‘Haitian Education Mission Project’ at Sept. 15 IRP

Karen Dross, a retired Syracuse City School District teacher and volunteer in Haiti, will present the “Haitian Education Mission Project” at the Sept. 15 session of Institute for Retired People (IRP). Meetings are held on every first and third Thursday of the month from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. and are free and open to the public. Sessions are held at First Baptist Church of Syracuse, 5833 East Seneca Turnpike, Jamesville.

Dross will discuss the inspiration she received from an IRP presentation conducted by Bob Hood, a retired real estate developer and goodwill ambassador in Haiti. Hood, along with other local volunteers, continues to share his time and talent in this poor, earthquake-ravaged country. Dross will share her experiences after a recent visit and explain how this group of volunteers is working to return power to the Haitian people.

In addition to teaching elementary education, Dross worked as a professional development teacher focusing on teachers in the field of mathematics. She currently works for Pearson Education, a leading education services company, where she supports and trains teachers in the use of Investigations, an elementary constructivist mathematics program. Dross also participates in local and international mission work through her involvement with Park Central Presbyterian Church. Most recently she has become active with a small group of businessmen and educators working with a school in northern Haiti. Believing that education will make a difference in the future of Haiti keeps her motivated to learn Creole, the native language. She travels there yearly to conduct training sessions with teachers and work with students in the classroom.

IRP is a community program established by University College of Syracuse University, dedicated to the principle of lifelong learning. For more information on IRP visit http://www.yesu.syr.edu/IRP, call Colleen at 443-4846 or email cps@uc.syr.edu.