School of Choice / l'Ecole de Choix (Haiti)

The School of Choice / l'Ecole de Choix partners with Haitians to educate and develop Haitian youth to lead their communities, Haiti and the world. Choix is a unique high quality, trilingual school established in 2011 in Mirebalais, in Haiti’s Central Plateau. Choix provides primary education to 180 children of families living in extreme poverty. With its focus on leadership development, gender neutrality and equal opportunity, and close collaboration with its community, Choix has emerged as a transformational institution within Haiti’s academic and economic ecosystem.

We invest in the next generation of Haitian leaders by partnering with our local community to provide them with high quality elementary education, empowering them with choices so they can shape their own futures, those of their communities, and ultimately Haiti’s and its relationship with the world.

Achievements:

• Parent engagement: We have exceptionally committed parents through our volunteer Parent Committee and our regularly scheduled Parent Meetings. 
• Educated educators: We are unique among Haiti’s rural schools in offering our students a faculty with university degrees and teaching certificates, while teachers throughout the rest of rural Haiti often have only a 6th grade education and, on average only a 9^th grade degree.
• Professional development: Our faculty receive ongoing development opportunities, allowing them to better engage students and families.
• Academic progress: We demonstrate year-over-year improvement in our students’ academic achievements and our graduates are among the top-ranked students in their middle schools.
• Athletic progress: Choix athletes are not only among the best in the county but have qualified for the Junior Olympics, and for international competitions, while maintaining passing grades required to compete. At Choix, academics come first! 
• Student responsibility: Our students are committed to and represent Choix values, which are reinforced at weekly assemblies, and both inside and outside of the classroom, school and local community.
• Healthcare: Choix provides a full-time onsite registered nurse and, with her help, we ensure that all students are registered for care at the local Partners in Health hospital.
• Safety and security: Earthquake and fire drills are conducted for our entire community and all are instructed on what to do in case of protests or other security risks. 
• Extracurriculars: In addition to our nationally ranked athletics program, we offer dance classes and a tournament-ranked chess club.