Artistic Director/Founder of Tonel Lakay, Inc.
A loving wife and proud mother of two children (both members of Tonel Lakay, Inc.), Marie Edith Jean has served her community in various ways prior to the founding of this organization. After receiving her High School diploma from Prospect Heights H.S. and her B.S. from Hunter College, she moved on to Bank Street College and Adelphi University in pursuit of her Master's Degrees in Early Childhood Development and English as a Second Language (ESL). With her extensive background in education and her passion and drive for community oriented work, she dedicated much of her time and energy to the various services offered to Haitian refugees during the 1980s and early 90s, including, volunteering as an interpreter for Haitian refugees in court.
In 1988, Marie Edith Jean founded Tonel Lakay out of concern for the children in the community. She believed there to be a lack of a positive venue allowing for the effective passage of cultural knowledge from one generation to another. Thus she founded this organization on the premise that children and adults from various cultures and communities could learn about the rich diversity that is Haitian culture, while simultaneously discovering and developing their own talents.
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