Two Years After the Earthquake – Video Update
January 12, 2012
Today is the 2nd anniversary of the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti. It will be marked across the country by services of remembrance for the dead, but also the celebration of life. Meanwhile, the work of building a better future goes on. We’ve filmed a special update video to bring you up-to-date on the situation in Haiti, as well as the progress you’re making possible through Haiti Partners’ work in education. We’re grateful for your continued commitment and prayers, today and in the days ahead.
Posted in DISCIPLES Program, Haiti Partners, Henri Christophe Community School, LEADERS Program, PARTNERS Program, STUDENTS Program, TEACHERS Program | 2 Comments |
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New Video: Bridge to a Better Life
January 12, 2012
On this somber second anniversary of the earthquake in Haiti, we remain hopeful because of all the important work that has been accomplished and all the great partners that have worked together with us to make it happen.
Two extraordinarily committed partners in this work have been Jesse Engle and Scott Henderson. With their help along with funds from Vista Hermosa Foundation, we created this video, “Bridge to a Better Life”. Thank you, Jesse, Scott and Vista Hermosa for all you do, and we look forward to a long, productive partnership helping Haitians change Haiti together!
Posted in DISCIPLES Program, Haiti Partners, LEADERS Program, PARTNERS Program, STUDENTS Program, TEACHERS Program | 2 Comments | Email This Post
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WORLDBLU Team in Haiti
December 25, 2011
My co-workers and I (John Engle) were thrilled to host in Haiti the WorldBlu team December 10-17. Their training on organizational and workplace democracy for our partner school leadership teams and for 35 people in our LEADERS Program was incredible.
We are so grateful to Vista Hermosa Foundation for making their visit possible. WorldBlu team also participated in Open Haiti Camp open space meeting, that was a follow-up to TEDx Port-au-Prince, and met with business and NGO leaders. Haiti Partners is deeply grateful to be part of the WorldBlu worldwide network of democratic workplaces. Thank you for making time available, WorldBlu team, to spend time in Haiti to help us build better schools and institutions!
Click on links below for albums of photos:
Habitat Santo Visit
Visiting Partner Schools
Seminar for Partner Schools Leadership Teams
LEADERS Program Seminar
WORLDBLU, Miranda Ash’s Photos
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WorldBlu Team in Haiti
December 12, 2011
My co-workers and I (John Engle) are having a wonderful time hosting WorldBlu team in Haiti this week. They’re putting photos and updates on their Facebook page. Click here.
We are so grateful to Vista Hermosa Foundation for making their visit possible. In addition to them participating in Open Haiti Camp open space meeting, that was a follow-up to TEDx Port-au-Prince, they’re networking with business and NGO people and will do seminars for leadership teams of Haiti Partners partner schools and for 35 participants in our LEADERS program. Thank you for being here, WorldBlu!
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2010-11 Annual Report Now Available Online!
October 11, 2011
Haiti Partners 2010-11 Annual Report covers our accomplishments from the last fiscal year and our plans for the next. To download the full report, click here.
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TEDx Port-au-Prince
October 1, 2011
TEDxPort-au-Prince was a great success. What power there is in connecting people and sharing ideas.
I’m (John Engle) honored that I had the opportunity to present about our work. While there are a lot of things I could talk about thanks to having the opportunity to be a part of such a dynamic team for so many years, I focused on Circles of Change, which includes our more than 15 years experience with Open Space Technology and “Wonn Reflection” (influenced significantly by Touchstones Discussion method).
Video of talks are not yet on website. I presented in Haitian-Creole sharing history of our work, assumptions, successes and details about our past USAID funded project “Civic Empowerment” and our new one called “Circles of Change.”
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LEADERS Seminar – Social Business
August 15, 2011
Last week was another LEADERS seminar. Our LEADERS program consists of four seminars a year over three years for community leaders and school principals. The focus of this year’s seminars has been social business. In December this 3-year phase will be finished and we plan to start a new three year LEADERSHIP Program in March 2012. Click here to learn more about the three-year training that is finishing in December. Click here to learn more about the social business component.
Click here for more photos from LEADERS Seminar focusing on Social Business.
Posted in Capacity Building 3 Training, Capacity Building 3 Training, Circles of Change, LEADERS Program, Social Enterprise for Quality Education, Vista Hermosa Foundation | No Comments | Email This Post
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Social Business Expert to Help Partner Schools
August 4, 2011
Thanks to our partnership with Grameen Creative Lab and to another grant from Vista Hermosa Foundation we have hired a Haitian expert who will work full-time to help our partner schools create social businesses.
The purpose of this is two-fold. First, it’s a revenue source. Haitian schools rarely have adequate funds to pay teachers even a tiny salary. They limp along without enough funds for materials, decent school furniture or to maintain their modest facilities. Social business offers a potential solution. The school creates an income generating activity, the parents and students can participate along with school director and teachers, and the school develops an addition revenue stream for helping to cover salaries and other school expenses.
The second reason this is so important is because students and teachers learn entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship and education are key for helping a country to develop.
We’re excited for another reason. Our “Natif Natal” film about a Haitian success story of grassroots groups creating social business to pay teachers’ salaries to educate their children is going to be shown throughout Haiti on local television stations. And, we’re going to use this as an opportunity to promote the social business concept in Haiti and to foster greater collaboration among organizations working in social business. Click here to view the film.
Posted in Annonciation Community School, Bèl Platon Community School, Cabois Community School, Capacity Building 3 Training, Cité Soleil Community School, Grants, Henri Christophe Community School, IMN Community School, Lalo Community School, Partner Schools, Social Enterprise for Quality Education, STUDENTS Program, Vista Hermosa Foundation | 1 Comment | Email This Post
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THANK YOU USAID and GRU!
