Tek4Kids

Author: Lauren

  • Tek4Kids Thanks Transparent Language!

    Tek4Kids Thanks Transparent Language!

    Tek4Kids continues to recover from the crippling effects of Hurricane Matthew last October. Part of this effort involves replacing Tek4Kids laptops that were damaged in the storm. Many thanks to Transparent Language, who is providing replacement software for these laptops free of charge!

    Transparent Language provided their Essentials program – a fun, engaging, and interactive environment which includes activities that teach all four core language skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Used with the Tek4Kids laptops in the St. Francis School of Technology, Transparent Language Essentials allows students to advance at their own pace. Built-in assessments provide both teacher and students the means of tracking individual progress.

    Our English language volunteer in Haiti, Rose Yunker, commented, “Transparent Language’s program for teaching English to French-speaking students was an invaluable aid to my Haitian students’ progress. It provided the backbone to my own classroom activities and kept my class productively engaged while I worked with individual students or small groups.”

    Hats off to Transparent Language for this generous gift!

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  • Damage Update in Jeremie, Haiti

    Damage Update in Jeremie, Haiti

    By now, many of you have heard accounts of the damage done in the town of Jeremie, Haiti by Hurricane Matthew. Thankfully, all of our team members survived the storm without injury. We are slowly starting to put together a complete picture of all of the destruction. It is dire. Nearly all of Tek4Kids’ 18 Haitian staff members lost their homes. Several of our schools lost their roofs. Much of our electronic equipment was destroyed by water damage, including laptops and inverters. Fortunately, one of our team members was able to store our iPads in a safe place, so we will not have to replace them. We estimate it will cost upwards of $100,000 to replace the damaged equipment, rebuild the homes of our staff and repair the schools, while we do our best to continue to provide shelter and clean water for those we can.

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  • 2016 Golf Scramble Thank You!

    2016 Golf Scramble Thank You!

    We would like to express our sincere gratitude to all golfers, sponsors, in-kind donors and volunteers who supported the 4th Annual Golf Scramble for Haiti which was held on Tuesday, September 13, 2016 at Champions Pointe Golf Club.

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  • Assessing Damage and Moving Forward in Jeremie

    Assessing Damage and Moving Forward in Jeremie

    Tek4Kids founders Gary and Cathy Boice recently traveled to Jeremie, Haiti to assess the damage caused by Hurricane Matthew and continue making plans for our response to this disaster. Priorities included providing housing assistance for our teachers and staff, distributing purified water to the community, determining if laptops, inverters and other equipment can be salvaged and assisting our partner schools in reopening.

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  • Great Things Are Happening at St. Francis School of Technology

    Great Things Are Happening at St. Francis School of Technology

    St. Francis School of Technology first opened it doors to 24 students in September of 2015. The school is currently located on the second floor of St. John Bosco, a partner school for which Tek4Kids provides clean water, electricity and computers. As a three-year program, the technology school offers its students different tracks of study in database, programming, Microsoft Network Server, instruction in basic business principles, English and French classes and well as Microsoft products such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Publisher.

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  • Students Enjoy English Classes at St. Francis School of Technology

    Students Enjoy English Classes at St. Francis School of Technology

    Tek4Kids strives to help students succeed in a global economy; English is a subject of particular focus at our school. Rose Yunker, a volunteer with Tek4Kids, is teaching English at St. Francis School of Technology from September through May. Rose helps students to learn English by using a program called Transparent Language which is taught on computers provided by Tek4Kids. She teaches classes for one hour per day. She states that the students see mastery of the English language as an inevitable key to a successful future. Rose also says many time students have said to her, “I am so happy you are here, I love English.” As a result of teaching English at our school, students may find employment more readily both within Haiti and remotely with other businesses.

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  • Clean Water Is a Stepping Stone to Success at St. John Bosco

    Clean Water Is a Stepping Stone to Success at St. John Bosco

    Before Tek4Kids installed the water purification system, most families relied on rivers and pumps for their drinking water. Less than 8% of families in Haiti have access to clean drinking water and there are no sanitation programs to handle the sewage or trash in Haiti, which inevitably washes down into the waterways causing waterborne diseases such as cholera and typhoid.

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  • Electricity Is an Essential Foundation for Success at St. John Bosco

    Electricity Is an Essential Foundation for Success at St. John Bosco

    In Haiti, electricity is only available for a few hours each day. Tek4Kids has built the necessary infrastructure to provide a reliable source of electricity for St. John Bosco, improving the learning environment for both students and teachers. Reliable electricity helps students achieve academic success. In 2013, eight batteries were installed to operate the water purification system, which pumps 1500 gallons of water through the cisterns each week and provides clean water for more than 200 students. In 2014, an additional eight batteries were installed for a computer lab to improve student access to technology, opening the possibility of future job opportunities in the community. Providing basic infrastructure such as electricity is the key to a better future for the people of Haiti.

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  • Students Excel in Technological Learning at St. John Bosco

    Students Excel in Technological Learning at St. John Bosco

    Tek4Kids partnered with St. John Bosco in 2013 to provide a technology-based learning environment for students, with the goal helping them excel in the field of technology and improve their opportunities for employment in the future. St. John Bosco serves more than 200 students in grades one through six. Currently, computer classes are taught in fifth and sixth grades.  A computer lab was built for students to use the laptops to their fullest potential.

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  • Electricity Is Key to Water Systems at Montfort School

    Electricity Is Key to Water Systems at Montfort School

    Electricity is part of the infrastructure Tek4Kids provides in our partner schools. Reliable electricity is essential in order to provide a functioning water purification system. Providing the necessary infrastructure at Montfort School posed a challenge since is located quite a distance from our other partner schools and is difficult to reach due to steep, rough roads.

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  • Electricity Powers Water Purification at Brother Paulin School

    Electricity Powers Water Purification at Brother Paulin School

    Electricity was installed in 2012 at Brother Paulin, clearing the way for Tek4Kids to install a water purification system for the students. Tek4Kids installed eight batteries to power the water system, which pumps 1000 gallons of city water each week through the cistern and increases the pressure used to push the water through the cistern.

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  • Students Are Enjoying Their iPads at Brother Paulin School

    Students Are Enjoying Their iPads at Brother Paulin School

    iPads were first introduced at Brother Paulin school in 2014. iPad instructor Laura Desmangles transports the iPads to each school to maximize the number of students who can benefit from them. Currently, two classes per week are being held to serve students in the sixth grade classes at Brother Paulin. The goal of these classes is to familiarize the students with the technology before lessons are taught using the iPads. By introducing the iPads first, students can better focus on the lessons when using them during class.

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