Mission Statement
Education For Prosperity seeks to improve quality of life by promoting education and responsible technologies, and by fostering mutually beneficial, collaborative relationships between communities.
Accomplishments
"Education For Prosperity" was formed in October of 2004 when "Friends of Pichon" merged with the nonprofit organization MOSAA (Museum of Science And Art for World Preservation).
Friends of Pichon was organized in 1999 by Pierre Balthazar and David Smith and to support developmental activities in Pichon, a small village in the southeast part of Haiti. They operated as a committee under the auspices of the Peace Education Center.
MOSAA was founded in 1995 by John Siegel and Victoria Croasdell-Siegel, as a humanitarian and environmental service. It provided a number of enrichment programs in Michigan.
With the merger, objectives and talents were combined and MOSAA was renamed "Education For Prosperity".
Accomplishments of these combined efforts to-date:
- Starting an Elementary school in Pichon, Haiti in partnership with local families and growing it one grade each year. Lekol Pa Nou (Creole for “Our School,” as named by the villagers) currently serves 379 children from preschool to 6th grade.
- Building local capacity by training teachers, forming a local administrative board, and encouraging parents to take an active role in supporting school operations.
- Financing the construction of modest physical facilities; classroom, cistern, latrine, and storage shed, that were built by local residents. In 2008 six pre-fabricated classrooms were installed. They were provided by European disaster relief agencies and transported from Port-au-Prince with the financial assistance of Digicel, the cell phone company that serves Haiti.
- Promoting awareness among a growing network of American and Canadian supporters about the needs and opportunities in Pichon. These range from speaking at public schools and service clubs in Michigan, giving talks at conference in Florida and British Columbia, and presenting at benefit concerts in Seattle, WA.
- Creating a “Computer Loan Program” in mid-Michigan, for underprivileged families, disabled individuals, college students, and charitable organizations (i.e., RAVE “relief after violent encounters” who shelter women and children from abuse.) This has provided tools for education, communication, job skills and accessibility.
- Creating a free “Touring Technology Program” for schools and other organizations that are responsible for inspiring or educating children in mid-Michigan. This program strives to instill in participants, a sense of responsible technology to improve their world, including alternative energies.