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Haitian Studies Program

Recognized for nearly two decades as a leader in scholarship, research, outreach and training related to Haiti, LACC's Haitian Studies Program has been named an FIU Program of Excellence. The Haitian Studies Program of Excellence at LACC provides specialized interdisciplinary training on Haiti and the Haitian Diaspora and aims to facilitate academic and professional development for those working in/on Haiti. Furthermore, the Haitian Studies Program serves as a tool to promote local and international partnerships related to Haiti and its peoples, an effort that is significantly leveraged by FIU's strategic location in Miami. Nearly half of the people of Haitian descent living in the US reside in Florida and no other county in the nation has as large a Haitian community as Miami-Dade County.

In an effort to enhance Haitian Studies at FIU and support the sustainability of Haitian Studies more broadly, LACC's Haitian Studies Program takes a multi-pronged approach to serving the university community, the South Florida community, the larger US community and the international community. The program is supported through both institutional and grant funding and prioritizes public/private partnerships.

More specifically, the LACC Haitian Studies Program of Excellence includes but is not limited to the following:

Haiti Steering Committee: An outgrowth of the FIU Haiti Task Force, the Haiti Steering Committee is comprised of scholars, students, community leaders, country experts and government representatives who serve as advisors and advocates in support of Haitian Studies at FIU and beyond.

LACC/State University of Haiti Partnership Program: In support of public education and research at the post-secondary level, LACC and the State University of Haiti have a Memorandum of Understanding that is designed to encourage exchange and facilitate the development and implementation of collaborative academic programs and projects. Recent partnerships have included faculty exchanges and visiting professorships, sponsored project collaboration and joint outreach programs and conferences in Miami and in Haiti.

Undergraduate Certificate in Haitian Studies: LACC's newest certificate program which launched in Spring 2014, is an 18 credit course of study designed to offer degree and non-degree students interdisciplinary and specialized training in Haitian Studies. With a strong emphasis on Haiti's language and culture, the certificate also fosters greater depth of knowledge related to Haiti through additional course offerings across a variety of disciplines including Economics, History, International Relations, Political Science, Sociology, Anthropology, Art History, Music and more. More information click here.

Haitian Summer Institute and Haiti Study Abroad: Founded in 1997, LACC's Haitian Summer Institute is a six-week program designed for anyone interested in acquiring basic conversational proficiency in Haitian Creole and also for those students who wish to continue their Haitian Creole Language training at the intermediate and advanced levels. The FLAS-approved institute is held at FIU's Modesto Maidique Campus in Miami for five weeks and culminates with an optional study abroad to Haiti, which provides participants with a unique opportunity to further immerse themselves in Haiti Creole while experiencing the country first-hand. More information click here.

LACC/Haitian Student Organization Partnership: A result of a long and productive relationship between LACC and the FIU Haitian Student Organization (HSO), the LACC/HSO year-round collaboration in October celebrates a month of events on Haitian Kreyòl and supports outreach programming designed to enhance student and community awareness, increase civic engagement related to Haiti, and deepen ties among students, scholars and country experts.

Haitian Art Digital Archive: LACC's Haitian Art Digital Archive (HADA) contributes to LACC's ongoing efforts to help preserve Haitian cultural patrimony, highlight the work of Haiti's prominent cultural leaders, scholars and artists, and promote broad access to discussions about the Arts through the use of Haitian Creole. All content is available for free through the Digital Library of the Caribbean and may be accessed from across the globe. HADA is made possible through partial support from the US Department of Education Title VI Grant. More information click here.

Protecting Haitian Patrimony Initiative: The Protecting Haitian Patrimony Initiative (PHPI) brings together international contributors to assist Haiti with the preservation of Haitian cultural patrimony while respecting local sovereignty following the devastating 2010 earthquake. Together with its partners, the Digital Library of the Caribbean (dLOC) and FIU Libraries, LACC works closely with partner institutions in Port-au-Prince to help coordinate efforts to rebuild and implement a long-term plan of sustainability for the future with an emphasis on accountability and transparency. PHPI continues to provide support for libraries and archives in Haiti as they work to protect their collections and move forward into the preservation phase.

LACC/Miami Dade County Public Schools K-12 Haiti Training Seminar Series: LACC and Miami Dade County Public Schools (MDCPS) partner regularly on programming targeting K-12 educators and students in an effort to deepen understanding and expand K-12 curricula and learning opportunities related to Haiti and its diaspora. Programming includes Haiti-focused teacher training workshops for K-12 educators, STEM workshops on ethnobotany of Haiti conducted in Haitian Creole for middle school students and Haitian senior citizens, Caribbean Challenge competition, MDCPS conference presentations and the Haitian Summer Institute Mini-Grant Program for K-12 Educators.

Image source: Ulrick Jean-Pierre, Exchange of Culture (Between Indians and African Maroons); Ulrick Jean-Pierre, King Henri Christophe and his Citadelle