The second Wings Over Haiti school is located in Ranquitte, a mountainous village far from the capital of Port-au-Prince. Each day, 100 students put on their uniforms and attend school, where they receive an education and a nutritious meal.
The seventh annual “Hamptons Artists for Haiti Benefit” to support the school will be held at the East Hampton Airport on Saturday, July 20, from 5:30 to 8 PM.
The fundraising goal is for the Wings Over Haiti charity to continue expanding the Ranquitte school, which opened its doors four years ago, to help more students. Proceeds from this benefit will go to building more classrooms, education costs, and providing the children with regular meals, which they may not have if not for the school.
In September, the Ranquitte school implemented Otus, a technology platform dedicated to empowering educators by harnessing K-12 student data and improving learner outcomes. Otus is used in over 2,500 schools across the United States. Wings Over Haiti Ranquitte is the first school in northern Haiti to implement this technology after receiving an NYFOH Tech Equity grant for innovative and interactive learning initiatives that benefit the educational experience for all Haitian students.
“Having school data accessible, whether it’s for teachers, directors, or remote managers, is vital to increase student learning. For students, Otus offers comprehensive learning platforms and helps them develop digital literacy skills. Moreover, it allows educators and families to track educational growth and even pinpoint a moment when a student clicks on and begins to soar,” said Sheyla Bellarme, a Haitian based in Canada, who manages the Otus platform at the Ranquitte school.
“There’s no denying that life is challenging right now in Haiti,” said Pastor Lucien Caleb, an educator and a Ranquitte community leader. “But the fact that the Wings Over Haiti school continues to educate children and help them survive — and even prosper — during this period is truly a remarkable achievement.”
Fittingly for a school founded by Sag Harbor pilot and artist Jonathan Glynn, the Hamptons Artists For Haiti benefit will be held at the East Hampton Airport in Wainscott, from where Jonathan first took off in 2010, to transport crucial medical and food supplies to a devastated Port-au-Prince following a massive earthquake. There, he helped build the first Wings Over Haiti school in 2010, which has over 250 students today and is growing a grade every year.
The Artists for Hamptons benefit will feature a silent art auction of works by over 50 East End artists, curated by Coco Myers of folioeast. The artwork includes paintings, photographs, ceramics, and sculptures. Guests will be treated to an open bar with wine and cocktails, music by DJ Carlos Lama, hors d’oeuvres catered by Sel Rrose, and more.
This year’s event will also honor Donna Karan, the Wings Over Haiti Honorary Chairperson, for her years of service to the Haitian people.
Karan said, “I am so delighted to be involved in the Wings Over Haiti events and to help grow their second school in Haiti. How can such a close neighbor of the United States continue to be the poorest country in our hemisphere and in such constant turmoil? Haiti needs us all to help change that narrative. And I do believe the best way to do this is by educating Haiti’s children, the country’s future leaders. Please join us and help us help the kids.”
Tickets are $195 in advance and $225 at the door and are tax deductible. Children under 12 are free. Tickets are available at wingsoverhaiti.net.