A project for the development, evaluation and dissemination of active-learning resources in Kreyòl to help improve education in Haiti. This is part of larger efforts to valorize Haitian culture and identity, and enhance respect for human rights and national sovereignly and development.
Paj Facebook Inisyativ MIT-Haiti / MIT-Haiti Initiative. Please “like” and “share” / Tanpri, renmen epi pataje.
(also see other recent publications in linguistics)
Platfòm MIT-Ayiti pou yon lekòl tèt an wo (by Inisyativ MIT-Ayiti / MIT-Haiti Initiative)
Yon konbit nimerik pou kreyasyon ak pataj materyèl pou ansèyman an kreyòl nan tout disiplin nan tout nivo klas.
A digital platform / library for the crowdsourcing, exchange and sharing of teaching materials in Haitian Creole (“Kreyòl”) in all disciplines at all grade levels.
Brase lide sou pwojè « estandadizasyon » ekriti kreyòl la — pou n kore edikasyon ak devlopman ann Ayiti e pou n ede Akademi Kreyòl Ayisyen (AKA) nan misyon li
Revi Etid Kreyòl, vol 2, nimewo 1, Oktòb 2023
Politik lengwistik nan istwa lekòl ann Ayiti
Le Nouvelliste, 7 jiyè 2023
Language Policy in Haitian Education: A History of Conflict over the Use of Kreyòl in education
(co-authored with William Scott Frager and Haynes Miller)
The Journal of Haitian Studies, Volume 28, No. 2, 2022
An nou fè 2 kabès olye pou n rete nan lave men siye atè
(co-authored with William Frager and Haynes Miller)
Le Nouvelliste, 29 out 2022
Let’s aim for a win-win instead of continuing to wash our hands only to then dry them on the ground
English translation of “An nou fè 2 kabès olye pou n rete nan lave men siye atè”
(co-authored with William Frager and Haynes Miller)
Le Nouvelliste, 29 out 2022, translation completed on May 28, 2023
Language has super powers: it can destroy souls or build nations
TEDx Talk at MIT on April 23, 2023.
Ann Ayiti, lekòl yo aprann nou rayi lang nou epi rayi tèt nou
In New York Times, October 14, 2022
As a child in Haiti, I was taught to despise my language and myself
In New York Times, October 14, 2022
An nou fè 2 kabès olye pou n rete nan lave men siye atè
Le Nouvelliste, August 29, 2022
Gwojemoni nan rasin lekòl tèt an ba nan peyi tèt an ba (2yèm pati)
Le National, July 14, 2022
Gwojemoni nan rasin lekòl tèt an ba nan peyi tèt an ba” (1e pati)
Le National, June 30, 2022
Nan ki lang lajistis dwe pale ?
Theorizing the Contemporary, Fieldsights, December 22, 2021
What does justice sound like?
Theorizing the Contemporary, Fieldsights, December 22, 2021
Rèv Yves Dejean, rèv mwen, rèv ou, rèv nou : « … pou solèy ledikasyon rive klere an kreyòl … »
In Langues créoles : Description, analyse, didactisation et automatisation. Hommage à Yves Dejean et Pierre Vernet. Renauld Govain, ed., Presses Universitaires de la Méditerranée. 2021
Toward racial justice in linguistics: The case of Creole studies
Language: Journal of the Linguistic Society of America, vol. 96, no 4, 2020
Language as the invisible ‘canary in the mine’ in the minefield of human-rights violations
“Decolonising the Linguistics Curriculum” workshop, Sheffield University, December 10, 2020
Kreyòl nan CARICOM
AyiboPost, 4 desanm 2020
The undervalued currency of culture in higher education [with MIT-Haiti team members]
MIT Open Learning, J-WEL Connections Week, October 15, 2020
Inovasyon pa nou pou Ayiti = Analiz pou n kaba lekòl tèt an ba + Zouti pou n bati lekòl tèt an wo
UNESCO Haiti, 8 oktòb 2020
Pou ki tout edikatè ta dwe kore Platfòm MIT-Ayiti ? Paske se yon konbit pou lekòl tèt an wo — pou peyi tèt an wo
Ed-Tech Haiti, 8 septanm 2020
Black lives will not matter until our languages also matter: The politics of linguistics and education in post-colonies
ABRALIN— Associação Brasileira de Linguística, June 14, 2020
MIT-Haiti Center for Educational Innovation — Progress report: Extending the MIT-Haiti Platform
MIT Open Learning, J-WEL Grantee Panel, March 31, 2020
The politics of education in post-colonies: Kreyòl in Haiti as a case study of language as technology for power and liberation
Journal of Postcolonial Linguistics, vol. 3, 2020
Kreyòl, pedagogía y tecnología para brindar educación de calidad en Haití: Cambios en las actitudes metalingüisticas de los maestros como los primeros pasos de un cambio paradigmático
(co-authored with Glenda Stump)
Transforming Pedagogy: Practice, Policy & Resistance (Sargasso 2018–2019, vol. I and II)
“Il est impossible d’éduquer un peuple dans une langue qu’il ne parle pas.”
