May 1st 2024.
In Boston, there is an elementary school that is doing something truly special for its immigrant families. This school, the Toussaint L'Ouverture Dual Language Academy, is the first in the country to offer a Haitian Creole dual-language preschool program. Named after the leader of the Haitian Revolution, this program not only helps students communicate with each other and the world, but it also instills a sense of pride in its Haitian students.
The decision to introduce this program was made with great care and consideration. With Boston having the third-largest population of Haitian people in the United States, it only made sense for this program to be located at Mattahunt Elementary school in the Mattapan neighborhood. The hope is that this program will help to break down any language barriers that may exist for students as they enter the classroom.
According to Priscilla Joseph, a teacher and founder of the Academy, the decision to place the program at Mattahunt was a strategic one. "Boston Public Schools and many community partners felt that the Mattahunt would be the best location, especially in Mattapan, which has a high Haitian population," she explained in an interview with NBC News. Being Haitian-American herself, Joseph understands the importance of supporting and encouraging students in their language, culture, and history. This is especially true for the students at Mattahunt, where 97% of the student body is nonwhite and a majority of them are Black.
For Joseph and her team of educators, the dual language program serves a much greater purpose than just academic learning. It also serves as a way to promote acceptance and understanding among students of different backgrounds. "I also grew up in a place where it wasn't okay to say that you were Haitian, and there was a lot of discrimination against Haitian people," Joseph shared. "So I kind of took my own experiences and brought them into the classroom, knowing how it feels to be a little bit different or outcasted because of your culture."
But the impact of this program goes beyond the students themselves. Many of the students at Mattahunt are children of immigrants, and this program also helps them serve as translators for their relatives who may not speak English. And it's not just the students who are learning - the faculty members also make an effort to speak Haitian Creole to help parents be more involved in their child's education. As a result, the program has led to improved test scores across the school.
The curriculum at the Toussaint L'Ouverture Dual Language Academy is designed to incorporate both languages in all subjects, including a cultural section. Despite the current political state in Haiti, this program is helping students in Boston to take pride in their heritage. It is breaking down stereotypes and preserving the culture and legacy of Haiti within its diaspora. "We're just prepping them for when they take over," stated Mattahunt's principal, Walter Henderson. "And we try to make sure that they understand that Haiti is a powerful nation."
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