(L) HELP Executive Director Conor Bohan speaks to (l-r) David, Johanna, Lucas, and Monica Zwirner; (R) Ben Stiller and Endeavor’s Brian White with HELP staff.

In March 2013, HELP had the privilege of welcoming actor Ben Stiller and gallerist David Zwirner, co-founders of Artists for Haiti, to the HELP Student Center. Mr. Stiller, who visited with his brother-in-law and a family friend on March 15th, toured the Center, met with junior and senior students, and sat in on an English class. Mr. Zwirner visited on March 18th with his wife and children. The family received a tour of HELP’s facilities, observed a leadership class, and met several staff and students.

Students present ESL projects to their classmates

All HELP students participate in a three-year English as a Second Language (ESL) curriculum taught by native speakers. The program starts with an introduction to grammar, speaking, and writing, and progresses to an introduction to literature. In the final two years, ESL instruction is integrated with the leadership curriculum, which incorporates civic education and community service projects to train students to be engaged, active citizens.

Salomon at work

When he earned his electrician’s degree in 2002, Salomon Asmath became HELP’s first-ever graduate. After HELP, Salomon worked as a production engineer at an apparel factory in Port-au-Prince. He then spent a year as an operations manager at a handicrafts company, followed by a year as a stock manager. In June 2008, Salomon became a data entry clerk for MINUSTAH’s police division, where he stayed for three years. Today, he is a manager at Energy Central, a solar panel installation company. Salomon lives in a suburb of Port-au-Prince with his wife and child.