Education is a gateway to personal growth and economic opportunity; however, for those in Haiti, obtaining a quality education can be a great challenge. Schools, especially in rural areas, are scarce and often of poor quality. Some teachers may be responsible for instructing more than 100 students in a single classroom. It is no surprise therefore, that only 21.5% of the population have received a secondary-level education.
This void of quality education is also present in the area surrounding the Centre Diocésain des Arts et Métiers in Les Cayes. Therefore, a multi-phase project is underway to construct a new elementary school for the boys and girls of the area. During the first phase, classrooms are being constructed for grades one through six, and an additional phase of development, to be completed in the future, will expand the school to accommodate students through grade 9.
When the school is complete, it will contain 9 classrooms, student and teacher bathrooms, 2 computer rooms, and administrative offices. Each year 360 young people from the area will have the opportunity to receive the preparation that they need to pursue further studies and encounter the future that lies ahead.
We look forward to welcoming the first students in the near future!
UPDATE: The new elementary school welcomed its initial first grade class in September 2018. We look forward to watching to school grow in the years to come.
