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Nestled under trees at the Institution Haitiano Caraïbéen (INHAC) school just outside of Léogâne, Haiti, almost 400 children are back in class again. When visitors enter the school grounds, they are greeted by classes in progress under tarps and in tents, and they witness the dedication of a community that knows how important education is for their children.

Léogâne was the epicenter of the January 12 earthquake and experienced almost total destruction of its schools, hospitals and homes. Six months on from the disaster, the residents of Léogâne know that it will be years before it will fully recover.

Before the earthquake, INHAC was known for its academic standards, which had been recognized through awards for excellence. In the earthquake, the two-story school building collapsed. Fortunately, the school day had already ended and no one was hurt.

For the next month, no one came to school. The school's director, Demosthène Lubert, knew that reopening was imperative. He went into the camps where Léogâne's citizens were sheltered and, went to each family to tell parents that he would make it possible for children to return.

Resuming a normal routine is critical to a child's healing process after a major disaster. Education is important for a child's development, and amid the devastation of Haiti's cities and towns, the simple act of going to school provides children with comfort and a sense of security, helping them overcome difficult experiences.

With support from Save the Children, on April 1, 2010, school reopened as promised. The first week was full of festivities and educational activities designed to bring the school community back together. This was an important part of the psychosocial healing that students needed to feel safe at school again.

Simply resuming classes was not enough for Director Lubert. He wanted to ensure that his students were receiving the best possible education. To help in this, Save the Children has been conducting teacher training sessions on positive classroom practices and how to provide emotional support to students.

"One of the most important things we can do is prepare teachers," said Lubert, "This is how students can achieve excellence." Save the Children follows up with teachers weekly to coach them and lend support to their professional development.

This school is an example of the progress that can be made when everyone works together. The school director went into the community to encourage parents to send their children back to school. Parents helped clear the rubble of the old school building. Organizations stepped up to provide cash-for-work opportunities on the school grounds, and now Save the Children has made it possible for the school to reopen and continue providing quality education to the 390 students it serves. Through the provision of tents, tarpaulins, blackboards and school kits for children, classes could resume and the learning could continue.

With new tents on the way and permanent latrines being built, the UCNIH school's enrollment is continuing to grow. The director would like to see it become an even more robust institution than it was before.

The students, now smiling, curious and friendly, had been nervous at first. "They had difficulty with concentration," Lubert said. "But now they are more focused and preparing for exams."

One 12-year-old girl says that she is studying for her exams and wants to be a doctor. "When I see my friends in need on the street, I want to say, ‘Please, come in, let me help you.'"

Save the Children is supporting over 270 schools in Haiti to reopen with supplies and equipment, and through training for teachers to ensure that children are receiving the best possible quality of education.