LITTLE HAITI OPTIMIST CLUB, INC.
NORTH MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA

Help prevent the youth of Little Haiti and the surrounding areas from engaging in the negatives of juvenile delinquency, gun violence, performing poorly academically, teen pregnancy and gang affiliations. Provide young scholars growing up in poverty with experiences that will broaden their horizons and magnify their vision of their own potential. December 2014 & 2015, Little Haiti Optimist Club in partnership with several other organizations, produced Art Beat Miami during Art Basel week. Art Beat Miami is an experience of art, cultural exchange, food & music inspired by Haiti and artists worldwide. The community was invited to discover multidisciplinary works of art by internationally and locally recognized artists. Attendees enjoyed live music, food, mural exhibitions, special events, and conversations with artists as well as a youth art educational workshop. For Christmas, Little Haiti Optimist Club organizes and hosts an annual Holiday Celebration giving away toys. Kids in attendance enjoy bounce houses, a petting zoo, clowns, face painting, caricatures, musical performances and snacks. The highlight of the day is the distribution of hundreds of toys donated by LHOC members and supporters. Some of the toys collected are also distributed to orphans and children living in Haiti. LHOC & its partners have distributed over 6,000+ toys in the community and in Haiti. Last summer, the Little Haiti Optimist Club’s (LHOC) held a Full S.T.E.A.M Ahead summer camp for 54 students ages 5-15 in grades kindergarten-8th at Soar Park. The students enjoyed a summer filled with learning about science, technology, arts, engineering and mathematics. The campers took field trips and were introduced, in a fun and interactive environment to coding, graphic arts, business/social entrepreneurship and much more. The students took part in activities in engineering design that prepared them for building, as part of a team, a 6 foot roller coaster, solar robots, as well as create a sustainable future city. Campers also participated in hands-on educational activities that taught them how to use the computer to create apps, coding and graphics arts. In addition, they planned, designed, maintained and sustained their own community garden. The community gardening project has a social and entrepreneurial component where the students are able to give some of the items planted to the community and their families resulting in reducing food budgets as well as encourage healthier choices. Campers were provided breakfast, snacks and lunch and participated in other activities such as field trips, physical education, tutoring and reading. The entire community was invited to join the Little Haiti Optimist Club Full S.T.E.A.M Ahead Graduation & Marketplace Showcase event. At the Graduation, students had an opportunity to showcase to their families and friends what they created and learned and sold their items at the Marketplace. The students sold bird houses, flower pots, clay sculptures, garden signs, DIY chalk, pinwheels, refrigerator magnets, artwork, jewelry, tote bags, button designs, t-shirts and more. As part of the camp’s business/social entrepreneurship initiative, part of the proceeds went to the students as well as to a charity in Haiti. Every May 1st to May 31st, Little Haiti Optimist Club celebrates Haitian Heritage Cultural Month by recognizing the Haitian community for their many significant cultural, artistic and historic contributions. Bilzin Sumberg Law Firm chose Little Haiti Optimist Club to present Bilzin Sumberg Cares Day of Service at Little Haiti Optimist Club @ Soar Park. Over 100 volunteers and Little Haiti Optimist Club members painted a mural, created a community garden and built park benches/picnic tables at Little Haiti Optimist Club @ Soar Park. Sun Life Financial and the Miami Dolphins awarded LHOC a $50,000 Sun Life Rising Star Grant. With the grant, LHOC is preparing 40 Miami Edison Sr. High School Seniors for college through their Road Map to Success Program from October 2014 to June 2015. Through the help of the program, 95% of the students have applied and been accepted to college and 75% of the students were awarded some type of scholarship. Summer 2014, The Little Haiti Optimist Club held a STEM Genius® summer camp for 45 students ages 5-15 in grades kindergarten-8th at Soar Park. The students participated in hands-on educational activities that taught them how to use the computer to create prosthetic limbs and program robots. Also, they took part in activities in engineering design that prepared them for building, as part of a team, a 6 foot ferris wheel, as well as simulated a rocket launch and flew drones. They also learned about careers in STEM. April 2014, The Little Haiti Optimist Club (LHOC) in partnership with the Miami Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity and the City of Miami NET office hosted the inaugural Little Haiti Health & Fitness Fair. Medical and health professionals provided educational information as well as offered complimentary health screenings for blood pressure, blood sugar, glucose, BMI, cholesterol, mammography, chiropractic, HIV/AIDS, STDs and more. In addition, there was fun activities for the kids in attendance including: a free soccer/fitness clinic, healthy food demonstrations and snacks, bike safety tips, bounce houses, face painting and live entertainment as well as giveaways including free bike helmets for the kids. In August 2013, the Little Haiti Optimist Club & its partners remodeled the Soar Park building in order to provide residents and their children with computer training, educational enrichment classes, and recreational program opportunities. The new Little Haiti Optimist Club Tech Center features a reception/information desk; work stations with computers, printers and copiers; a bulletin board for posting job announcements; and other resource information. The facility serves as a one-stop technology center for residents seeking new careers and personal enrichment. It offers a wide range of classes and services that include: Internet Access; Basic Computer Training; Job Search/Resume Writing; and Tutoring/Homework Help. In addition, the new Little Haiti Optimist Club Youth Center functions as a youth club with after-school and summer camp programs for school-age children. The building contains a kids’ activity room with computer stations and work tables, and offers on-site homework help, tutoring, and a wide variety of after-school enrichment classes. The curriculum includes: STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics); Computer Technology; Multi-Media/Publishing; Arts and Crafts; Ceramics/Pottery; Music Appreciation; Business Entrepreneurship; Film; and Robotics. There will also be many outdoor programs, games, and sports activities for kids to enjoy, including a community garden program, yoga, self-defense, soccer, basketball and more.