MAG Haiti, 15 out 2019
“Edikasyon nan lang manman se pou liberasyon ak devlòpman”
Michel DeGraff & Godson Lubrun, Top Haiti, Radio D’s 104.7 FM, 10 out 2019
“Fwote lide sou Platfòm MIT-Ayiti pou yon lekòl tèt an wo”
Michel DeGraff & Gotson Pierre, Fwote Lide, AlterRadio, 16 jiyè 2019
“Platfòm MIT-Ayiti: yon fowòm pou bon jan edikasyon nan lang manman nou.”
Le Nouvelliste, 11 jiyè 2019
“Linguistics and education in Haiti”
Michel DeGraff & Wayétu Moore, One Moore Book, Blog, June 21, 2019
“Plas lang kreyòl nan lekòl ann Ayiti”
Michel DeGraff & Kendi Zidor, Point par Point, Radio Télé Pacific, 21 jen 2019
“Gid Fizik Inisyativ MIT-Ayiti : yon bèl zouti pou ansèyman syans an kreyòl.”
Le Nouvelliste, 18 jen 2019
“Brase lide sou Gid Fizik Inisyativ MIT-Ayiti”
Paul Belony, Michel DeGraff & Oscar Joseph,
Aksyon Edikasyon, Ministè Edikasyon Nasyonal, 18 jen 2019
“Brase lide sou Platfòm MIT-Ayiti pou lekòl tèt an wo”
Roosevelt Desronvilles, Sorrah Edwards-Thro & Oscar Joseph,
Aksyon Edikasyon, Ministè Edikasyon Nasyonal, 18 jen 2019
“Ekip MIT-Ayiti ap prezante yon gwo pwojè pou lang kreyòl”
Paul Belony, Michel DeGraff, Roosevelt Desronvilles, Sorrah Edwards-Thro & Carel Pedre,
Chokarella’s Morning Show, Radio One, 17 jen 2019
“Gid Fizik Inisyativ MIT-Ayiti & Platfòm MIT-Ayiti pou lekòl tèt an wo”
Paul Belony, Michel DeGraff, Roosevelt Desronvilles, Sorrah Edwards-Thro & Claude Bernard Sérant, 17 jen 2019
Gid Fizik Inisyativ MIT-Ayiti
Paul Belony, Michel DeGraff & Glenda Stump, JEBCA Editions, 2019
(Amazon)
(JEBCA Editions)
“Demystifying creolization, decolonizing Creole Studies”
In Different spaces, different voices: A rendezvous with decoloniality
edited by Sayan Dey, 2019
“Against apartheid in education and in linguistics: The case of Haitian Creole in neo-colonial Haiti”
Foreword to: Decolonizing foreign language education: The misteaching of English and other colonial languages
edited by Donaldo Macedo, Routledge, 2019
“Language is wealth. Children learn better in their own language,” Linguistics professor says
University of Massachusetts News, April 4, 2019.
“Ochan pou Pwòf Yves Dejean” (Michel DeGraff)
“Réflexions sur un projet d’Académie du créole haïtien” (Yves Dejean)
Do.Kre.I.S. Revue haïtienne des cultures créoles. #2 Miroir / Miwa, 2018.
“An n konprann Chante Alfabè Kreyòl La”
(Michel DeGraff & Mandaly Louis-Charles)
Potomitan: Site de promotion des cultures et des langues créoles.
“Yon òdonans an kreyòl nan Lakou d Apèl Okay: Yon egzanp istorik ki merite suiv”
Le Nouvelliste, October 22, 2018
“Expanding the reach of science: Science education could bring new opportunities to developing countries”
Article by Neil Savage in Nature, volume 562, October 4, 2018, with a mention of the MIT-Haiti Initiative
“Kreyòl, pedagogy and technology for opening up quality education in Haiti: Changes in teachers’ metalinguistic attitudes as first steps in a paradigm shift”
(co-authored with Glenda S. Stump)
Language: Journal of the Linguistic Society of America, vol. 94, no 2, 2018
“Error correction and social transformation in Creole studies and among Creole speakers: The case of Haiti”
Language in Society, vol. 47, no 3, 2018
“Edikasyon an kreyòl: Ki avantaj pou Ayiti?”
