WHAT:

"The Caribbean Institute of Media Technologies" is a media training school, with the specific goal of offering technology-based storytelling skills to those living in underdeveloped nations.

The PRIMARY GOAL is to turn tools of MASS COMMUNICATION (i.e. TV & Radio) into tools of MASS EDUCATION. In so doing, we will partner our students with experts in every field (i.e. reforestation, literacy, health care, etc.) to create extremely high-quality educational programming, and then freely broadcast those messages around Haiti via iPods, DVD field kits, broadcast transmission, internet, and so on. This initiative immediately overcomes several of the most significant educational challenges in Haiti:

- Infrastructure. By cooperating with pre-existing NGOs, we can make our materials freely available to Haitians and thereby experience a groundswell of distribution through non traditional means (like DVD field kits: a player, projector, speaker, screen, and power supply... either solar or generator). To supplement the grassroots distribution, existing infrastructure (TV and radio broadcast towers) will be used to its fullest potential. As demand increases and funding becomes available, additional transmission towers can be erected and more communities can install learning centers where the material is available via satellite streaming of the internet.

- Accessibility. Under this plan, everyone in a village has immediate access to the same quality education. This means that those who are presently excluded from gaining an education (i.e. children who cannot afford a uniform, shoes, or books as well as adults of all ages who have long-since missed out on the opportunity to gain a quality education) can now receive an education that actually rivals that of the expensive schools.

- Illiteracy. In Haiti, the illiteracy rate is between 52% and 88%. TV and radio immediately allows access to an education for those who cannot read or write. As a matter of fact, with TV we can actually teach literacy!

- Poorly trained teachers. Out of 8 million people in Haiti, very few are teachers. Even fewer are properly trained teachers. Many can barely read themselves and rely heavily upon memorization methods for their students. The resulting "education" is powerless to engage the mind in ways that can lead to sustainable solutions to many of the problems in Haiti. Our educational materials will engage the minds of viewers in ways that Haiti has thus far not experienced. It is not meant to replace the local teachers but to finally support them with an extremely valuable resource.

- Segmentation. In Haiti, educational materials are generally not crafted to meet the specific educational needs of the age groups. With audio and video educational resources, programs can be targeted directly to age groups and those with special needs (i.e. animation for children, documentaries for adults, and so forth).

- Effectiveness & Sustainability. By pairing our professional storytellers with experts in every field, now every school in possession of our educational resource kit will be able to share highly effective, extremely well-informed information, presented in Kreyol "for Haitians, by Haitians." The resulting "ownership" this causes is essential for the country and for the sustainability of the project.

*This is a PILOT PROGRAM. Upon successful completion of the model, it shall be made available for expansion into other underdeveloped nations.

WHO:

While we are excited about seeing this program expand into other underdeveloped nations, our attention is presently focused on the Haitian people and the establishment of a functional program and a stable learning environment inside of Haiti.

WHERE:

The first operational campus of "The Caribbean Institute of Media Technologies" is based in Cap Haïtien, Haiti.

As soon as possible, we will be expanding to include several satellite classrooms elsewhere in Haiti.

WHEN:

We have been conducting ongoing media technology training in Haiti since 2008 and we are still up and running even to this day. Thankfully, the earthquake of January 12, 2010 did not cause any damage to our facilities.

HOW:

Haiti is a unique country, built upon a very provocative and volatile history. In its present state, due to the challenges that come with extreme poverty, the resulting social instability, and an overwhelming lack of basic modernization, selecting eligible students and offering them an education in "creative storytelling" requires an approach that is equally unique and culturally relevant. The result is an often non-traditional method of teaching, valuing functionality over form, and drawing from a wide variety of available curriculum, resources, and disciplines.

This program is "decidedly different" from similarly rated programs in the United States.

"The creative equivalent of a monastery", the institute is a refuge from the struggle of survival and a sanctuary of imagination wherein each student can safely explore and refine their own voice, method, and style in a time frame that is decidedly unique, determined more by their personal journey than by formula.

Through the pursuit of "creative community" with our students, we strive to not only teach a set of critical storytelling skills, but to likewise imbue and refine a profound sense of confidence within the heart and mind of each student, thereby affording them the confidence to use their burgeoning skills under any circumstance they may face.

The primary educational goal of the the school is to train "creative storytellers" using current and expanding forms of media technologies. We are passionate about seeing each student achieve a level of mastery and refinement in their ability that is deserving of the finest storytelling opportunities to come.

Excellence is our educational objective.