July 2, 2011
Haiti Partners thanks USAID/Haiti Recovery Initiative for the very generous donations of a large Cummins diesel generator, thirty-two 12-volt batteries, two inverters, 4 desks and chairs, filing cabinets and more. We are grateful!
Our partnership with USAID/Haiti Recovery Initiative earlier in the year made it possible for 1,000 Haitian educators and grassroots leaders to learn collaborative leadership and participative learning methods as they studied the Haitian constitution. Learn more about this project by clicking here.
Friends at USAID, THANK YOU!
Friends at GRU, thank you again for temporarily holding these items! For individuals and organizations interested in learning more about GRU and the many ways that they’re helping, contact them: http://grassrootsunited.org/.
Posted in Capacity Building 3 Training, LEADERS Program, PARTNERS Program | No Comments | Email This Post
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10th Annual Open Space Haiti Gathering
June 29, 2011
This past weekend was the 10th Annual Haiti Open Space Gathering. Every year this gathering convenes 60-80 educators and community leaders for an inspiring learning exchange. This event, which is completely run by Haitians, is among our many efforts to develop professional learning communities.
We couldn’t be more grateful to Open Space Institute, USA, for the generous contribution that allowed numerous committed colleagues who didn’t have the means to participate in this meeting.
Posted in Capacity Building 3 Training, Circles of Change, Haiti Partners, LEADERS Program, Open Space, Reflection Circles, TEACHERS Program, Uncategorized | No Comments | Email This Post
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Online Matching Campaign til June 30: Equip a Teacher, Help Students!
June 21, 2011
In a recent post we introduced Clovis Charles. Clovis is a school administrator and teacher at Henri Christophe Community School, one of our seven partner schools. Clovis is a fantastic, inspiring teacher who epitomizes why we don’t want to hold back as we help Haitians change Haiti through education.
To help Clovis help his students succeed, we’ve launched an online campaign that makes helping fast and easy! With the generous support of a matching grant, until June 30 every dollar you give will be matched one for one!
To learn more, click on the image below! From Clovis and the students at Henri Christophe Community School: Thank You!
Posted in Haiti Partners, LEADERS Program, Partner Schools, STUDENTS Program, TEACHERS Program | No Comments |
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An Inspiring Teacher Story
June 15, 2011
Clovis Charles is a school administrator and teacher at Henri Christophe Community School, one of our seven partner schools. (He’s also featured in our recent letter about a $60,000 matching grant opportunity before June 30.) Clovis epitomizes why we don’t want to hold back as we help Haitians change Haiti through education.
Clovis’s story is inspiring and succinctly captures why we do what we do in education. Thanks for watching this short interview with him!
Posted in Haiti Partners, Henri Christophe Community School, LEADERS Program, Partner Schools, STUDENTS Program, TEACHERS Program | No Comments | Email This Post
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Grassroots United and KDI
June 13, 2011
What a pleasure for me to finally visit Grassroots United. I (John Engle) have been sporadically communicating with founder Sam Bloch since right after the earthquake. Our paths crossed a couple time in the US too. But, it’s only one week ago that I visited there operation which is within walking distance of the airport and a hub for inter-organizational collaboration, sustainable building models, technology, and more. I highly recommend that anyone coming to Haiti visits. And, if you’re looking for an extremely inexpensive way to come to Haiti and volunteer, contact them: http://grassrootsunited.org/
Below is a quick video of the Earthship home. This is just one of the many models and projects right there on site. Thank you Sam for the great welcome and for all that you and your colleagues are doing!
The same day, my wife and I had the wonderful opportunity of hosting Chelina Odbert with KDI and her colleague Jessie Henneghan. I’ve heard about Chelina’s work in Kenya and Northwest Haiti and it was a pleasure to learn more and to get advise as we work with the local community in planning Haiti Partners’ Children’s Academy.
Haiti Partners cherishes connections like these. The wisdom of many is key to good ideas, useful contacts, and vital information, which all equates to working smart. Add to this that people like Sam Bloch, Chelina Odbert and Jessie Henneghan are wonderful to be with and very inspiring.
Posted in Haiti Partners, LEADERS Program, Special Projects | No Comments | Email This Post
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Civic Empowerment Project Article on USAID Website
June 7, 2011
Click here to read a brief article on the USAID website about the 3-month customized Circles of Change training we did with them earlier this year. The training focused on Civic Empowerment. As a result, 1,000 educators practiced inclusive teaching and leading techniques, studied the Haitian Constitution and learned about their civic responsibilities.
To learn more, visit our Civic Empowerment Project page.
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10th Annual Open Space Gathering: June 23-26
May 24, 2011
Open Space meeting format is an important tool that Haiti Partners and organizations in our network use to engage people’s involvement in plans and decisions that will influence their lives. Each year the Annual Open Space Gathering convenes 70-90 educators and community leaders who are either practitioners of Open Space meeting format, or who are interested in learning about it, for exchange and shared learning.
Below is information in English, French and Haitian-Creole about this year’s Annual Open Space Gathering which will be held in Carrefour, Haiti June 23-26.
Click here to view photos and video from last year’s Annual Open Space Gathering.
To download in Word documents the invitation to this year’s Open Space Gathering click on links below:
- HAITI Open Space Gathering-Invitation
- Rankont Espas Ouvri ann Ayiti – Envitasyon
- Le Forum ouvert en Haiti – Invitation
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