Konvèzasyon ak Konpè Sevè pou emisyon nan Zanmi Lanati nan mwa d jen 2018
“The language we speak. Education, innovation and the future of Haiti.”
Interview for Traces & Dreams with Nerina Finetto, May 2018
“The language we speak. Education, innovation and the future of Haiti.”
(2-minute trailer for 30-minute video) Interview for Traces & Dreams with Nerina Finetto, May 2018
“Fòk lang nou kore edikasyon ak inovasyon pou yon demen miyò ann Ayiti.”
(Entwodiksyon 2 minit an kreyòl) Konvèzasyon ak Nerina Finetto pou emisyon nan Traces & Dreams nan mwa d me 2018
“Wòl lengwis nan kore bon jan edikasyon pou respè dwa moun”
Le Nouvelliste, May 11, 2018
“Linguistics’ role in the right to education”
Science Magazine, volume 360, issue 6388, page 502, May 4, 2018
Yves Dejean: Entèlektyèl tèt an wo pou lekòl tèt an wo pou yon peyi tèt an wo
AyiboPost, 4 avril 2018
“Dezòd e koripsyon nan Akademi Kreyòl Ayisyen”
AyiboPost, Avril 2018
“Kat (4) kesyon fondamantal pou Prezidan Akademi Kreyòl Ayisyen (AKA) ansanm ak “majorite” Akademisyen yo”
In Le Nouvelliste, March 5, 2018
“Kesyon pou Pwofesè Michel DeGraff sou lèt tou louvri li a konsènan Akademi Kreyòl Ayisyen”
In Le National, February 22, 2018
“Lèt tou louvri konsènan deriv nan Akademi Kreyòl Ayisyen”
On Facebook, February 19, 2018
Interview with Ed Lozama on star soccer player Sherly Jeudy (of Haiti’s Women’s U20 national team) and the use of Haitian Creole vs. French in the media
at Radio Nationale d’Haïti, January 31, 2018
Interview with Marcus James on the history, rationale and objectives of the MIT-Haiti Initiative
at Big City Boston 101.3 FM Radio Station, November 21, 2017
“Boston Public Schools’ Dual Language program in English and Haitian Creole”
Boston Neighborhood Network, November 16, 2017
“Google et MIT s’associent pour promouvoir le créole haïtien”
In LOOP Haiti, November 3, 2017
“MIT-Haiti, Google team up to boost education in Kreyòl”
In MIT News, October 30, 2017
“Pami lang lokal yo, se lang kreyòl Ayiti ki pi popilè sou Twitter”
In LOOP Haiti, October 28, 2017
“Michel DeGraff on English/Kreyòl Dual Language program in Boston Public Schools”
Boston Neighborhood Network, September 25, 2017
“A Haitian Creole program for preschoolers arrives in Mattapan”
In Boston Globe, September 7, 2017
“An n konprann Chante Alfabè Kreyòl La”
In Potomitan, 2017
“Konprann ki jan pwoblèm lang afekte edikasyon ann Ayiti”
AyiboPost, 17 avril 2017
“How Discrimination Nearly Stalled a Dual-Language Program in Boston.”
In The Atlantic Monthly, April 7, 2017.
La « MIT-Haïti initiative » s’engage dans l’amélioration du système éducatif haïtien.
In Le Nouvelliste, April 4, 2017
“La langue maternelle comme fondement du savoir: L’Initiative MIT-Haïti: vers une éducation en créole efficace et inclusive.”
Revue transatlantique d’études suisses, 6/7, 2016/17
“Mother-tongue books in Haiti: The power of Kreyòl in learning to read and in reading to learn”
Prospects: Comparative Journal of Curriculum, Learning, and Assessment. March 2017.
“Lang matènèl, pedagoji entèraktif, lojisyèl edikatif nan Inisyativ MIT-Ayiti: ‘Twa wòch dife’ pou bon jan edikasyon ak inovasyon alawonnbadè ann Ayiti”
The Journal of Haitian Studies, 22.2., 2016
Inisyativ MIT-Ayiti ap kore edikasyon san baryè sou Kanpis UEH nan Limonad
Le Nouvelliste, 2 septanm 2016 (avèk Pwof. Audalbert Bien-Aimé, Prezidan Konsèy Jesyon Kanpis Henry Christophe, Limonad, Inivèsite Leta d Ayiti)
“Haiti’s “linguistic apartheid” violates children’s rights and hampers development”
In openDemocracy, January 2017
“Diskriminasyon lengwistik” ann Ayiti se yon mepri pou dwa timoun epi sa frennen devlopman peyi a
In openDemocracy, January 2017
Comments from Linguistics Society of America to the United Nations on the Linguistics Rights of Children,
October 17, 2016.
