BHF Domestic Programs
BHF provides principle investigation, program governance, and project planning on a wide range of administrative, research, technical programs, and support staff to our clients. We partner with universities to ensure a constant infusion of new methodologies and practices with new ideas. BHF also provides specialized training to increase the effectiveness and value of each member of the client team. Leveraging this capability, BHF manages the Sister City, School Adoption/Sister Parish, Student Leadership and Mentoring, Cultural Awareness and other domestic programs.
Sister City Program
BHF has worked to lay the foundation for a Sister City relationship between Cap-Haitian in Haiti and Columbia, Maryland. A sister city organization is a volunteer group of ordinary citizens who, with the support of their local elected officials, form long-term relationships with people and organizations in a city abroad. Each sister city organization is independent and pursues the activities and thematic areas that are important to their organization and their community including municipal, business, trade, educational and cultural exchanges with their sister city.
Sister City organizations promote peace “through people-to-people relationships” via offerings such as basic cultural exchange programs to shared research and development projects between cities with relationships.
Cap-Haitien, Haiti , is Columbia’s fourth sister city — Cap-Haitien is a city on the northern coast of the Caribbean island of Haiti with a population of about 190,000 people. It is home to the Palace of Sans Souci and the buildings at Ramiers and the Citadel, which together have been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Cap-Haitien Mayor Jean Claude Mondesir signed the sister city agreement, facilitated by The Build Haiti Foundation, in July 2016 while joined by a delegation from Howard County, which is home to a large Haitian and Caribbean diaspora. That added Cap-Haitien to an expanding family that also includes Columbia’s sister cities in Cergy-Pontoise, France (since 1977); Tres Cantos, Spain (since 1990); Tema, Ghana (since 2014).and Liyang, China (2018) Each sister-city has a committee whose role is to identify different projects and engage the community to get them implemented. The Cap-Haitien Sister-City committee is already engaged in the following activities:
The goal is to engage the community at various levels and different areas based on community interest. We encourage members of the community to contact us with their questions or ideas.
Sister City organizations promote peace “through people-to-people relationships” via offerings such as basic cultural exchange programs to shared research and development projects between cities with relationships.
Cap-Haitien, Haiti , is Columbia’s fourth sister city — Cap-Haitien is a city on the northern coast of the Caribbean island of Haiti with a population of about 190,000 people. It is home to the Palace of Sans Souci and the buildings at Ramiers and the Citadel, which together have been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Cap-Haitien Mayor Jean Claude Mondesir signed the sister city agreement, facilitated by The Build Haiti Foundation, in July 2016 while joined by a delegation from Howard County, which is home to a large Haitian and Caribbean diaspora. That added Cap-Haitien to an expanding family that also includes Columbia’s sister cities in Cergy-Pontoise, France (since 1977); Tres Cantos, Spain (since 1990); Tema, Ghana (since 2014).and Liyang, China (2018) Each sister-city has a committee whose role is to identify different projects and engage the community to get them implemented. The Cap-Haitien Sister-City committee is already engaged in the following activities:
- Language Café – Introducing Haitian Creole table
- Cultural events such as Haiti Fest and Caribbean Culture Fest
- Collaborative Leadership Program
- Parish Twinning
- School Adoption
- Project Management
- Build Haiti Foundation Global Leadership Program/Student Exchange
- Relationship building with additional organizations like the Rotary Club, Universities, etc.
The goal is to engage the community at various levels and different areas based on community interest. We encourage members of the community to contact us with their questions or ideas.
School Adoption/Sister Parish Program
It is a program through which a school/parish in the United States establishes a sister relationship with another school/parish in Haiti. It allows the two entities to share experiences of culture and resources in a meaningful way. These partnerships are nurtured in ways that avoid dependency and paternalism. They offer opportunities for participants to share matters of faith as well as material and financial resources in order to provide growth opportunities to the weaker partner. Participants in these types of twinning relationships learn to relate to the world with greater perspective and understanding. They are often quite surprised to see how much the party that expects to gain the least are sometimes the one that gains the most. BHF stands ready to help schools and churches find the partner that will help them grow in their spiritual maturity.
