Tek4Kids

Category: Events

  • Tek4Kids Celebrates International Women’s Day

    Tek4Kids Celebrates International Women’s Day

    Every year, March 8th is honored as International Women’s Day (IWD) around the world. Our team in Haiti is celebrating the month of March as women’s month in conjunction with IWD and using its theme, Choose to Challenge, to motivate and encourage one another.

    Marichka Milord initiated and coordinated the celebration of IWD to highlight the achievements and contributions of women working with Tek4Kids and our partner organizations. The month-long emphasis supports diversity, equality and inclusion and focuses on women’s contributions in the STEM field. As part of the campaign, Milord produced videos featuring two accomplished women in our organization, Laura Desmangles and Dana Cazeau.

    Milord also organized a conference held on March 8th at the Jeremie Enterprise and Technology (JET) center, which included round-table discussions about the role of women in society and the challenges and injustices that women in Haiti face. Milord, along with St. Francis School of Technology teachers Delice Dorvil and Rony Jean Baptiste, moderated the discussions.

    Both moderators and participants asserted that women in Haitian are often seen as the ones responsible for domestic tasks, while men are breadwinners and are given more educational and career opportunities. Participants maintained that women should hold other important roles in society, as they are quite capable of adding value to society in more ways than taking care of their household.

    Participants also considered the importance of creating an inclusive society where everyone’s contributions are valued, regardless of gender. This requires a shift in thinking and becoming aware of deep-rooted biases and conditioning. Seeing each gender as equal leads to providing equal opportunities for them. In addition, participants stressed that change begins at home, so shaping children’s perception of gender is vital.

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  • Tek4Kids Welcomes New Staff Member

    Tek4Kids Welcomes New Staff Member

    Tek4Kids gladly welcomes Marichka Milord as our newest staff member in Haiti. Here are her words of introduction:

    “I am excited to join Tek4Kids as the organization’s values and mission align with mine. From creating content and managing social media to developing internal and external communication strategies, I will be helping with the success of Tek4Kids’ communication efforts.

    I was born in Haiti and left to live in the US before starting my secondary education. There, I received my bachelor’s degree in Communication and Political Science, focusing on media studies, comparative politics, international relations theories and social justice. I went on to pursue a master of arts degree in Film and TV production. After graduating, I briefly moved back to Haiti to work for Habitat for Humanity Haiti, a non-profit organization that focuses on sustainable urban development.

    Later, I moved to Luxembourg, where I completed a master’s degree in business administration, with concentrations in leadership and management and entrepreneurship. There, I also worked as a communications specialist at the European Stability Mechanism and ArcelorMittal, and then as an Innovation Officer at the House of Startups of Luxembourg. I also have prior experience working for media organizations, the tourism sector and the fashion industry.

    My interests include innovative communication and storytelling, social justice, democratic governance, sustainable development, eco-tourism and women’s empowerment. In my spare time, when I am not creating content for my blog and other social media platforms, I serve as a freelance communications specialist, helping clients develop innovative marketing strategies and create engaging/compelling content for their websites and social media. In addition, I am passionate about traveling, as it enables me to put myself in new and intriguing places and activate my brain in new ways through interesting and meaningful conversations with people from different cultures. Also, art continues to be the main outlet for my feelings and creativity. Thus, I am also an amateur at filmmaking, dancing and acting.”

  • Supplying 676,000 Gallons of Purified Water, Tek4Kids Completes Project as Schools Reopen in Haiti

    Supplying 676,000 Gallons of Purified Water, Tek4Kids Completes Project as Schools Reopen in Haiti

    As the Covid-19 pandemic emerged in the United Sates and Haiti in late March, Tek4Kids responded immediately by providing free, purified water for hand washing and drinking in the community of Jeremie, Haiti using six distribution points, its partner schools that were forced to close due to the coronavirus outbreak.

