The organization’s Executive Director, Ms. Ketty Michel established the foundation of the Harmony Education and Life Partners initiative. H.E.L.P’s first level of services began as a home-based professional daycare more than a decade ago. Identifying a specific need to help children from low-income families be prepared for school, Ms. Michel utilized her experience in operating educational programs combined with creative, multicultural, and innovative approaches to help children learn.
Under the leadership and care of Ms. Michel and the Harmony members and staff, graduates have gone to gifted and talented academic programs. With the collaborative efforts of visionary educators, involved parents, and concerned community leaders and organizations, Harmony Education and Life Partners continues to develop intelligent, confident, self sufficient and responsible children of today and tomorrow.
Harmony Education and Life Partners was able to establish its center to be amongst the 7% of early care and educational programs nationwide to become accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Today, the center maintains its high quality and standards for early childhood education emphasizing creativity, academic achievement, language skills, literacy, and family values.
Being a first generation immigrant from Haiti and raising two autistic children of her own, Ms. Ketty Michel understands the challenges and obstacles a community such as Irvington NJ faces. The vision for Harmony Education and Life Partners was initiated in 1991 when Ms. Michel was forced to leave her corporate position to care for her autistic son. With lack of resources and services available at that time for special needs children and their families in her township, Ms. Michel fought to gain services for her son. Her persistence and commitment earned her seats on advisory boards for the special needs children as well as obtaining grants to start 2 classrooms. Today, Harmony Education and Life Partners serves over 200 children and families including its afterschool, summer and parent program.
Harmony Education and Life Partners is a partnership of individuals and organizations that work hand in hand to enable children, students, and families to reach their full potential. We are committed to the principle that all children deserve an opportunity to learn and grow, to wonder, think, dream and discover to enhance their knowledge of each other and the world.
