Brandon Krampert
In Motion Staff Writer
Photo Coutesy of Donald May
That’s what has started under a new study abroad program to Haiti that began this past summer under the title of Teaching Beyond Borders, a Daytona State College initiative, founded and directed by associate professor Donald May.
Other faculty involved are Dr. Maryann Gromoll, as special education coordinator and Margie Hensler, as lead project advisor.
On TBB’s website, their purpose is described as, “Our foundational belief is that education is the most powerful force we can use to change our world. This belief drives us in the Teaching Beyond Borders program to diligently work to increase access to a quality education for all children, especially those children who live in impoverished regions of the world.”
“When I started teaching here I was interested in starting a study abroad program for our students, especially in the college of education, so they could see what it’s like in other countries,” May said.
May started talking to a student of his in 2012, whose father runs a Pre-K through Grade 13 school called College Susan Schuenke in Cap Haitien, Haiti, and the idea materialized from there. The school inhabits more than 900 students and is funded entirely by donations. To clarify, private schools are called colleges in Haiti.
In July of 2013, May and others traveled to Haiti and visited the school and conducted a needs assessment to find ways to aid the school. The TBB had its first study abroad trip there from May 29 to June 5 this past summer at $1,800 per person.
The group was made up mostly of education majors, a few A.A. students and a nursing student.
During the duration of the trip, the education majors lead activities in classes and showed teachers how to incorporate technology with supplies TBB donated; such as laptops and overhead projectors at the school. They also conducted another needs assessment for the school to determine what future goals the TBB can set to aid the school.
The three professors lead teacher training in the afternoons and non-education students partnered with education majors with the activities in the classroom.
“I went to Haiti with barely knowing any Creole, I learned some prior. Even though we couldn’t speak to the students on everything, we were still able to get points across and in some situations we had translators,” said Amber Reninger, an elementary education major, concerning the language barrier.
Olivia Nield, a nursing student that went on the trip said, “I was able to help with people who were teaching according to a teaching plan. Even though I wasn’t an education major I didn’t have much of a disadvantage, it was a new experience to everyone.”
Items that were donated were from students and teachers. The initiative also partnered with the DSC Foundation to accept donations on their behalf for the costs of shipping supplies and the projects that the students did.
May and Hensler will be visiting the school in Cap Haitien this fall to check on the progress of the school.
On June 24, the TBB had a symposium at Bergengren Hall at DSC featuring student exhibits of those who participated in the trip; a silent auction for funds going to the TBB for future trips; a presentation of a video that was compiled during the trip; and a panel discussion about the students’ experiences.
A silent auction raised $385 and throughout the night there were 60 to 70 guests in attendance.
During the panel, May said, “We really want to continue this program and expand our impact in the public schools. We know that’s going to be a big challenge and the whole reason we started this program is because we had a foundation there. We’re still going to support those teachers but there’s so much that needs to be done in the public schools.”
May also insisted that the TBB, in addition to their current projects in Haiti, will be working to constitute and grow other service learning programs abroad to other countries in the global south and related to different fields of study that will suit different countries and communities needs, not solely education.