In the heart of Boston’s Mattapan neighborhood, a quiet revolution is taking place at the Mattahunt Elementary School, whose Toussaint L’Ouverture Dual Language Academy is not just breaking down language barriers but also fostering pride, empowerment and a deep connection to Haitian culture among its students.
It’s the first two-way immersion Haitian Creole dual-language preschool program in the country, and it’s fitting that it operates in Boston, the city with the third-largest Haitian population in America. Priscilla Joseph, a founding teacher of the academy, said it was created in 2017 to meet the needs of the surrounding Creole-speaking neighborhood.
“Boston Public Schools and many community partners felt that the Mattahunt would be the best location, especially in Mattapan, which has a high Haitian population,” said Joseph, who leads the K-5 program at the school.
Mattahunt Elementary School accommodates 512 students, while the Toussaint L’Ouvertue Dual Language Academy — named for the leader of the Haitian Revolution — serves 132 students. The school boasts a 97% enrollment of students of color, predominantly Black.
Joseph, who is Haitian American, said she draws from her own experiences as she passionately advocates for the importance of preserving Haitian Creole. “I also grew up in a place where it wasn’t OK to say that you were Haitian, and there was a lot of discrimination against Haitian people,” she said. “So I kind of took my own experiences and entered that into the classroom, knowing how it feels to be a little bit different, or a little bit outcasted, because of your culture.”
One common experience for many children of immigrants is having to translate and advocate for their families and parents from an early age. The academy not only helps children in that regard, but also tries to knock down some language barriers to steer parents and relatives away from feeling isolated.
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