Tek4Kids

Category: St. Francis School of Technology

  • 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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  • Volunteer’s Efforts Evolve as Tek4Kids Expands

    Volunteer’s Efforts Evolve as Tek4Kids Expands

    In the summer of 2014, I began volunteering with Tek4Kids. I read an article in the Catholic Record about a former classmate of mine at St. Xavier High School, Gary Boice, who was doing some notable work in Haiti. I was retired and had moved home to Louisville, looking for a new purpose during my retirement years. After seeing the article, I was excited about the possibility of volunteering with Tek4Kids.

    My first trip to Jeremie, Haiti was in November, 2014. I was not yet sure how I would utilize my skills and talent to help with the needs of the organization. When I arrived, Gary and his team were in the final stages of completing a water filtration system and pump house at an orphanage in the hills overlooking Jeremie. I did whatever was asked of me: running pvc pipe, wiring, carrying materials and handing tools to those who knew what they were doing. The work was more about construction than using my skills in technology, management and personnel development. However, it was so rewarding to see the difference we were making in this developing country. I was hooked and decided I would continue supporting Tek4Kids and helping the people in Haiti.

    Over the next three years I made about two trips per year to Jeremie. The work varied but was always rewarding. We built classrooms for the partner schools we supported. This required painting, some light carpentry, wiring classroom workstations, installing laptop computers and hanging overhead projectors. At the end of each day, we would be tired, hot, dirty and the cold showers back at the house where we lived actually felt good. Though the work differed, by the end of each trip the feeling was always the same: I was glad to return home but knew I had to return to Haiti. I was full of gratitude for the blessings I had, yet wondered why I had so many opportunities while the people in Haiti had so many challenges.

    Now in 2019, the Tek4Kids organization has grown from building water filtration systems and classrooms to teaching computer skills to Haitian children, supported by nine full-time teachers and maintenance personnel. Tek4Kids has opened a three-year technical school for high school graduates, now occupies a new building with eight classrooms and partners with an Information Technology business to supply jobs for our school graduates. Including the new business, the staff has grown to over 35. As a result, my role has changed.

    Now my experience and knowledge of business management and employee development are values I can contribute. Both Tek4Kids and TIC, the new for-profit company which was started to support our work in Jeremie, can benefit from what I have to offer. Although I didn’t mind helping with construction and more labor-intensive work, I now enjoy spending my time working with people.

    On this latest trip, I made presentations both to our different employee teams and the students in our technical school. The presentations covered the need for organization values, teamwork, accountability, professionalism, business ethics and other skills needed to be successful in the business world. I also spent time with our management team to train and mentor them on leadership skills, the importance of setting goals, communicating job responsibilities and measuring performance. I am working to develop some resource tools such as an employee handbook, discipline documentation, hiring guidelines and other HR processes that are currently needed. I participate in organization design discussions and planning for future growth.

    The work I am doing now has resulted in a new commitment to return to Jeremie every three months so I can be more involved in the development of our team there. I have also started working with another non-profit in Jeremie to help their staff with leadership skills. I am so thankful for the opportunity to assist Tek4Kids in its mission to improve the life of the people in Jeremie through education and technology. It is nothing short of amazing to see the growth and success I have witnessed in the five short years since I became involved in this worthy effort.

    — by Bob Glaser

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  • Tek4Kids Maintenance Team Forges Ahead!

    Tek4Kids Maintenance Team Forges Ahead!

    With more than 20 years of work experience with Tek4Kids between them, our maintenance crew continues to develop and make important contributions to the organization. Jean Joseph Langder (Baba) leads the team and has been with Tek4Kids since 2011. Max Chaurant also joined the team in 2011, with Francklyn Etienne following soon after in 2012. The newest team member is Jean Pierre Celebien, who began as our custodian with St. Francis School of Technology (SFST) in 2015.

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  • IT Expert Shares Knowledge with SFST Students

    IT Expert Shares Knowledge with SFST Students

    Gary Boice, Michael Boice, Maryse King, William Philippe and Lindsay Anderson made many important connections with technology experts and entrepreneurs at this year’s Haiti Tech Summit, one of whom is Adib Khozouee. Adib was born in Haiti and his family has been involved in successful businesses in both Haiti and the US.

    After visiting technology companies with Adib in Colorado last summer, Gary invited him to tour our Tek4Kids organization in Jeremie, Haiti. They spent time in one of our partner schools, St. Louis High School, and with our St. Francis School of Technology (SFST) students. Knowing the students could benefit from Adib’s knowledge and experience in the IT field, Gary asked him to teach a class at SFST. Adib met with 7 groups of students through the course of one day to demonstrate how the Internet of Things works.

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  • 2018 Golf Scramble Thank You!

