Global Studies Student Plans Trip to Haiti

The class, taught by History Department Chair Jessica Peluso and Senior School Spanish Teacher Vanessa Villalobos challenged students to innovatively come up with a social entrepreneurship project. Teitlebaum partnered with the Hôpital Albert Schweitzer (HAS), a hospital in Haiti, and created an exchange program for students to travel to Haiti to assist the hospital in various ways. This past June, Teitlebaum, his mother, and Peluso traveled to Haiti to preview the trip scheduled for next year. When asked about Teitlebaum’s original idea for this project, Peluso said, “While this trip was born from our class assignment, the star in this is Matthew and his creativity and desire to both help others and inspire his peers to witness the greater world and actively work to change it.”

According to Teitlebaum, while on this trip, students will assist with hospital maintenance and programs, learn about positive and effective developmental techniques, and raise awareness, as well as support for the hospital and both its medical and non-medical initiatives. In addition, students will also take part in community projects such as teaching at local schools and reading to the children in the mal-nutrition clinic.

Teitlebaum describes this trip as valuable, powerful and inspirational. However, he cautions that it is not for the faint-hearted. The days are long with heavy and eye-opening experiences. The program is looking to take a group of driven, innovative, and daring students who have a desire to learn about and give back to a society that is different from the world they know.

This news post was written by Emily Resler, summer Advancement Office intern.