How We Work

Scholarship Coverage

HELP scholarships include:

• Classes at an internationally accredited university in Haiti.
• Textbooks and supplies.
• Living stipends.
• Housingin HELP dorms and living stipends.
• Academic advising and counseling.
• IT curriculum: 2-year program in computer literacy.
• English curriculum: HELP’s 4-year program, sponsored by the U.S. Embassy, introduces students to literature, poetry, and theatre. Classes are taught by native speakers, including two full-time volunteers who also serve as resident advisors in HELP dorms, giving students additional opportunities to advance their English outside the classroom.
• Leadership & Citizenship curriculum: HELP’s unique 4-year curriculum uses our five pillars – respect, rigor, courage, sacrifice, and service – as the foundation for teaching leadership, with a focus on community service and social change.
• Career services and internships with local businesses and NGOs.
• Study abroad opportunities at Dartmouth College and Cornell University

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 3.0 GPA 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:

• Digicel Foundation
• 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.

Admissions Policy

Please visit our admissions page for more information.