The MIT-Haiti Initiative: An International Engagement (by Haynes Miller)
MIT Faculty Newsletter, October 2016.
Inisyativ MIT-Ayiti: Yon Angajman Entènasyonal (atik Haynes Miller)
MIT Faculty Newsletter, October 2016.
Linguistic equality is a precondition for political and economic equity
Boston Review, May 9 2016.
“The politics of language”
The New Yorker, February 29, 2016
with a Haitian Creole translation.
Pour une vrai solidarité entre Haïti et la France vers le développement durable et le respect mutuel de nos droits linguistiques (Lettre ouverte à l’ambassadeur de France en Haïti, Madame Élisabeth Béton Delègue.
Le Nouvelliste, 21 décembre 2015.
Defann franse pa vle di sakrifye kreyòl (yon nòt sou Dany Laferrière nan Académie Française)
Le Nouvelliste, 17 juin 2015.
“VIDEO Chante Alfabè Kreyòl La, Vèsyon # 1.”
YouTube
“VIDEO Chante Alfabè Kreyòl La, Vèsyon # 2: Quand Surtab fait la promotion du Kreyòl Ayisyen.”
LOOP Haiti, 28 octobre 2015.
“Chante Alfabè Kreyòl La: Surtab et MIT-Haiti Initiative s’unissent pour la promotion du créole.”
In Le Nouvelliste, 27 octobre 2015.
“Le créole haïtien à la conquête des sciences.”
In Le National, 15 octobre 2015.
“Haitian educators and MIT faculty develop Kreyòl-based teaching tools.”
In MIT News, October 7, 2015.
Sizyèm Atelye MIT-Ayiti sou aprantisaj aktif ki san baryè e ki kore ak teknoloji.
Bèl konbit ant MIT epi Inivèsite Leta Ayiti (UEH) sou Kanpis Henry Christophe ki nan Limonad (CHCL), 24-26 out 2015.
“Three questions: Michel DeGraff on Haiti’s new policy for teaching in Kreyòl”
In MIT News, July 20, 2015.
“Michel DeGraff: Lang kreyòl la se yon lang total kapital”
(Ribrik “Konnen Akademisyen nou yo”), In Le Nouvelliste, 29 jen 2015.
Three-minute award-winning video: Opening up education in Haiti
From Teaching and Learning Video Showcase organized by National Science Foundation, May 2015.
“Revolutionizing education in Haiti”
Spotlight article, National Science Foundation, Center for Innovative Research in Cyberlearning, May 2015
“France’s misconceived ‘Marshall Plan’ for Haiti”
In Le Monde Diplomatique, 24 May 2015.
“Le devoir néo-colonial et le non-devoir de maison du président François Hollande”
In Le Nouvelliste, 15 mai 2015.
“Comments on My Acceptance of the MIT Martin Luther King Jr. Leadership Award Haiti-Education”
In MIT Faculty Newsletter, February 2015.
“Reyaksyon m apre mwen te resevwa pri MIT Martin Luther King Jr. nan MIT nan dat 4 fevriye 2015 Leadership Award “
In Le Nouvelliste, 4 mas 2015.
“Haiti-Education: De la nécessité d’une éducation inclusive liée à la technologie de pointe.”
In Haiti Press Network, 15 janvier 2015.
Senkyèm Atelye MIT-Ayiti sou aprantisaj aktif ki san baryè e ki kore ak teknoloji
Presentation to start 5th MIT-Haiti workshop on active learning of STEM, Port-au-Prince, January 15, 2015
January 1st, 1804 — January 1st, 2015: How to finish the un-finished Haitian revolution
Keynote speech at 16th Annual Haitian Independence Day Gala in Massachusetts, January 3rd, 2015
“This village school in Haiti helped propel a national movement to teach kids in Creole”
Amy Bracken, Public Radio International, December 22, 2014.
Prezantasyon sou Inisyativ MIT-Ayiti nan 42yèm Konsèy Gouvènman nan Biwo Premye Minis, Prezantasyon sou Skype, 5 novanm 2014
Presentation to the 42nd Government Council at the Primature in Port-au-Prince, via Skype, November 5, 2014
Prezantasyon pou direktè lise nan depatman lwès Ayiti
Presentation to directors of public high-school in Haiti’s West Department, Jacmel, Haiti, October 27, 2014.