    2018 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 6th Annual Golf Scramble for Haiti which was held on Tuesday, September 11, 2018 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, Commonwealth Bank & Trust Company and Morgan Stanley Wealth Management for their continued and generous support!

    We would also like to recognize and thank our hole sponsors for their support: Boutin Chiropractic, Data-Strategy, Financial Architects Inc., LG&E-KU, Jerry Mudd Consulting, New Albany Heating & Air Conditioning, Relax The Back, Samtec, The Travel Authority – RuthAnn Hale.

    Silent auction items were donated by the following: Angels Envy, Boombozz Pizza & Taphouse, JD Becker Superstore, Helen Heddens, Hull & High Water, Irish Rover, Jackie Lydon, Louisville City FC, Louisville Stoneware, Muth’s Candies, Shalimar, Old Forester Distilling Company, Omni Hotels & Resorts, Relax The Back, Rhonda Schladand, LMT, Tek4Kids Employees, Toast On Market, The Post and Wild Eggs.

    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 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 which graduated its first class of 20 students! These students have been trained in networking, Microsoft Server, programming, database, web design and other areas of study including English. For the 2018-19 school year, Tek4Kids Haiti offices and SFST moved into our new facility with 8 classrooms, office space and internet cafe (for staff and students.) The extra space will allow us to expand our curriculum and outreach to the community. 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 the 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, 2019. 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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  • “The Future is Ours”

    “The Future is Ours”

    What began as a dream to train students for a career in the field of Information Technology has become a reality! The first class of 20 students from the St. Francis School of Technology (SFST) graduated on July 25 at the Medal Church in Jeremie, with more than 500 community members, family and friends in attendance. The graduates selected the theme “The Future is Ours” in celebration of the occasion.

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  • “You Will Always Be My Teacher”

    “You Will Always Be My Teacher”

    Teaching English in Haiti had never been on my life’s “to do” list, so I was still somewhat dazed to find myself seated on a small charter plane as it lifted off from the Port-au-Prince Airport and headed southwest over the Caribbean toward the small town of Jeremie. There, Tek4Kids had just opened St. Francis School of Technology and English was part of the curriculum. I had no idea what to expect, nor did the twenty-four students who faced me on that first day of class. This group of eighteen young men and six women, many of whom hardly daring to meet my eyes, had never been taught by an American before.

    Now, three years later, as I prepare to attend their graduation, we know each other well. I have seen them transformed into young professionals, and they have chosen me as the “godmother” of their class. There is an affection and loyalty between us that I have rarely experienced with students in the United States. As I end my years of teaching for Tek4Kids in Haiti, I am touched by the sincerity of the students who tell me, “Even though you are leaving, you will always be my teacher.” — Rose Yunker

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  • 2018 Haiti Tech Summit

    2018 Haiti Tech Summit

    Lindsay Anderson, Gary Boice, Michael Boice, William Philippe and I participated in the 2018 Haiti Tech Summit held June 21-23 at Cote Des Arcadin, Haiti. It was one of the most positive events I have experienced in Haiti! Christine Souffrant Ntim, founder of the Haiti Tech Summit organization, also known as the Global Startup Ecosystem (GSE), opened the conference with the declaration that “Haiti is not open for business, it is open for disruption.” Her statement set the tone for the activities of the two-day summit. The Haiti Tech Summit is part of a 13-year initiative of the GSE. The goal of the summit is to help entrepreneurs in Haiti build businesses in their communities to support the development of a sustainable economy for their country. For the purpose of this discussion, I have learned to adopt “ecosystem” as the language for the business development environment. (more…)

  • Tek4Kids Open House on May 22 – Join Us!

    Tek4Kids Open House on May 22 – Join Us!

  • Making Strides in Haiti

    Making Strides in Haiti

    In early March, I traveled to Jeremie, Haiti with volunteer Helen Heddens (her first trip to Haiti!) to see the construction progress on the new building for the St. Francis School of Technology (SFST). We also had the pleasure of sitting in on presentations by SFST third year students. I last visited Jeremie two years ago and it was great to see progress in so many areas.

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  • Construction is Underway . . . Watch Us Grow!

    Construction is Underway . . . Watch Us Grow!

    We have exciting news to share! Tek4Kids is in the process of building a new free-standing technology school which will house six classrooms, two labs, office space and a cyber cafe for students. Since its inception in 2015, St. Francis School of Technology (SFST) has functioned in leased space, but our new building will be permanently ours! SFST is a secondary education school offering an intensive three-year program with tracks of study in programming, database design, Microsoft server training and network design and management. The curriculum focuses on preparing students for specific jobs in the IT field, as well as guiding them in starting their own businesses.

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