Ecole Shalom/Alpha Academy

HAC-Haiti views education as an integral part of our approach to bestowing self-sustaining skills upon our community members. Over 90% of Haitian primary schools are private and ultimately too costly for most families. Therefore, parents are often faced with the difficult decision of which child or children within the household will attend school each year. As a result, many children go for long periods of time without schooling. This disruption in educational advancement and sometimes-complete lack of access makes many Haitians susceptible to cyclical elements of poverty.

The Ecole Shalom primary school was built in 2003, immediately providing a more affordable alternative for parents in Croix-des-Bouquets. Over the years, Ecole Shalom has furthered the education of over 300 students in the community, with 85 students enrolled for the Fall of 2011. In 2010, Ecole Shalom received sponsorship from Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. for the completion of the roof of our facility. This enabled us to create additional classrooms on the upper level to accommodate the growing number of students at Ecole Shalom, now also known as The Alpha Academy. This year, Ecole Shalom is fortunate to have partnered with the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) Program, which has introduced technology to many of our students for the first time and heightened their learning experience in the classroom. Today, technology is at the forefront of every competitive market. Thus, we think it is important for our students to be acquainted with technology as early as possible during their academic years. 

Through the continued support of HAC-Haiti and our partners we hope to  enhance the future potential of all of our students and prepare them for the  global professional market.