By: Donna Rama
Sullivan Engineering recently attended another benefit dinner for L’Ecole de Choix, one of our favorite charitable organizations. L’Ecole de Choix is a grade school in Mirebalais, Haiti that provides quality education to children living in extreme poverty. It was built in 2012 following the destruction of more than half the schools in Haiti in the 2010 earthquake. The school’s objective is to offer their students a high caliber education and the necessary tools to be the knowledgeable, ethical and responsible future leaders of Haiti, therefore improving the state of the Haitian economy from within. The purpose of the dinner was to renew the sponsorship of a second grader, Billy. The sponsorship pays Billy’s tuition and all other costs at L’Ecole de Choix for one year. In addition to participating in the renewal of Billy’s sponsorship, Sullivan Engineering recently renewed its sponsorship of another student, Carl, for an entire year at the school.
This month, L’Ecole de Choix will hold its second sixth grade graduation ceremony. Most of the graduates are the first members of their families to read and write. L’Ecole de Choix will provide tuition assistance and follow-up for all its graduates as they enter middle school. The members of last year’s graduating class have become the top students in their new schools, and they have returned to the Choix campus to encourage the younger students to work hard in their studies and take an active role in improving their communities.
As committed supporters of L’Ecole de Choix, the team at Sullivan Engineering was excited to hear of recent innovations at the school including the creation of a parent teacher organization and the hiring of a full time nurse. The engagement of the parents in the programs and daily operation of the school is a critical step in the success of this program. The future of the school depends upon support from the families and communities of the students. In addition to focusing on the health issues that are unique to Haiti like the Zika Virus, our nurse also educates students on good personal hygiene and dental habits. The athletic program has also expanded to include participation in the Caribbean games for the track and field team. Recently added extra curricular activities include a chess club and a dance team.
In addition to these improvements, the school has announced a strategic initiative to develop a middle school program. This will entail the purchase of property adjacent to the current campus, construction of new classrooms and hiring the middle school faculty. It will take significant financial support to develop the middle school program, but recent corporate partnerships have been an encouraging step towards making the vision a reality.
If you are interested in more information about L’Ecole de Choix or would like to participate in the sponsorship programs, please go to the school website at: http://schoolofchoice.org.