    Four months and thousands of dollars later, Tek4Kids has wrapped up its water distribution project. Since its partner schools recently reopened, Tek4Kids could not continue using the schools’ facilities, space and infrastructure for water distribution, but resumed its primary mission to provide technology education for more than 2,000 students in Jeremie.

    From April 1 through August 7, Tek4Kids purified and distributed 676,000 gallons of free water to the residents of Jeremie. Recording nearly 156,000 visits to its distribution points, Tek4Kids purchased 315 truckloads of water to purify using its infrastructure already in place, which employs a chlorination system. Here’s how Tek4Kids’ water purification systems work. More than 30 Tek4Kids staff members managed the water distribution project.

    Since Tek4Kids did not charge residents for the water, its expenses were significant. If you would like to help us continue our mission to bridge the poverty gap and provide hope for a brighter future for students in Haiti through education and technology, please donate here.

  • Tek4Kids Fall Virtual Tech Summit

    Tek4Kids Fall Virtual Tech Summit

    The Tek4Kids Fall Virtual Tech Summit takes place on Wednesday, September 2, 2020 from 12:00-12:45 pm. Learn how Tek4Kids uses education and technology to change students’ lives in Haiti. The summit will explore new possibilities for learning and invite your ideas for improving education, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic. The free event will live stream presentations, panel discussions and interviews with leaders engaging the theme: The Art of Possible.

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    Guest Speakers

    Margarett Lubin, Country Director J/P Haitian Relief Organization, CORE – Community Organized Relief Effort
    William ‘Skip’ Hahnert, Dean, School of Information Technology, Ivy Tech Community College


    Event Agenda

    • The Story of Tek4Kids: Gary Boice, Tek4Kids Founder and Board Chair
    • Women in Tech: Maryse King, Tek4Kids Country Director (Haiti) 2017-18 and current volunteer; Michelle Boice, Tek4Kids volunteer
    • Personal Stories from Haiti: Daphna Jean-Pierre and William Philippe
    • Guest Speakers: Margarett Lubin and Skip Hahnert
    • Open collaboration and questions
  • Tek4Kids Distributes 676,000 Gallons of Clean Water in Pandemic Response Efforts

    Tek4Kids Distributes 676,000 Gallons of Clean Water in Pandemic Response Efforts

    An update from Gary Boice, Tek4Kids Founder:

    Tek4Kids responded to the coronavirus pandemic in Haiti by providing purified water to the residents of Jérémie, Haiti at no cost. Tek4Kids redirected 32 staff members and provided 676,000 gallons of purified water from 6 locations around Jérémie the first of 2020.

    Because school is not in session, we are utilizing Tek4Kids’ six partner school water purification systems located in Jeremie as distribution points where people can come for purified water. Most people in the community do not have access to clean water for drinking and hand-washing, so this is an essential step in stopping the spread of the coronavirus.

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    In addition to the important work Tek4Kids is doing, we have partnered with several other groups in the community to extend our reach. Hopestart International is working to provide 5000 sanitation stations (buckets with spigots and other handwashing necessities) to the community. You can find out more here: https://bit.ly/STOPTHESPREAD

    Tek4Kids has teams of four at each partner school location, plus one team purifying water and one management team, for a total of 32 Tek4Kids staff members working on this project. They purify and distribute the water six days per week.

    Our goal in all these efforts with purified water is to minimize the threat of the coronavirus to the people of Jeremie in hopes they can weather this storm as they have so often in the past.

    Tek4Kids staff in Haiti produced this video highlighting our efforts.

    If you’d like to help Tek4Kids continue its efforts in responding to the pandemic in Haiti, please click here: www.tek4kids.org/donate/. Thank you!!

  • Tek4Kids Responds to the Coronavirus Pandemic in Haiti

    Tek4Kids Responds to the Coronavirus Pandemic in Haiti

    An update from Dustin Klink, Tek4Kids project manager in Jeremie, Haiti:

    The coronavirus pandemic has impacted the world on so many different levels. We have no idea what the ultimate impact will be in Haiti, but we believe clean water will help reduce the risk to many people. The Tek4Kids water distribution project is going to save lives here in this community and help flatten the curve in Haiti.

