The Organization of American States (OAS), with the support of the Haitian government, has presented certificates to the first group of teachers that successfully completed the certificate program in Building Capacity for Teaching and Learning.

The program, done in collaboration with Teachers Without Borders, was tailored to meet the needs of new teachers in Haiti. The program also contained a "train the trainer" component which enabled participants to train other teachers in schools and communities.

"We thank the OAS and TWB for giving us the opportunity to pursue this program," said Agella Ternela, a Haitian teacher from the coastal city of Jacmel. “It helps us to identify our weaknesses. It also allows us to set new objectives, to improve our classroom management and to come up with new evaluation methods. We are already seeing the results," she added.

Dr. Frantz Casseus, Chief of Staff of the Education Minister, commended the OAS for this initiative and reiterated continued support from his ministry.

The ceremony was attended by representatives of the Haitian Ministries of Education and Planning, OAS Member and Observer States, the private sector, and the media.

Over the next three years, the OAS will facilitate training for more than 260 teachers. The next three cohorts will take place in March, July, and November 2012.

S/ HaitiLibre