The Education Center, CFHE's home base in Deschapelles, offers an inspiring space for our administrative staff and all the programs CFHE runs in the community.
The Education Center is a solar powered facility that offers 3 large offices, a computer lab with 10 stations, 3 large multi-purpose classrooms, and storage space for classroom books and supplies for our scholarship program. Since opening in 2017, the Ed Center has become a hub and gathering place in the region, and we remain amazed at the creative ways the facility allows us to advance our educational programs and mission in the region.
Tutoring at The Education Center
Before moving from primary to secondary school, every Haitian student is required to pass a series of standardized tests. Given that many schools in Haiti are over-crowded and poorly built, with sub-standard student/teacher ratios, too many students fall behind in their coursework, especially in the critical subjects of mathematics, languages, and sciences. With the hope of lowering these numbers, The Crosby Fund has employed 10 tutors and offers an after-school tutoring program designed to help students keep their grades high enough to retain their scholarships, advance to the next grade, and better prepare them for their standardized national exams. This year, 118 students participated in the tutoring program at our Education Center in Deschapelles as well as the neighboring town of Verrettes. Tutoring in French and mathematics are offered to 5th and 6th graders, while French, English, math and sciences are provided to Secondary students at both locations. Each year, on average, over 93% of our scholarship students advance to the following grade and consistently show marked improvement on their national exams.
Youth Literacy
With The Crosby Fund’s Primary and Secondary scholarship programs filled to capacity every year, and with half of all Haitian families unable to afford school, The Crosby Fund offers a free literacy program for non-scholarship children ages 6-13 at our Education Center. The goal of the program is to provide children in the community with basic literacy and math skills. Like the adult literacy program, the 2-year program meets 3 times a week, 3 hours per session. This year, we had a total of 22 participants in the program. At the program’s founding in 2020, The Crosby Fund hosted a team of literacy trainers at our Education Center and received a generous donation of printed textbooks from USAID, to whom we remain grateful.
Adult Literacy Program
As part of our ongoing mission to support all aspects of education, The Crosby Fund’s Adult Literacy Program, started in 2019, offers reading, writing and basic mathematics to adults of all ages in the local Deschapelles community. Local teachers administer the program which is based on a curriculum provided by the Haitian Ministry of Education. This year, we have 39 adults participating in the 2 year program. Classes meet three times a week, 3 hours per session. After completing the second year, each student takes a standardized exam, and those earning a passing score receive a certificate of literacy.
Computer Training
For high school and university bound students, we offer computer training for homework and research as well as programs to assist them in mathematics (Khan Academy) and foreign language (Duolingo) as well as the basic functions of the computer: how to word process, create and use spread sheet programs, and do research. With the help of Pfizer we provide each university student with a lap-top so that each student enters university with the necessary skills and a computer in hand.
Sex Education Program
This past year CFHE conducted a Sex Education program that was held at our Education Center. The program, led by Zulta Jean Baptiste along with two other registered nurses from neighboring St. Marc, was offered in two sections orga- nized by grade level: 7th Grade to 9th Grade, and 10th Grade to Philo. Topics ranged from puberty, to prevention of early pregnancy to family planning, and for the older group a section about pre- venting STDs and AIDs was included.
We believe this program to be a critical part of student development because Haitian schools, unlike ours in the US, do not offer health classes or provide Sex Education as part of the curriculum. CFHE will continue to offer this program in 2019 with plans to add additional sessions to accommodate more in depth discussions, and to include students’ parents into the program as well.
Summer Camps
In the summer of 2019 over 200 children from ages 4 to 13 participated in our summer camp program over a period of two weeks in June and July (100 each week). These excited children were offered a variety of activities from arts and crafts, theatre, singing, dancing, and some sports. Many of the children do not have the opportunity to go to school, so we were delighted to incorporate a little education as well. Each day included a snack and 2 days a week a complete meal of chicken and rice. Many thanks to the three Haitian leaders of the camp: Kettelie Petite-Lou Jules, Mirakin Andre, and Oliancy Charles.