October 1998
October 1998
"This experience opened up a whole new world for me."
&emdash; Charles Joyce, Haiti Today StudentUnder the direction of the Africana Studies Department, the Haiti Today Program offered by the Division of Continuing Education made its first trip to Haiti this August. Participants studied Haiti from literary, economic, cultural, and political perspectives; spent three weeks with award-winning Haitian author Edwidge Danticat; and worked together to develop a lively educational presentation for over 200 Haitian children.In short, the inaugural trip was an overwhelming success.
Africana Studies Professor Marc Prou couldn't be happier. The program represents his dream of introducing students to the richness of Haitian culture in person, giving them a chance to extend their study into the streets and countryside of Haiti. Prou explained, "The real objective of this program is to help demystify Haiti and dispel the many misconceptions some Americans have about Haiti." The way to do this, Prou suggests, is to bring them into direct contact with the very people, places, and culture that they are studying. Working with the Division of Continuing Education,Prou and Haitian Studies Association Director Alix Cantave together developed a program designed to engage students in an intensive course of study, on-site at the American University of the Caribbean in Les Cayes, a scenic center for port commerce in the southern peninsula of the country.
Although students enjoyed the warm Caribbean waters and lush scenery, their experience involved rigorous study and considerable course work. "This program is not a travel tour," explained Prou. "It is part of global education. It exposes students to the country and the richness of its culture, its history, and its people" he added.
Like other Continuing Education international programs of study, the Haiti Today Program combines classroom learning with on-site exploration, visits from guest speakers, and first-hand experience in the country to deepen students' understanding of classroom concepts.
Student Charles Joyce reported, "We would have some kind of classwork every day, discussion, and trips to points of interest. It was very demanding. Some of the work was done in small groups. We discussed aspects of the course and made presentations. It was a group of very high caliber students.
Cantave stated, "There is no other program like this in the country. There are professors who do trips, but this is really a comprehensive course." The uniqueness of the program may well explain the distances many were willing to travel to participate. Among others, the program attracted Oona Burke, an anthropology major from the University of Chicago, as well as Ph.D. candidates Joanne Hyppolite and Natasha Tinsley from the University of Miami and the University of California, Berkeley, respectively.
Hyppolite, who is also a 1997 graduate of the University of Massachusetts Boston's Haitian Creole Institute and an author of children's books, reflected on the program's capstone experience: "We came up with this idea to do a literary and cultural activity, a presentation for the kids in Les Cayes. We wanted to give something back to the community." The children's activities included singing, poetry, and a fiction reading by Hyppolite, who read from her first book, Seth and Samona.
Program participants were happy to give something to the children in Les Cayes, and grateful for the welcome they received from the community at large. Many commented on the generosity of their hosts in Haiti and the depth of their program experience.
Joyce remarked, "This experience opened up a whole new world for me. My neighbors are from Haiti. I now see the whole thing. I have a much greater understanding of them and where they are from."
--by Anne-Marie Kent
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