Volunteers Take the ESL Lead

From HELP's December 2010 newsletter: For the first time, HELP welcomes two volunteers to Haiti to teach English, thanks to a grant from the U.S. Embassy in Haiti’s Office of Public Diplomacy.

Michael Racine, a Michigan native and certified ESL teacher, comes to us after two years of teaching at a middle school in China. He contacted us after reading about HELP in his alma mater’s (Brown University) newspaper. Michael is assited by Micol Issa, a California native and Oberlin College alum (’09). Prior to arriving in Haiti, Micol was an organic gardener in California. In addition to teaching, she is organizing composting and recycling programs at HELP. Michael and Micol live in student housing, a few blocks from the HELP Center. Here is what they have to say about their experience so far:

English class is not only for learning English. Cultural lessons also play a vital role in preparing students for professional life and, of course, as the teachers, we are learning a lot as well. HELP students are bright and eager to improve their hometowns and their country. Sometimes a combination of their youth, their sheltered experiences, and a lack of role models means we also need to teach them how to be proactive, responsible, and professional. Haiti’s long tradition of political and economic patronage and the enormous gap between haves and have-nots, between the government and the citizens, were designed to make people feel powerless. So a big part of our mission is teaching students to ask themselves, “What can I do?” and “How can we change this?”

Students in our upper-level classes have been seeing examples of leadership as we study the PBS series “Eyes on the Prize” about the American civil rights movement. This series makes real the fact that change is hard, but possible, with organization and determination.

It’s nice for us to live with the students: they show us around and teach us about their culture. And it’s great for the students to have a native English speaker in the house. In a matter of weeks, we could already see improvements in the students’ spoken English.

Speaking English is a practical skill that gives HELP students a distinct advantage in the local job market. This was evident in the earthquake recovery efforts where students’ English skills were invaluable to foreign aid workers and their fellow Haitians in the hospitals, clinics and camps. Thanks to the U.S. Embassy, Micol and Michael, the HELP students are sure to be even better prepared for their careers and lives ahead.