By Helen Remington | Technology Advisor
Dear Supporters,
We have a great deal to smile about as we conclude another successful year of education, support and collaboration with our schools in Haiti.
The start of the year began with the opening of the newly formed preschool in St Marc designed to give the students entering our schools an earlier start with more promise for success. One of those promising students is Carl, who our Palmyra Wiki Club Members raised money to sponsor. We are also especially pleased that Adeline, a student we sponsored many years ago from the inaugural kindergarten class, is now a teacher’s aid at the preschool helping to bring full circle the mission of the schools to “Empower Through Education.”
Arcerneau, another alumnus of Les Bons Samaritains school, has been busy this year promoting the good work being done at the schools in Haiti through posts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Arcerneau has done a great job facilitating communications with our students in Palmyra and our schools in Haiti through emails, SKYPE calls, and wiki & social media posts. Arcerneau sees first hand the great positive educational impact the technology provided by this project gives to the students of our schools. He reaffirms, “Technology provides a great, great future for the children of Haiti!”
Our Wiki Club Members continue conducting audio interviews with people of interest, publishing the interviews on our Project Facebook Page. Tim Lambert, of WITF, instructed our wiki team this past fall in the elements of creating effective audio interviews. Recent interviewees include Pennsylvania’s Secretary of Education, Pedro Rivera, Jeff Grabosky who ran 3,701.8 miles across America from CA to NY, Ron Berman, an outstanding career teacher and basketball coach, Kems, a Haitian student attending Lebanon Valley College, Mike Soskil, a top ten finalist for the Global Teacher Prize, and Reuters technology reporter Deborah Todd, who specializes in news and trends from Silicon Valley. The audio interviews have been a compelling means to share interests in minimizing the digital divide.
Multiple fundraising and speaking opportunities this year have enabled more people to learn about and support the good being done at our schools in Haiti. We have certainly found that the students in Haiti are blessed by the support they receive, but those providing that support are equally blessed by the opportunity to help deserving students succeed. To think that our Haitian students live in a community with no regular electricity, no sewage system, limited access to water & healthcare, but come to school so full of hope, motivation and joy; and with a remarkable eagerness to learn! We have seen firsthand the good stewards they are of the support you provide!
On June 15th another fundraising opportunity will occur when GlobalGiving’s Bonus Day will provide a 40% Match to all donations to our project starting at 9:00am EDT. This is a great opportunity to multiply the good that a donation can provide! We are grateful to GlobalGiving and all of you for making a positive difference in the lives of so many Haitian children!
Best wishes for a blessed summer!
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