    Since school is not in session, we are utilizing Tek4Kids’ six partner school water purification systems located in Jeremie as distribution points where people can come for purified water. Most people in the community do not have access to clean water for drinking and handwashing and Tek4Kids has stepped up to provide this resource at no cost to residents. We also provide diesel fuel to run our generators to produce the clean water.

    I had the opportunity to lead a great team of 32 Tek4Kids staff members to implement this life-saving effort. Without their continuing hard work, this project would not be possible.

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    Getting ready to distribute clean water to the community took many steps and a coordinated effort to get everything in place. Many calculations were done to insure the locations were prepared, enough water was in place, water trucks were arranged to refill them and delivery stations were set up. We have teams of four at each location, plus one team purifying water and one management team. Each location is unique and attracts different numbers of people.

    At each of our distribution sites, we are following the Haitian government’s COVID-19 mandates: we cannot have more than ten people inside the gates at any time and we must maintain distance between each person in line.

    I’m proud of our team and grateful to have had the opportunity to coordinate this project to serve our community. It was a privilege to lead an awesome group of people who brought different skill sets together to achieve our goal of providing clean water to the community of Jeremie to help promote better health practices during the pandemic.

  • St. Francis School of Technology Graduates Its Second Class!

    St. Francis School of Technology Graduates Its Second Class!

    St. Francis School of Technology (SFST) is a technical school located in Jeremie, Haiti operating on a three year cycle. Students have the opportunity graduate with a diploma once they complete the cycle. During their time at SFST, students may also have internship opportunities. SFST is fortunate to have many competent teachers who are recognized nationally and internationally, as well as having the latest materials and technology for students’ learning.

    On July 13, 2019, SFST celebrated its second graduating class, which was named after William Philippe. The class chose this name because Philippe directed SFST for three years and is a very qualified teacher. The students are truly grateful for Philippe’s dedication and expertise at SFST. As its goal, the 2016-2019 class chose the following: “Work is the key to success.” Graduates do not believe in luck and chance, but rather in the work and efforts they have made during their studies at SFST.

    This year’s graduation celebrant was Mgr. Marc Arthur Emille, who greatly demonstrates his love for SFST and is always delighted to celebrate our school graduations. His meditation blessed the class and urged them to continue in their studies and in the professional careers that await them.

    Gary and Cathy Boice are the founders of SFST. The graduates appreciate the Boice’s dedication and love for them, as they leave their home country to help students receive their education. In recognition of Gary and Cathy, the class created a song for them: Thank you, thank you, thank you TEK4KIDS; thank you, Mr. Gary Boice and his family.

    The 19 graduating students wore blue and gold and were accompanied by a choir for the ceremony. The top student of this graduating class was Laguerre Guelson, who averaged 87.91. Jean Widner was the second laureate with a general average of 82.24. Francky Civil was third with a general average of 81.97. About 275 people attended the graduation ceremony, including parents, family members, and friends of the graduates and the staff of SFST.

    “Work is the key to success.”

    — by Elisabeth Dauphin, Accountant and SFST Graduation Coordinator

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  • 2019 Golf Scramble Thank You

    2019 Golf Scramble Thank You

    On behalf of Tek4Kids, we would like to express our sincere gratitude to all golfers, sponsors, in-kind donors and volunteers who supported the 7th Annual Golf Scramble for Haiti which was held on Tuesday, September 10, 2019 at Covered Bridge Golf Club.

    Thank you to our awesome volunteers who generously donated their time to another great golf outing!

    A special thanks to our Birdie Sponsors – Michelle Boice, Financial Architects,Inc., and Morgan Stanley Wealth Management for their continued and generous support! A very big Thank You to Penn Station East Coast Subs for donating lunch to our golfers, staff and volunteers!

