Continuing Education
St. Joseph's Vocational School
We understand that naturally not everybody wants to pursue a university degree.
A vocational school, is a higher-level learning institution that specializes in providing students with the vocational education and technical skills they need in order to perform the tasks of a particular job. The goal to impart job-specific training and education to students who are typically bound for one of the skilled trades, rather than providing academic training for students pursuing careers in a professional discipline.
Through the LCM trade school we hope to train young adults to become skilled: electricians, plumbers, pipe fitters, block masons, carpenters, tile setters, cement masons and concrete finishers, construction equipment operators, auto mechanics, painters, seamstress, or tailors.
Career Preparation
English as a Second Language (ESL) Project:
In the spring of 2014, LCM introduced a community English class (CEC). The most advanced students from our thirteenth grade and higher education program as well as teachers were asked to help begin the CEC Program. English is the language of science, of aviation, computers, diplomacy, and tourism. Knowing English greatly increases a Haitian’s chance of getting a job with any non-profit organization or multinational company within their home country.
The Community English program works to improve English skills by focusing on listening, speaking, writing (grammar), and reading. The program utilizes the Step-Forward book series. This is a four-skill course that integrates language instruction into real life context.
Computer Skills Class
In Haiti more than 50% of school children graduate from high school (state or private schools) without ever having seen or touched a computer in the classroom. In some regions, the average number of computers is about one per school and where one is available it is generally used for administrative rather than educational purposes.
The goal of implementing this program is to not only provide an environment conducive to positive technology-based learning atmosphere that fosters a good culture of teaching and learning and progressively maximize the quality of Education within the school; but also to:
- Help youth build skills for today and succeed academically through recreational or educational computing models.
- Make technology easier for youth to adopt
- Enable our students to better complete their homework assignments that require internet access, to become more autonomous in their study, gain valuable software skills and research about topic of their interest and connect with the rest of the world
- Create a collaborative learning environment that works to bridge the digital divide and to support
Using a computer in a productive manner is often neglected in comparison to knowing how to use a computer for Internet and social purposes. Since very few high school students know how to use computers for projects, presentations, and computation; our students, with the implementation of this ICT program, will be computer savvy which will be for them a serious advantage in the job market and beyond.
This is our responsibility to educate and prepare them for opportunities beyond high school and help them become self-reliant. The work and careers that students will engage in because having computer skills for productivity is what will provide the greatest avenue for change and success.
Students from tenth to thirteenth grade and teachers are invited to attend the computer skills class and higher education prospective students from the high school. Participants need to be aware of the importance of basic computer skills and use those computer skills to fill the gaps of the core educational system in Haiti. If you would like to help LCM's students improve their computer skills, then donate to Computer Skills Class.
