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Devin: What do you see as your superpower?
Bertrhude: My superpower is found within the context of people around me. It's found within the people that I surround myself. One of the highlights for me as a leader, as a changemaker, is being able to see not only can I, Dr. Gertrude Albert, have an impact on Haiti, but turning around and seeing that those around me are having an impact and those around me are reaching new levels.
Dr. Bertrhude Albert, CEO of P4H Global, bristles just a bit when I mention that Haiti is a challenging place. “Working in Haiti is the most challenging yet most rewarding part of my life because I get to be working in a context where Haiti is the first free Black republic in the world.”
“Haiti is the first nation to be established in Latin America and the Caribbean,” she continues. “Haiti is the nation–the only nation–to be formed because of a successful slave revolt.”
“I'm working within a context that is so powerful, that is so inspiring–the Haitian people of today are deeply connected to their glorious past,” she says. “So I get to be working in this context, being working with the people that are so proud of who they are and where they come from.”
She acknowledges a bit reluctantly that the challenges are real:
Yet, at the same time, I'm working in a context where economically, my people–because I was born in Haiti, born in Cap-Haitien–my people are struggling. Haiti has the title, which I don't like to flaunt. I think that there's more to Haiti than the economic poverty. But Haiti does have this title of the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. That's because of the economic challenges that my people face. The average Haitian, research shows, lives off of $2 to $3 a day.
One of the manifestations of the challenges in Haiti is the ranks of teachers. “In Haiti, 80 percent of teachers, eight out of ten, are not qualified to be teaching, according to USAID, 80 percent!” Bertrhude says. “The vast majority of teachers haven't been trained, haven't gone through teacher school, and that directly impacts the students because in Haiti, 60 percent of students, six out of ten, are dropping out before they finish elementary school.”
P4H Global has been recognized internationally for its work partly because research guides the organization to act strategically at the root of the problem. Bertrhude explains:
Research shows that the indicator that has the greatest impact on the success of a student–it's not the socioeconomic status of the student, it's not the background of the student, it's not where the student comes from–the greatest impact on a student will be the teacher, how the teacher is able to meet the student where they are and is able to support and accompany the student on their journey to success.
So, as a nonprofit, our tagline is “We are training teachers to transform Haiti.” We believe that as we train teachers, they're going to better accompany the students. As we invest in the teachers, we're investing in the students.
Bertrhude’s superpower, empowering other people, is catalyzing this award-winning work. I’ll share insights about her superpower following the AI Episode Summary.
AI Episode Summary
Dr. Bertrhude Albert is the founder of P4H Global, an organization that trains teachers in Haiti.
Haiti is facing challenges in terms of social injustice and economic poverty.
An estimated 80% of teachers in Haiti are not qualified, leading to a high dropout rate of students.
P4H focuses on training teachers to empower students and change the trajectory of Haiti.
The organization has over 50 full-time staff members and works in all ten departments of Haiti.
P4H has trained over 9,000 teachers and has been recognized globally for its impact.
The program starts with a diagnostic to understand the needs of schools and teachers.
Training sessions are dynamic and include practical strategies that can be used immediately.
P4H provides distance coaching and in-classroom visits to support teachers' professional development.
Dr. Albert's superpower is building a strong team and empowering others to reach their full potential.
How to Develop Empowering Others As a Superpower
Berthrude shared an anecdote to illustrate her superpower of empowering others. As you can tell from watching the interview, she is a charismatic and engaging speaker. As a trainer, she earned a reputation for being the best in the organization.
She recognized, however, that for the organization to extend beyond her personal capabilities, she needed to develop even better trainers. First, she identified Laurent and trained him. After a time, she and others agreed that he was, in fact, a better trainer.
Then, she helped Laurent identify a high-potential trainer who could surpass even Laurent’s greatness. Enter Wisnow. With training and mentoring from Laurent, Wisnow set a new high-water mark for training at P4H Global.
Bertrhude says that listening and communicating effectively are keys to empowering others. After recognizing their potential, she helped them to feel heard and seen and then mentored them on a personal level, enabling them to reach their full potential.
By following Bertrhude’s example and advice, you can make empowering others a leadership skill you employ. With practice, you could make it a superpower you can add to your portfolio, enabling you to do more good in the world.
Guest Profile
Dr. Bertrhude Albert (she/her):
CEO and Co-Founder, P4H Global
About P4H Global: P4H Global is a nonprofit committed to transforming Haiti through quality education. We train teachers across Haiti because we believe that education is not only a basic human right, but it is a prerequisite to seeing Haitians reach their fullest potential. We are a team of 50 world changers who are giving their lives to see change in Haiti.
Website: P4HGlobal.Org
Twitter Handle: @p4hglobal
Company Facebook Page: Facebook.com/P4HGlobal
Biographical Information: Dr. Bertrhude Albert is a proud Haitian-American. At the age of 8, she immigrated to the United States from Haiti with her family. Ten years after immigrating, Dr. Albert began her journey to becoming a University of Florida triple Gator. In 2012, Dr. Albert received her BA in English; in 2014, she received her MA in Latin American Studies; and in 2016, she completed her PhD in Agricultural Education and Communication. Throughout her academic journey, Bertrhude received several awards, such as UF’s Hall of Fame, UF’s Teaching Assistant of the Year, the International Outreach Award, and more. Her greatest honor, however, was co-founding P4H Global.
Dr. Albert currently serves as the CEO of P4H Global, which has grown to be the largest teacher-training nonprofit in Haiti. In 2022, P4H was awarded the international UNESCO-Hamdan Prize for excellence in teacher development. Dr. Albert is committed to seeing Haiti rise through quality education.
Twitter Handle: @bertrhude
Personal Facebook Profile: Facebook.com/Bertrhude
Linkedin: LinkedIn.com/bertrhude
Instagram Handle: @Bertrhude
Proud of Her Haitian Heritage This Changemaker Leads Education Innovation for Her People - s11 ep20