Change Lives with English Education

Thanks to your fantastic generosity the English in Mind (EIM) Institute in Haiti is continuing to thrive.

As with our previous project reports we once again asked EIM’s International Director, Stephanie Price, to provide an update from Port-au-Prince. Here’s what Steph had to say:

“Exam season is almost here at EIM and our students are hard at work!

Every July our students take one of four official Cambridge exams that tests their skills in reading, writing, listening and speaking. The stakes are high as those who pass will move up a level and start a new class at EIM come September. They will also earn a valuable certificate that can be used to find new employment.

Those who don’t pass are able to repeat their current level and try again next year. But, this doesn’t stop our highly motivated students from pouring everything they have into passing!

The summer is also the time we prepare to welcome new students into our ranks. Our plan is to accept new applications this June and ultimately accept around 80 new students across all our various levels.

We are especially excited with our developing women-only and men-only beginner classes. The friendly competition these classes have created has greatly increased both attendance and performance among all our beginner students.

Outside of classes, the volunteer trips that EIM runs to Haiti are growing and expanding like never before! So much so that we’ve recently launched ‘EIM Adventures’.

This is a social business EIM has created to leads various trips to Haiti with focuses on education, health, yoga, design, coffee and adventure. These trips employ EIM students as guides and generate profits that are folded back into the school to help make EIM more sustainable and less reliant on foreign donations.

Interested in joining us?

Check out EIMAdventures.com“

Thanks so much for continuing to support EIM as it continues to develop into a sustainable, independent entity.    

As always, if you ever have any questions, please don’t hesitate to email Andy@IDVolunteers.org or Steph@Englishinmind.org, both of us are always happy to provide direct updates.

Thanks to your amazing support it’s been a great start to 2016 at the English in Mind (EIM) Institute in Haiti.

As with our last report we once again asked EIM’s International Director Steph to provide an update from Port-au-Prince. Here’s what Steph had to say:

“Back in the fall of 2015 we admitted 90 new students to our school. In years past there has been a fair amount of dropouts in the first few months as students decide if this is a commitment they really want to take on. Happily this is NOT the case this year!

Nearly all of our new students have committed to classes and are getting involved in the life of our school. We are especially impressed with our new women-only Beginners class, which has the highest attendance rate in the school!

What's more, after our first graduation this past November we also decided to create a special new class for our alumni. With the help of our newest teacher, Alison, EIM is now offering a bi-weekly class to help our grads secure meaningful employment using their new English skills. From resume writing and interview skills, to tourism trips and networking opportunities, we’re helping set our grads up for success in whatever career they choose to pursue.

Lastly, our volunteer trips are also expanding this year. Beyond the six scheduled trips usually planned, we have recently formed some exciting new partnerships to offer more types of trips in more places. For example, we’re now working with a mobile maternity clinic out west in Cayes to bring groups of volunteers in for public health / tourism trips. These trips are led by EIM guides and trip leaders, and the proceeds will benefit both the clinic and our school!

It’s a win-win and partnerships like these are creating more employment opportunities for our students, more in-country revenue for EIM, and introducing more and more people to this beautiful country.

Thanks for your support and feel free to come and visit! “

Steph also sent us some beautiful photos and background information on EIM students and staff which we wanted to share with you as well - some of these faces you might recognise from your amazing support of our microproject appeals.

Firstly Elza, pictured above, is more than a teacher at EIM, she’s a true leader. Now in her second year of teaching with EIM, Elza heads up the school's growing women-only Beginner class. In Haiti women’s education is sadly not typically as highly valued as men’s. So, EIM is trying hard to encourage its female students more by giving them their own class when they're most shy. Beyond teaching them language skills, Elza is a true role model of what a well-educated, English-speaking women looks like.

And then there’s Florence below. Florence started with EIM as a beginner back in 2011. Now, five years later, she’s in the highest level class – Advanced 2, and is aiming to graduate this summer. Beyond being a student, Florence is also training to be a volunteer trip leader with EIM to lead groups of foreign volunteers out west for a week. Doing this she’ll apply not only her English skills, but also the vital leadership skills she’s learned within the EIM community.

Pete, also below, transferred to EIM last year as a shy, intermediate student. One year later his English has bloomed and he’s also come out of his shell - Pete was also recently chosen to be a  volunteer trip leader!  We have high hopes for what this charismatic Advanced 1 student will now achieve, both in school and in life.

And finally, Ansly is a quiet leader at EIM. While his soft spoken demeanor might fool you, Ansly is a strong personality at the school – leading others both as a trip leader for foreign volunteers and as the president of the garden club which runs on EIM’s land.

Thanks so much for supporting Elza, Florence, Peterson and almost 200 more students at EIM. As always, if you ever have any questions, please don’t hesitate to email Andy@IDVolunteers.org or Steph@Englishinmind.org, both of us are always happy to provide direct updates.