We’re excited to let you know that THP was just featured in America Magazine.
Check out "The Road to Racial Justice Must Also Run Through Haiti" by THP VP Colby Bowker.
“As the Biden administration takes shape, there are several things that the United States and the international community can do for Haiti to ensure that the issue of racial justice is being addressed both at home and abroad.”
Thank you. For your support. For your prayers. For caring. For being a part of something amazing. YOU made 2020 a success, and we couldn't be more grateful.
The approach of a new year is always a great time to reflect on everything you make possible for our students and alumni. Your belief in The Haitian Project's (THP) mission enables Louverture Cleary School (LCS) graduates to use their education to break the cycle of poverty for themselves and their families. Thank you!
Here are just a few of the many milestones from last year:
Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and unrest in Haiti, LCS remained successful and supportive to its students and community in Haiti, providing direct assistance including food supplies, potable water and 2,400 reusable masks to our neighbors, while ensuring that our 90 teachers and staff had the financial stability to care for their families through the pandemic.
LCS’s 25th graduating class achieved a 100 percent pass-rate on the national exam and joined an amazing group of successful alumni who are staying in Haiti to make a brighter future for their country.
LCS once again proved its academic excellence with another National Laureate and a high-placed winner in a national essay contest.
And... THP had a successful transition year as new THP President Reese Grondin took the helm, bringing a tremendous amount of expertise and skill from her many years of service with THP, along with a dedicated family to help lead the mission.
Looking ahead to a bright new year, there is much work still to do. But it is good and important work. And we couldn't be more happy to be doing it together with you.
Building on the decades-long success of LCS outside of Port-au-Prince, The Haitian Project is preparing to break ground on its next school—the Model Campus—as part of the Louverture Cleary Schools Network, a national system of 10 schools stretching across the country. Each new school in the Network will be established in a different diocese / department of Haiti, increasing access to quality education outside of the nation’s capital.
Thanks to you, Louverture Cleary School students go on to professional careers IN HAITI to make a brighter future for their country.
Because you believe, 90 percent of LCS graduates are in Haiti working, or in university, or both. They are working as teachers, accountants, doctors, and lawyers. They are earning an average of $12,000 per year just several years into their careers—having come from families who struggle to survive on $1,000 per year.
Because you believe, graduates of Louverture Cleary School can attain professional careers and build strong families and communities—IN HAITI. They are able to send their own children to school, buy their own homes, pay for their own medical care, and support their extended families.
All with your support.
And when 25 percent of Louverture Cleary School graduates go on to study medicine (in a country that has one-tenth the number of doctors per capita as the U.S.), the need for MORE Louverture Cleary Schools has never been been more clear.
Thank you for believing in them. And in our work together.
Best wishes to you and yours for a safe and happy new year!
Daily life at Louverture Cleary School (LCS) is a structured routine of purpose, hard work and service. As everyone in the LCS Community goes about their day of classes, communal work, mealtimes, and play, putting others first is a common theme.
This year, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the routine looks a little different, but the purpose and goals of the community are as clear as ever.
Every student, teacher and staff member embraces their responsibility to each other’s health and safety so that the LCS community may continue to push forward with its mission to educate the future servant-leaders of Haiti.
And they are succeeding, despite both the pandemic and the political unrest that has made 2020 an especially challenging year.
With 50 percent of the student body on campus at any one time, lots of hand washing, social distancing and, of course, face masks, here is a look at A Day in the Life of a Louverturian right now:
5:00 am The bell awakens students for the day. Students prepare themselves in their dorms and then, grouped by class, proceed to the cafeteria for breakfast. With plenty of space between students, they eat their meal and clean up before the next group arrives.
7:00 am Students are in their designated classrooms and the school day begins. This year, students remain in the same room for all their courses and only teachers move from class to class throughout the day. Rooms are constantly open to the air, thanks to the beautiful Haitian climate.
7:40 am The bell rings again to call students, staff and teachers to the front basketball court for the reading of the Gospel of the day, the raising of flags, and announcements from the Administration.
8:00 am Classes resume and change every 40 minutes for 11 periods each day, with lunch taking place between 11:00 am and 1:10 pm, rotating by class groups.
3:25 pm The school day ends, and students put on their work clothes for Netwayaj (clean-up). Student groups, led by Guides and Monitors—the leadership titles given to Philo (US 12th grade +1) and Rheto (US 12th grade) students—report to their designated areas of campus to clean.
4:30 pm Netwayaj ends and Play Hour begins. Students all remain outside for recreation, trading the usual favorites like soccer or basketball games for penalty kick practice, dance club, playing drums and guitars, card games, and reading—all with masks and socially distanced.
