Barry's Literacy Initiative for Empowerment comes to a close

By: David Jeannot
djeannot@mail.barry.edu  

Barry University and Nova Southeastern’s seven-week Literacy Initiative for Empowerment (LIFE) summer program for more than 100 Haitian teens came to a close in Andreas building, room 111. More than 100 parents, family and friends of the teens came to the closing ceremony to listen to shared experiences on the teens’ journeys through LIFE. The students welcomed all attendees into their world with drama, dance, singing, visual art and spoken word during its closing event.

Thanks to a $100,000 grant that Nova’s Fischler School of Education received from the Children’s Trust, Barry and Nova were able to collaborate to do research on improving Haitian identity development, literacy and social skills in teens ages 14 to 18. Nova’s Dr. Charlene Desir worked closely with Barry’s Dr. Pamela Hall, assistant professor of psychology. Taking into account North Miami’s large Haitian community, Desir and Hall saw a great opportunity in bringing the LIFE program to Barry’s campus.

This free seven-week program allowed these teens to work together and participate in art-focused activities. They also got the chance to meet special guests like Mecca, spoken-word artist and Haitian poet, Edwidge Danticat, Haitian writer and author of “Behind the Mountain,” Diana Berk, mask maker, Blondel Joseph, visual artist, Rebekka Garvey, Haitian documentary maker, and “Underscore,” Haitian film maker.

Aside from meeting influential Haitians, they learned how to get into college, improve academic and literacy skills, and tell life stories with photography and also took part in field trips to the Haitian Heritage Museum and to the beach for environmental and cultural studies. As part of the program, these students were assigned to read “Behind the Mountain” to reflect on some of the struggles and successes some Haitians may encounter during their transition from Haiti to the U.S. and Each day, they kept a journal documenting their day-to-day activities and how each activity or lesson in the program has impacted their lives, academics and self-esteem inside and outside of the classroom.