    We would also like to recognize and thank our hole sponsors for their support: Accredited Wealth Management, CISCO, Commonwealth Bank & Trust Co., Elite Heating & AC, Encore Technologies, Jerry Mudd Consulting, New Albany Heating & Air Conditioning, Samtec, Trace3, Your Key Solutions – Angela Bauer Armes & Rebecca Potter.

    This special event raises awareness of the needs of school children in Haiti and support of our ongoing projects with our partner schools in Jeremie, and our three-year St. Francis School of Technology (SFST.) These projects include: providing reliable electricity to our nine partner schools, 10,000 gallons of purified water per week, 400 laptops and iPads for schools and supporting over 2,000 students; and our technology school St. Francis School of Technology. The students at SFST have been trained in networking, Microsoft Server, programming, database, web design, and other areas of study including English. In 2019, Tek4Kids Haiti offices and SFST moved into our new facility with 8 classrooms/labs, office space and internet cafe (for staff and students.) The extra space will allow us to expand our curriculum and outreach to the community. Tek4Kids reputation has grown through the years as well. Our partner schools’ enrollment has increased dramatically and our technology school only accepted 24 students out of the 150+ applicants for the 2019-20 school year. As always,100% of the funds donated/raised directly support our projects.

    Please keep all of the above donors and sponsors in mind when looking for products or services; their support is integral in making our event a success!

    Thank you to Covered Bridge Golf Club staff for their support throughout the scramble.

    We are truly grateful for your support and look forward to next year’s golf outing in September, 2020. We hope to see you there!

    Please visit our website www.tek4kids.org for information on our projects and how you can help.

    Gary and Cathy Boice
    Tek4Kids Founders

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  • Tek4Kids Students Shine in Robotics Class

    Tek4Kids Students Shine in Robotics Class

    Nearly 50 students in Jeremie, Haiti recently had the opportunity to take part in a hands-on Lego robotics class sponsored by Expo Science Haiti. The students ranged in age from 10-14 and were invited to attend from five Tek4Kids partner schools: St. John Bosco, St. Therese Montessori, Bro. Paulin, St. John the Evangelist and St. Louis High School.

    The event was coordinated by Raygine Francois, Founder and Executive Director at Haiti STEM Alliance, and held at the new Jeremie Enterprise and Technology (JET) center. Graduates of the St. Francis School of Technology (SFST) – Laguerre Guelson, Pierre Jean Widner, Leon Roberto and Pierre Wesley – worked on the project in advance and were on hand to help guide the students during the class.

    The goal of the robotics class was for students to learn to assemble, program and operate a small Lego robot. Teams of 2 or 3 students were each given the Lego kit, which contained hundreds of pieces. Students used tablets to follow the instructions for assembling the robot and once assembled, used them to sync, program and operate it.

    Most of these students already had experience using iPads, smartboards and laptops as a result of Tek4Kids collaboration with partner schools in Jeremie. Nearly all 20 teams were able to complete the robot project successfully! We look forward to future opportunities to participate in robotic challenge competitions and hope to represent Jeremie well.

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  • Another Boice Joins Tek4Kids in Haiti

    Another Boice Joins Tek4Kids in Haiti

    Working with Tek4Kids has become a family affair for the Boice family! Gary and Cathy Boice are its co-founders, while son Michael joined the team full-time last year to lead and coordinate all our technology efforts in Haiti.

    Recently, son Brooke traveled to Jeremie, Haiti to teach a Python class for third year students at St. Francis School of Technology, the certified technology school Tek4Kids began in 2015. Brooke lives in Boulder, CO with his wife and three children and is currently a Senior Advanced Services Architect in the Data Center ATG with Trace3.

    Brooke created a lab environment where everyone in the class had access to their own virtual machine to run Python, which is a high-level programming language used primarily for web and application development. During the class, Brooke presented brief segments of lecture, immediately followed by a lab to apply the lessons learned. He focused initially on the basic concepts of Python and the labs then challenged students to customize Python scripts that query live websites for weather data, based on location. Finally, the students built a basic Python web server.