“Pou ki sa mwen te poze kandidati m pou mwen rantre kòm Akademisyen nan Akademi Kreyòl Ayisyen an”
In Le Nouvelliste, October 28, 2014.
“LSA Member Spotlight, October 2014: Michel DeGraff”
Linguistics Society of America
“A Creole solution for Haiti’s woes”
(co-authored with Molly Ruggles)
In New York Times, August 1, 2014.
“MIT Sloan Executive Education Hosting Haiti Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe on MIT-Haiti Initiative”
Business Wire , June 5, 2014.
“MIT-Haiti Initiative to help Haiti”
New England Cable News Business, May 7, 2014.
“Atelye fòmasyon sou byoloji, matematik ak fizik pa yon gwoup pwofesè inivèsite MIT nan Otèl Le Plaza soti 24 pou rive 27 “
On website of Ministère de la Communication, Government of Haiti, March 24, 2014.
“Inisyativ MIT-Ayiti ap kore edikasyon san baryè ann Ayiti”
In Le Nouvelliste, March 20, 2014.
“Open Education Resources and Active Learning in Haiti”
(with Molly Ruggles and Vijay Kumar) EdTech Times Blog of MIT’s Office of Educational Innovation and Technology, December 17, 2013.
“Vers une utilisation des outils technologiques en créole dans l’enseignement en Haiti”
In Le Nouvelliste, August 16, 2013.
“MIT-Haiti Initiative Uses Haitian Creole to Make Learning Truly Active, Constructive and Interactive”
In Educational Technolology Debate: Exploring ICT and Learning in Developing Countries, July 2013.
Ayiti, ann avan! (Go, Haiti, go!)
Visit of Haiti’s Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe to MIT for the signing of an agreement between Haiti’s Ministry of Education and the MIT-Haiti Initiative, April 17, 2013
Ayiti pare (Haiti is ready)
A video introduction to the MIT-Haiti Initiative, George Zaidan & Per Hoel, April 2013
“How Science, Math and Creole Education Can Lead to Prosperity in Haiti”
In Caribbean Journal, May 14, 2013.
“MIT and Haiti sign agreement to promote Kreyòl-language STEM education: Initiative designed to help Haitians gain technical education”
In MIT News, April 17, 2013.
“Landmark MIT-Haiti Initiative Will Transform Education In Haiti”
In Wall Street Journal (online), April 17, 2013.
“Haiti et MIT signent pour une éducation mieux adaptée “
In Le Nouvelliste, April 17, 2013.
“Men anpil, chay pa lou: An nou sèvi ak lang kreyòl la pou bonjan edikasyon ak rechèch ann Ayiti”
In Akademi Kreyòl Ayisyen: Ki pwoblèm? Ki avantaj? Ki defi? Ak kolòk entènasyonal sou Akademi Kreyòl Aysiyen an, 2013.
“Many hands make the load lighter: Haitian Creole and technology-enhanced active learning toward quality education for all in Haiti.”
In Proceedings of the Sixth Conference of Learning International Networks Consortium (LINC 2013), April 2013.
“Ti koze ak pwofesè Michel DeGraff sou nouvo teknoloji pou ansèyman syans ak matematik ann Ayiti”
Nan AlterPresse, 6 janvye 2013.
“DeGraff awarded one-million NSF grant for linguistics research in Haiti”
In MIT News, October 3, 2012.
“Interview with Michel DeGraff about NSF grant”
In Said and Done, MIT School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, October 16, 2012.
“Pour une éducation pratique et moderne”
In Le Nouvelliste, Avril 3, 2012.
“MIT’s Michel DeGraff on Expanding Access to Education in Haiti”
In Education Portal, September 2011.
“Our word is our bond”
In Voices from Haiti, September 2011.
“Se pawòl nou ki mare nou ansanm”
In Voices from Haiti, September 2011.
“The Power of Creole”
In Boston Globe, July 24, 2011.
“Pouvwa kreyòl la”
In Alterpresse, November 7, 2011.
“A champion of Creole”
In MIT News, May 12, 2011.
“Should Creole replace French in Haiti’s schools?”
In BBC News, August 23, 2011.
“Should Haiti’s kids learn in Creole rather than French?”
In BBC News, August 19, 2011.
“Baryè lang ann Ayiti: Kreyòl se lang peyi a; se pou sa fòk lekòl fèt an Kreyòl”
In Le Nouvelliste, August 20, 2010.
“Language barrier: Creole is the language of Haiti, and the education system needs to reflect that”
In Boston Globe, June 16, 2010.