Haiti has the lowest literacy rate in the Western Hemisphere, a fact that frustrated community organizer Mike Chambers. But figuring out how to change that fact frustrated him until he made one key connection.
“I met Paul English, who had been working in Haiti as a philanthropist,” says Chambers. “We started spending a lot of time there to get a sense as to whether or not a college prep school was needed and what the most effective and impactful way to get involved would be.”
In 2015, Chambers helped found Summits Education, a nonprofit designed to promote education in rural Haiti. Its primary focus is bringing in more teachers, which they say is the most fundamental way of transforming the educational system.
Today, Summits Education operates a network of 41 primary schools in the remote mountains of Haiti’s Central Department. Its team of 328 teachers, trainers, and administrators helps educate 9,772 students.
Cofounders: Mike Chambers, Marie Flore Chipps, Paul English
Year founded: 2014
Employees: Four full-time employees in Boston and 350 more in Haiti
Where we’re based: WeWork Fort Point
Moment of inspiration: “There was this moment where I was in a school in rural Haiti, and all of the classrooms had smart boards in a region where electricity is sparse,” Chambers says. “It doesn’t start with listening to the needs of the community. Instead, decisions are being made in boardrooms in Boston and not on the ground in Haiti.”
Biggest hurdle: “Working in Haiti is incredibly challenging,” says Chambers. “There are so many historical, political, and social reasons why, but the process of learning how to work in Haiti and bringing our team up to speed—and while also taking things slowly and really listening—has been difficult.”
How we want to change the world: “Education is the catalyst for transforming communities,” says Chambers. “At the end of the day, our real philosophy is that investing in people is the most important way to effect change anywhere around the world.”