Darnelle’s Story
Although Darnelle Champagne was born and raised in New York, her first spoken language is Haitian Creole. She recalls her first years of school as an English Language Learner and the impact multilingualism had on her day to day life. Remaining connected to her Haitian roots, especially through language, while growing up in NY was a commitment first started by her parents. Darnelle’s conscious commitment to Haitian Creole came after her first visit to Haiti at the age of 11. Currently as an educational service provider Darnelle counts on her years of experience with children to serve them based on their individual needs. Darnelle has a BA in Metropolitan Studies from New York University and an MA in Early Childhood Education also from New York University. She holds a NYS certification in Early Childhood Education (Birth-grade 2) and a NYS certification in Students with Disabilities (Birth-grade 2). Darnelle co-founded Jaden Timoun, a Haitian Creole Language Immersion Program for Children with Wynnie in 2017. In June 2022, Darnelle co-authored a collection of Kreyòl language short stories titled “Verite sou Tanbou nan Jaden Timoun: Rakontay Vèdi“. Darnelle is raising three curious and lively multilingual children with her husband Vladimir.