5:30 pm Students finish Play Hour and return to their dorms to clean up for dinner. Again grouped by class, they rotate in the cafeteria to eat their meal and clean up.
6:55 pm The bell brings all students back to the basketball court, still mindful of social distancing. The school prays together and receives any additional announcements from the Administration. From there, they move to their designated classrooms for Study Hour.
9:30 pm Study Hour ends and students return to their dormitories for bed.
10:00 pm The final bell of the day rings, lights are out, and the campus goes to sleep for the night to recharge for the coming day.
Whether it is gathered to start the day with the school song and flag raising, in class, or assembled with their classmates, a Louverturian's day is filled with purpose.
YOU are the reason why talented, civic-minded Haitian students whose families cannot afford the cost of their education are able to receive one of the best educations in the country, tuition-free!
Please keep the wind in our sails—make your year-end gift today!
This fall, Louverture Cleary students from the Philo (US 12th grade +1) and Katryèm (US 9th grade) classes sat for their respective state exams, a success in itself given the COVID-19 pandemic and political unrest challenging the nation.
Passing the Philo Baccalaureate Exam will allow the graduates of the Class of 2020 to gain admission to university, and the Katryèm state exam allows students to progress from the Fondamentale curriculum to Twayzèm (US 10th grade), the beginning of the Secondaire curriculum and their final four years at LCS.
We just received the results, and we are thrilled to report a 100 percent pass rate for both the Philo Baccalaureate and Katryèm state exams!
With these results, LCS celebrates the continued tradition of success it has come to be known for in Haiti.
Patrick B., Haitian private sector leader and head of THP’s partner foundations in Haiti, reflects on the perfect results:
Despite a very difficult year, during which LCS students were repeatedly distracted by the confusion of unrest, the fears and restrictions that came with the COVID-19 pandemic, and the uncertainty of knowing whether official exams would even be programmed, LCS is proud to confirm a 100 percent pass rate for the Katryèm and Philo 2020 national exams. Once again, the focus and determination of each and every one of our Louverturians has been remarkable.
Read all about it…
The COVID-19 pandemic and instability in Haiti have made travel and other activities in the country considerably more challenging, causing many activities to take much longer than usual. Nevertheless, The Haitian Project is moving the Louverture Cleary Schools Network forward despite these challenges.
What's else is new in this issue? Read about:
Louverture Cleary School hosted the Katryèm (US 9th grade) class and the 2020 Philo (US 12th grade + 1) graduates separately for a week of exam prep and then again during their actual exam periods.
2020 Louverture Cleary graduate Lyncée Charles placed third in Haiti in national essay competition about the COVID-19 pandemic.
And more!
Brian Moynihan (second from left) with then THP President Deacon Patrick Moynihan (center) at Louverture Cleary School in Haiti in 2012.
Brian Moynihan, an early THP board chair, supporter for nearly thirty years, and brother of THP President Emeritus Deacon Patrick Moynihan, has partnered with Pope Francis to work together to create a more inclusive capitalism.
Brian, who is the CEO of Bank of America, is joined by Salesforce.com’s Marc Benioff and other prominent business leaders in announcing the Council for Inclusive Capitalism with the Vatican, which describes itself as a movement to build a more inclusive, sustainable and trusted economic system that addresses the needs of our people and the planet.
“Inclusive Capitalism addresses society’s most important priorities such as driving prosperity, equality and economic opportunity for everyone,” Brian said in a statement. “It is critical that we align the capital, creativity and innovation from the private sector to solve for these pressing global challenges.”
We are grateful to Brian and to all our supporters who are creating durable economic, social and environmental progress in Haiti through education, and we applaud this most recent effort with Pope Francis to make the world a better place by ensuring we have an economic system that, as the Pope describes it, “leaves no one behind, that discards none of our brothers and sisters.”
The idea of putting others first is, of course, what The Haitian Project and Louverture Cleary School are all about. (Make sure you don’t miss the picture below!)
You can read more about Brian and the Council HERE.
Louverture Cleary School class of 2015 mural
Our Mission
The Haitian Project through its support of Louverture Cleary Schools, a national network of tuition-free, Catholic, co-educational secondary boarding schools in Haiti, provides for the education of academically-talented and motivated students from Haitian families who cannot afford the cost of their children’s education in order to maximize their potential and enable them to work toward building a Haiti where justice and peace thrive.
Louverture Cleary School continues to provide a top-notch education to Haiti’s future servant-leaders.
Looking for a thoughtful gift for a teacher, friend, family member, or just about anyone else this holiday season?
Give the Gift of Education, it is the gift that never stops giving!
