Amazing! For the second year in a row, the Academy for Peace and Justice scored in the 95th percentile and above on Haiti’s ninth grade national exams. This is a huge accomplishment not only for our incredible students and staff on the ground, but for everyone whose hard work, commitment, and genorosity make the Academy for Peace and Justice possible. This fall, the Academy will serve over 2,600 of some of the poorest, most deserving, and most talented youth in Haiti and we couldn’t be more excited to see what our students accomplish next.

It is such an inspiration to see our students grow and become leaders in their classrooms and communities. We eagerly look forward to your continued support as we kickstart another school year  full of new milestones and adventures together.

APJ is thrilled to announce Stacey Kay and Arkells as our musical performances for the Bovet 1822 and Artists for Peace and Justice 2014 Festival Gala this weekend at beautiful Casa Loma, Toronto. Plus, a very special surprise guest!

Stacey Kay is a vibrant, versatile young Canadian singer-songwriter from Slaight Music who will kick off the festivities.  Her first single, the tropically-flavored “Island Girl” features everything from the ukelele to beatboxing. A native of Cambridge, Ontario, Stacey Kay is also a talented improv comedian and public speaker, empowering high school and elementary students by encouraging them to feel good about their body image.

Arkells are an energetic, infectious alternative rock band from Universal Music Canada. These Juno Award winners are always on the road,  were named “Best Live Act” by CBC Radio 3 for their foot stomping, sing-along inducing live performances and hitting top 10 Canadian rock radio hit with ‘Oh, the Boss is Coming!”

After our amazing performers Stacey Kay and Arkells have hit the stage, we’ve got a big name up our sleeve that we can’t wait to release! With past APJ festival headliners like Arcade Fire, K’Naan, Macy Gray, Rufus Wainwright, Michael Bolton, Daniel Lanois, and Eddie Vedder, this year’s surprise guest is sure to get the crowd going!

Have a hunch on who our #APJfest14 headliner is? Tweet at @artistsforpeace with your best guess for a chance to win APJ swag before it hits the shelves! Stay tuned for insider updates from our fifth annual festival gala in Toronto and exclusive content by following us on Twitter and Instagram!

Born in Burlington, Joël Denizot is an Audio Engineering Professor at Audio Institute: We Are the World School of Music and Audio Engineering. A self-taught drummer, guitar player, and musician, Joël has travelled extensively and worked as a stage hand setting up sound and lighting equipment for musical performers such as Elton John, Primus, and Melissa Ethridge. Diving deeper into the science of sound, he studied Electro Acoustics at Montréal’s Concordia University and interned with Cumbancha, a world music record label based in Charlotte, Vermont showcasing to exceptional artists from all over the globe. A year after joining the APJ team in Jacmel, Joël has fallen in love with the country and the people as he shares his passion for music by engaging talented young musicians in the culturally and environmentally rich country that is Haiti. Joël’s work is an inspiring example of international artistic collaboration and the power of arts education.

I’m an artist for:

making people feel.

I’m driven by:

the light I see in the world.

I’m inspired by:

the strength I see in others.

I hope Haiti:

can re-kindle the fire that is the roots of Haitian music, and that more and more Haitian people will work together to help each other, in music and in life.

I believe education can:

open your eyes.