Sustainability, Reciprocity, and Partnership: Three Big Ideas for the Haiti Educator and Leadership Institute

Today was the final day for the 2018 Haiti Educator and Leadership Institute. It was an amazing day. We saw 530 teachers and principals complete their week of professional learning, 230 children finish the STEAM camp, and 50 university students receive certificates for completing a conversational English program. Much more could be said about each but I want to focus on three key words that describe the ELI.

Sustainability

One of our Haitian instructional leaders providing a workshop

We have designed ELI so that it might have all the ingredients to be successful after the Canadian teams have returned to Canada. The key way we do this is by purposefully identifying and training a core group of Haitian instructional leaders. This group of about 30 people has been identified and multiple workshops have already taken place to start them thinking about next year's ELI. They are connected through a social media platform that will allow facilitation of planning. They are excited about the opportunity!

Reciprocity

We believe that ELI must provide an opportunity for both Canadian and Haitian educators to engage in professional and intercultural learning. This happens through the teaching and learning that occurs every day. For example, our Canadian science lead instructor - Francis Cronier-Thériault - participated in a botany nature walk in which he and his class learned about the plants that are on the hill behind the school.

We also engage in learning after the day is done! We have evening debrief sessions where we discuss what we have experienced that day. Tonight we invited the director and his family of a Haitian NGO that supports women and children to come and talk with us about the kinds of things they do. This helps us have a more holistic perspective about life in Haiti.

Partnership

The success of ELI is grounded firmly in the partnerships we have in Haiti. The entire conceptual framework for the model was developed through multiple face-to-face meetings. These meetings have continued over the five years since we first started developing the vision for ELI. In the picture to the right, Bruce Alexander (far left), Jhonel Morvan (far right), and I are recognizing the hard work and partnership of Sr. Vierginat. She has been a foundational partner in ELI. As I said in my comments, she is one of the most inspirational leaders I have met anywhere in the world.

What has been the result of a sustainable, reciprocal partnerships? Today, we celebrated the graduation of 530 students, 130 of whom have attended for three years and who have developed specialized knowledge and skills in one of the six subject areas we focus on. It was an awesome experience!

Graduates of the critical literacy course

 

530 Haitian participants and 25 Canadian instructors in the auditorium