Please contact Build Haiti Foundation for more information
Please contact Build Haiti Foundation for more information
Student Leadership and Mentoring
In the US, English Language Learners (ELL) struggle academically for a variety of reasons. Think about it—the challenges of learning a new language, the many exceptions in the English language, and differences in regional dialects—they’re all overwhelming factors that can frustrate your ELL students.
This frustration can lead to a lack of motivation, or even to an over-dependence on teachers or peers to assist them. Your ELL students who lack the vocabulary that their peers have struggle with concepts like homonyms and synonyms and can suffer from poor communication in the classroom. As a result, they may continue to speak more often in their native language or be fearful of participating and speaking out in a classroom setting—all of which negatively affect their overall learning in the classroom.
BHF’s Leadership and Mentoring program is looking to partner with the public school system to identify those who are at risk. Once identified, students are paired with volunteers from the BHF Volunteer Network and students receive the help they need before the problem escalates and affect their chance to graduate.
The program is still in its infancy. Therefore, we are only piloting it with students of Caribbean decent in the HCPSS.
This frustration can lead to a lack of motivation, or even to an over-dependence on teachers or peers to assist them. Your ELL students who lack the vocabulary that their peers have struggle with concepts like homonyms and synonyms and can suffer from poor communication in the classroom. As a result, they may continue to speak more often in their native language or be fearful of participating and speaking out in a classroom setting—all of which negatively affect their overall learning in the classroom.
BHF’s Leadership and Mentoring program is looking to partner with the public school system to identify those who are at risk. Once identified, students are paired with volunteers from the BHF Volunteer Network and students receive the help they need before the problem escalates and affect their chance to graduate.
The program is still in its infancy. Therefore, we are only piloting it with students of Caribbean decent in the HCPSS.
Program Application Link for Students
LinkedIn Link for professionals wishing to be a mentor and support BHF’s work
LinkedIn Link for professionals wishing to be a mentor and support BHF’s work
Cultural Awareness Program and Outreach
Despite its historical significance to the western hemisphere, many are unaware of Haiti’s rich history. Haiti became the world’s first black-led republic and the first independent nation in Latin America and the Caribbean when it threw off French colonial control and slavery in a series of struggles in the early 19th century. Since then, however, its prominence has been overshadowed by entrenched poverty and standing as the poorest country in the western hemisphere.
BHF promotes Haitian culture through its partnership with the Columbia Association, the Howard County Library System, its signature annual event Celebrate Haitian Culture (CHC), to name a few. The CHC annual event and other culture fests provides event participants the opportunity to experience the sight, sound and taste of Haitian culture through Taste of Haiti, Art Exhibit, book signing events and performances of dance and poetry.
BHF promotes Haitian culture through its partnership with the Columbia Association, the Howard County Library System, its signature annual event Celebrate Haitian Culture (CHC), to name a few. The CHC annual event and other culture fests provides event participants the opportunity to experience the sight, sound and taste of Haitian culture through Taste of Haiti, Art Exhibit, book signing events and performances of dance and poetry.
Cross Cultural Leadership Program
A weeklong youth camp that provides young leaders with an opportunity to grow culturally and intellectually. The program is the first of its kind in the region that offers an alternative to students wanting to experience the culture of different countries without necessarily having to travel abroad.
Challenges throughout the world invite engagement. Contributing to the betterment of people in need or improving the condition of our environment can be very satisfying and make life meaningful. To maximize our ability to use our talents to meet the world’s needs necessitates an understanding of sustainability, the resilience of people and the way resources can be used to make a positive difference. The Cross-Cultural Leadership Program will provide the knowledge and skills to prepare participants to act with confidence in promoting a cause or in championing a service project.
Challenges throughout the world invite engagement. Contributing to the betterment of people in need or improving the condition of our environment can be very satisfying and make life meaningful. To maximize our ability to use our talents to meet the world’s needs necessitates an understanding of sustainability, the resilience of people and the way resources can be used to make a positive difference. The Cross-Cultural Leadership Program will provide the knowledge and skills to prepare participants to act with confidence in promoting a cause or in championing a service project.