As the Haitian Heritage Museum enters its eighth season, Executive Director Eveline Pierre is working to expand the facility – increasing both its reach and yearly budget.

Always the historian, she founded the museum out of her desire to expose Miami-Dade youth to Haitian culture. As a South Florida native, Ms. Pierre said that while her parents taught her Creole and exposed her to Caribbean cuisine, the education she received at home did not carry over to the classroom.  

“I didn't want that to happen with this new generation,” she said, adding that the facility is the first of its kind outside of Haiti. “I created the Haitian Heritage Museum to teach them about their culture and connect all the dots. A lot of other cultures have a great connection with Haiti that a lot of people don't know about.”

The facility is bringing children face-to-face with Haitian culture through Miami-Dade County Public School’s museum magnet program. Through the program, museum officials work one-on-one with students, integrating the arts with math, science and English lesson plans.

“Art really does change the kids,” She said. “It is a different way of learning. Not everybody is a conventional learner. Bringing artifacts and objects is relatable and tangible. It makes the learning experience new and fun. They learn through discovery.”

While the museum recently moved from a 3,000-square-foot space on North Miami Avenue to a 2,000-square-foot space in Midtown, Ms. Pierre said that visitation has increased 100%. She hopes to up that number by expanding into a 65,000 foot space, increasing the facility’s budget from $200,000 to $1 million and by bringing more staff onboard.

“That day- to-day is [about] bringing awareness of who we are, where we are and what we're trying to do,” she said. “[We’re] bringing the cultures and the people of our community together.”

Ms. Pierre discussed her plans to expand the facility’s scope at the Haitian Heritage Museum with Miami Today staff writer Ashley Hopkins.