year and to hear their stories.
 |
 |
| Rural School Director with Students. | School directors from our partner schools gather for the 2nd annual Hope for Haiti School Directors’ Meeting |
One story particularly stood out. A school located an arduous 1.5 hour hike into the mountainous country side, added a sixth grade program to its curriculum for the first time this last school year, thanks to support from Hope for Haiti. The new sixth grade teacher was a previous student at the school, where he attended from preschool to third grade. He completed his studies at L’Asile, and then returned to the mountaintop community to work alongside those who once taught him. The sixth grade program had a successful first year, with 5 out of 6 students passing their state exams and hopes to see even greater success in the 2012-13 school year with Hope for Haiti’s continued support. Although accessing and delivering quality education is anything but easy in rural Haiti, one thing remains very clear, these school directors are 100% dedicated to the academic success of their students and they are looking forward to the upcoming school year!