Last week Haiti Partners and the Children’s Academy (ADECA) were both honored at the WorldBlu annual Summit conference by being included on the WorldBlu List of Freedom-Centered Workplaces™ 2016. WorldBlu promotes freedom-centered, democratic organizational design and leadership, and over the last ten years has certified 136 organizations impacting over a million employees worldwide. This year marks Haiti Partners’ seventh year in a row being recognized on the WorldBlu list. The Children’s Academy is the first primary school ever to be included on the WorldBlu list.

In addition to this honor, the Children’s Academy was recognized with three Top Practice awards in the areas of Purpose + Vision, Dialogue + Listening, and Accountability. These awards are voted on by participating organizations and companies in the WorldBlu certification process.

An organization makes it onto the WorldBlu List through a rigorous Freedom at Work™ Scorecard process completed by employees. The assessment evaluates the overall design of an organization along a fear-based to freedom-centered continuum in three core areas: leadership, individual performance and systems, and processes. Assessment questions are based on the WorldBlu 10 Principles of Organizational Democracy™.

After the conference, Haiti Partners was graced with a visit from Ana Marika and Catalina Contoloru, co-founders of CROS – The Alternative University in Romania. CROS – the first university on the WorldBlu List of Most Freedom-Centered Workplaces – aims to change Romanian education through autonomy and collaboration. This means that each student self directs their own education and develops communities of practice based on common values and passions.

Ana and Catalina shared with teachers, young people and community members their experience in creating a university and their convictions and learnings about the importance of self-directed learning and institutions that promote this approach.

Haiti Partners is thrilled for their visit with us to Haiti and the Children’s Academy. While there, they got to witness the school’s celebration for receiving the awards from WorldBlu. Staff members danced:

And they held a mango party for the kids!

Haiti Partners and the Children’s Academy are exceedingly grateful to be a part of the WorldBlu network and the wonderful people like Ana and Catalina that it puts us in touch with. We look forward to continued partnership as we promote freedom-centered leadership in all aspects of our work!