    Brooke commented that he was surprised by the students’ level of engagement and noted that almost every student followed along and constantly asked questions. He said it was truly a pleasure to teach students who were so eager to learn!

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  • SFST Receives Significant Certification

    SFST Receives Significant Certification

    Our technology school in Jeremie, Haiti, the St. Francis School of Technology (SFST) recently received its certification from the National Institute of Vocational Training (INFP). Created by presidential decree in 1973 and later (in 1983) entrusted with managing vocational schools, INFP’s mission is to develop and organize permanent vocational training programs and coordinate various means of such training in Haiti.

    INFP certification is required to operate a vocational school in Haiti and mandated by the Minister of National Education. SFST can now participate in Haiti’s official examinations and persons who graduate from a school with this certification are considered highly qualified and eligible for employment in their chosen field.

    In addition to the recognition for students, the certification sends a positive signal to the community that SFST meets all the quality, excellence and administrative standards required to be certified. The diplomas SFST confers will carry both an exceptional reputation and the official signature of Haiti. The certification will also allow some educational partnerships between the US and Haiti and make it possible to prepare duty-free applications for importing technology materials. The designation could lead to funding from both US non-governmental organizations and Haiti’s government, which supports the education sector.

    Normally, the INFP certification process can take anywhere from five to eight years. But thanks to a great team effort from Gary Boice, William Philippe and Michelet Jerome, SFST is now certified after only four years in existence! Jerome followed up on Gary and Philippe’s initial work toward certification by travelling to Port-au-Prince several times to meet with INFP officials and its director, Maguy Durce’.

    SFST offers a three-year intensive program of study in areas such as database, networking, programming and Microsoft Server training. English is also part of its curriculum. With its new classrooms, lab space and this certification, the stage is now set for St. Francis School of Technology to become one of the premier technology schools in Haiti!

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  • Tek4Kids Partner School Reps Gather to Learn and Collaborate

    Tek4Kids Partner School Reps Gather to Learn and Collaborate

    Tek4Kids partnership school representatives recently assembled to learn about our latest efforts in technology education for students in the community of Jeremie, Haiti. The response was better than 100%, since we sent out 24 invitations and 25 people showed up!

    Representatives from all our partner schools joined us, including teachers and administrators from St. Louis High School, St. Louis Elementary, St. John Bosco, St. Therese Montessori, Brother Paulin, Montfort, St. John the Evangelist and Step by Step.

    During the meeting, Te4Kids founder Gary Boice outlined our process for using technology in educating students, beginning with our partnership with local schools in Jeremie. Around 2,000 students have access to iPads, smart boards and laptop computer classes in our partner schools. In addition, we provide basic infrastructure such as purified water and reliable electricity so that the school environment is conducive for learning.

    Those students interested in pursuing a career in the field of information technology can apply for entrance into our St. Francis School of Technology (SFST), which recently received INFP certification in Haiti after only four years in existence. The three-year program at SFST offers study in database, programming and Microsoft Network Server. Our goal is to prepare students with the knowledge and skills necessary for careers in website design, desktop support and infographics. English language skills are also part of the curriculum at SFST.

    Post graduate support and opportunities follow for SFST graduates with our newly incorporated for-profit business, Technology Integrators Caribbean (TIC). Some students are offered jobs in this business and others can begin their own businesses using the business center located in the Jeremie Enterprise Technology building. All profits from TIC will be funneled back into our non-profit, Tek4Kids.

    Representatives were then treated to a tour of the Network Operations Center for TIC, showing its capabilities for monitoring, security and energy management. Several in attendance expressed gratitude for our work in the community and encouraged more meetings such as this, so everyone can be aware of our work. St. Louis High School educational director Fr. Luxo congratulated Tek4Kids for its determination, will and courage in opening doors of success for young people in Jeremie and affirmed our work as a center of technology that will help Haiti’s economy grow for years to come.
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