4 Ways USAID is Elevating Education in Haiti
Access creates opportunities for the country’s next generation
Education transforms both individuals and society. Well-supported, accessible and quality education is the keystone to better health, economic growth, a sustainable environment, and peaceful, democratic communities.
In Haiti, many children and young people lack access to quality education inside and outside the classroom. USAID is committed to helping Haiti’s youth — its future leaders — reach their full potential by promoting early grade literacy and helping young people hone their technical skills and reach their academic goals. Keep reading to learn more about how USAID is elevating education in Haiti.
1. Improving early literacy in over 800 schools
USAID’s early grade reading program “M’ap Li Net Ale” is for the first and second grades. It includes a set of student reading and writing textbooks, class libraries, and teachers guides that have been used in over 800 schools since 2018. From 2017 to 2020, USAID printed and distributed materials reached over 155,000students.
USAID has also provided teachers with training to implement the methodology and other essential skills such as classroom management, teaching methods, and assessment of language skills. Teachers were also provided with a set of supplemental tools and materials to enhance classroom learning. These included reading comprehension activity cards for individual and group reading exercises and discussion; books for interactive read-alouds; and other classroom materials. Many teachers and school directors have expressed their appreciation for the methodology because they see that their students’ engagement, class participation, and reading comprehension have all increased dramatically.
2. Keeping Students Connected During COVID-19
When COVID-19 prompted school closures, USAID had to act quickly to maintain student learning during the crisis. USAID and the Haitian Ministry of Education developed 55 radio-based French and Creole reading lessons. This pioneer radio program ensured that more than 36,400 students continued their studies through distance learning in a low-tech environment.
More than 65 radio episodes were created for children in preschool, first, and second grades, and more than 15,200 solar-powered radios were distributed to families with children in the program. USAID distance learning partners continued to expand on this initiative to ensure the continuation of learning for Haitian school children in low-tech environments. Learn more here.
3. Higher Education Heroes
The future is bright for 25 U.S. college-educated Haitian scholars who have earned master’s degrees in agricultural studies, such as horticulture and biological engineering from the University of Florida and Louisiana State University. They have returned to Haiti and are ready to give back to their country.
With support from the USAID’s global hunger and food security initiative, Feed the Future, these scholars are on their way to transforming Haiti’s agricultural sector. Learn more here.
4. Learning New Skills Outside the Classroom
Education is critical to success, but USAID also supports learning outside the classroom. One way we do that is by investing in underemployed Haitian youth to transform them into agricultural entrepreneurs. The results are inspiring and contribute to the country’s food security.
USAID’s Feed the Future agriculture program, AVANSE, taught young people new techniques to grow better crops and improve their yields. Additionally, many youth-led businesses, the majority of which are women-led, have received equipment such as irrigation pumps and processing equipment as well as training to establish and upgrade lasting agribusinesses.
To learn more about how AVANSE is helping young Haitians learn new agricultural skills, read I am Proof.
About the Author
Emily Tyner is a Senior Communications Advisor for USAID’s Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean.
