How We Work

Scholarship Coverage

HELP scholarships include:

Tuition at an internationally accredited university in Haiti
Room and board at HELP student housing
Textbooks and school supplies
Mandatory English classes taught by certified teachers
IT training and access at the HELP Computer Lab
Leadership training: preparing students to take leadership roles in Haiti’s development
Internships and job placement in fields such as administration, accounting, IT, engineering, and medicine
Counseling and advising: each student is assigned a peer mentor and a student advisor
Volunteering: all students volunteer at the HELP Center

Students at work in the HELP Computer Lab.

Performance Standards

HELP students attend only those Haitian universities recognized by the Association of Francophone Universities (www.auf.org). HELP students must maintain the equivalent of a 3.5 GPA (70/100 average) in order to retain their scholarship.

Internships

HELP partners with local corporations, government offices, and NGOs to offer students the practical experience they need to be successful professionals. HELP students have interned at such institutions as:

Voila
United Nations Office of the Special Envoy to Haiti
U.S. Embassy in Haiti
ONA (Haitian Social Security Administration)
International Organization for Migration
Oxfam
American Red Cross
Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti

Extra-Curricular Activities

Many Haitians are isolated from new ideas by their poverty. Through a series of regular speakers and occasional field trips, HELP introduces our students to a broad range of innovators and activists. Speakers at the HELP Center have included former Haitian Prime Minister Michele Pierre-Louis; Jean Robert Cadet, former child slave and author of Restavek; Jean-Sorel Beaujour, founder of Haiti’s first HIV-positive support group; and Jane Wynne, one of Haiti’s foremost environmentalists. HELP field trips include visits to the annual “Women’s Production” trade show, featuring local female-owned businesses, as well as excursions to the Jacmel Carnival, an annual celebration of Haiti’s colorful artistic tradition.