Strong Beginnings: Leveraging the Home, School, and Church to Develop the Whole Child in Haiti Annual Report October 2020—September 2021

The program was implemented by the University of Notre Dame under a cooperative agreement with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The program's primary focus was on improving the reading skills and social-emotional learning (SEL) competencies of 1st and 2nd-grade children. To achieve this goal, the program provided scripted literacy materials for 1st and 2nd-grade students in Creole and French. The materials were distributed to schools in both the Sud and Grand'Anse departments, with each school receiving a set of reading books, exercise books, and guides for teachers. Additionally, the program provided school supplies, including pencils, erasers, sharpeners, and backpacks, to support the learning of students. The program also emphasized teacher training and follow-up coaching on literacy and SEL. The CEEC's pedagogical team prepared a calendar for November and December 2020, which included training sessions for on-the-ground staff and teachers on the M ap Li Nèt Ale methodology. Monthly cluster meetings between teachers, school directors, and CEEC literacy supervisors continued to provide a forum for teachers to share best practices. Throughout the reporting period, the program faced challenges, including transporting reading materials to schools due to the terrain and sociopolitical situation. However, the efforts of both field teams (CRS and CEEC/BDE) enabled the task to be accomplished. Despite these challenges, the program made significant progress in distributing materials to schools, training teachers, and supporting the learning of students. The program's results included the distribution of reading materials and school supplies to over 5,600 students, as well as the provision of training and coaching to teachers and supervisors. The program also supported the implementation of the M ap Li Nèt Ale methodology, which aimed to improve the reading skills and SEL competencies of students. The program's next steps included the distribution of libraries to schools, the distribution of M ap Li Nèt Ale materials, and the distribution of school supplies to schools. The Strong Beginnings program's geographic focus was on the Sud and Grand'Anse departments in Haiti, with a specific emphasis on improving the reading skills and SEL competencies of 1st and 2nd-grade children. The program's timeframes were from October 2020 to September 2021, with a focus on implementing the program's activities and achieving its goals during this period.