D2C initiated its After School Tutoring Program in April 2015 to address several critical gaps in the formal education children and youth receive in southern Haiti. Many students are unable to read and write at grade level due to fluctuations in attendance and teacher availability. Moreover, due to the fact that French is taught in school but Creole is spoken at home, most parents are unable to assist their children in completing their school work.

D2C’s tutoring program operates out of St. Anne’s, a local school D2C has partnered with.  It provides targeted lessons to supplement the student’s formal education, help them advance into higher learning and prepare them to lead a productive life. The program served 75 students in its first academic year of operation and the community’s high estimation of the program resulted in a rapid increase in demand.

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In 2018, D2C expanded its After School Tutoring Program by hiring additional University accredited tutors to accommodate more students. Currently, the D2C After School Tutoring Project employs 10 tutors and a Director and keeps the student/teacher ratios low at 1:10. With more tutors, we increased the number of student participants from 75 to 100, thereby eliminating our community waitlist. 

 

The After School Tutoring Program also provides free lunch to help keep students’ minds and bellies full during those critical school day hours. Due to severe poverty, most children in Haiti receive 2 meals a day; breakfast around 6:00am and then dinner 10-12 hours later. Proper nutrition is vital to having the strength and ability to focus on academic lessons and perform well on annual exams.