Make a donation in any amount to The Haitian Project in honor of a friend or family member this holiday season, and The Haitian Project will send a Christmas card notifying your loved one of the gift given in their honor!
Simply submit the form, either online or on paper to sign up.
Your gift allows The Haitian Project to continue to feed, house and educate 360 students—Haiti’s future servant-leaders—each year.
In order for your family and friends to receive a card notifying them of your gift by Christmas Eve, The Haitian Project needs to receive your donation by Monday morning, December 21st. Thank you!
Lyncée C. (LCS ’20) at the Centre Muse Haiti award ceremony
Louverture Cleary School students and graduates are known as Louverturians because they embody the values of the school community: placing others before themselves, working hard, and committing to building a brighter future for their country.
Among the many stories of Louverturians impacting their communities and country is the recent success of Lyncée C. (LCS ’20). After the COVID-19 pandemic brought her final year at LCS to a halt in March, Lyncée and her peers had to return home to quarantine and continue their studies in alternate ways.
While looking for ways to stay engaged and active during this challenging time, Lyncée discovered that a Haitian cultural institution, the Centre Muse Haiti, was holding a national essay competition about the COVID-19 pandemic.
In response to one of five possible prompts, Lyncée wrote an essay addressing the mistrust and skepticism many Haitians feel toward their government and whether this mistrust permits citizens to disregard the government’s pandemic response policies. She reflected on how the people of Haiti may distrust the state because of corruption, lack of transparency, and a lack of support for even the basic needs of the population living in poverty.
In spite of these challenges, true to her Louverturian formation, her essay remained focused on the path forward, concluding that the seriousness of the virus and the importance of the protocols implemented should rise above negative feelings toward the Haitian government. This, she argued, was imperative to protect the health and well-being of Haitians and to not create another tragedy for an already suffering people.
After LCS Principal Marjorie M. (LCS ’07) was informed last month that Lyncée had placed in the top ten entries in the country, she and Lyncée attended a socially-distanced award ceremony to learn that Lyncée had placed third overall in the national contest!
Principal M. reflects:
I am proud of Lyncée. She decided on her own to participate in the competition and was awarded third place. Once again, LCS is top in the country, proof that our students receive a great education. It elevates the reputation of the school and reminds everyone that LCS aims for excellence.
Congratulations to Lyncée on her success and congratulations to Louverture Cleary School for once again being among the top schools in Haiti!
We also want to congratulate YOU, our supporters, for continuing to be the help we have to give! If you are able to do so, we hope you will support our work at this time. Thank you!
Facilities Manager Odson F. in the computer lab of the Radia Laboratory of Science and Technology.
We're excited to announce the September issue of
Haitian Project News!
Louverture Cleary School's newly-finished Radia Laboratory of Science and Technology is complete and stands ready for the students’ return as soon as LCS is able to re-open for the new school year!
What's else is new in this issue? Read about:
With Careful Planning and Continued Success, Louverture Cleary School is preparing for the eventual start of the 2020-2021 school year! While many schools in Haiti are making up classes now to complete the last school year, LCS is preparing to move forward despite a year of challenges, having already satisfied the 2019-2020 school year requirements and distributed diplomas to LCS’s 25th graduating class.
We’re celebrating another LCS National Laureate! Rising LCS Sekond (US 11th grade) student Marquez Michel placed first in the entire nation on the 2019 Katryem (US 9th grade) state exam!
LCS alumni Jhonny F., M.D.'s (LCS '00) career has seen him stepping forward as a leading medical professional during the 2010 cholera epidemic. Then in 2013, Jhonny started a specialization in obstetrics/gynecology, eventually returning to Port-au-Prince in 2019 to open a private OB/GYN clinic while beginning a master's degree in public health.
And all of latest THP happenings and feature stories in the September issue of Haitian Project News!
Louverture Cleary School recently learned that rising LCS Sekond (US 11th grade) student Marquez M. placed first in the entire nation on the 2019 Katryem (US 9th grade) state exam! This exam is required to pass from the fundamental to the secondary level of the Haitian school curriculum.
Rising LCS Sekond (US 11th grade) student Marquez M.
Because of the disruptions to the 2019-2020 school year in Haiti, a result of the civil unrest last fall and more recently the COVID-19 pandemic, these exam results were not officially announced through the usual public ceremony.
Nevertheless, we are taking this moment to celebrate Marquez's achievement and LCS’s place among the top schools in Haiti.
We also continue to celebrate YOU, our supporters, without whom there could be no LCS. If you are able to do so, we hope you will support our work at this time. Thank you for being the help we have to give!
