As life-long advocates of the Haitian Creole language, both Darnelle and Wynnie separately had an idea to create a program for children around Kreyòl Ayisyen. Although they had known each other for years through mutual family friends, it wasn’t until December 2017 that they finally sat down to talk about what that might look like. After careful planning, curriculum building, and intense research into finding a suitable space, Darnelle & Wynnie launched Jaden Timoun in the summer of 2018. They started first with the Jaden Timoun Preschool Program that focused on children ages 2 to 5. This program grew to be so popular, that families began to ask how their other children who were not in the preschool age range could participate in Jaden Timoun. This led to Darnelle & Wynnie launching two more programs – Jaden Timoun Sing-Along, a program for children ages 0 to 2 and Jwèt Lakay, a program for children ages 6 to 12. Since then, Jaden Timoun has only continued to grow – providing an opportunity for families of all backgrounds and heritage to engage with and celebrate Haiti through interactive language learning.

Darnelle Champagne
Jaden Timoun Co-Founder & Executive Director

Although Darnelle 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. In addition to her direct work with children, Darnelle has conducted a number of parent workshops and presentations on raising bilingual children. 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 is raising three curious and lively multilingual children with her husband Vladimir.

Wynnie Lamour-Quansah
Jaden Timoun Co-Founder & Director of Operations

Wynnie is an Educator with a focus on Language & Communication. She has spent the last several years teaching Haitian Creole in the New York City metro area to a wide array of language learners, including non-profit professionals, public school teachers, and entrepreneurs. Her experiences growing up in Brooklyn as a Haitian-American have provided her with a unique perspective as an educator, allowing her an ease that comes when one is equally comfortable in both cultures and languages. Wynnie has a BA in Linguistics from Cornell University and an MA in Urban Affairs from CUNY Queens College. Both degrees have allowed her a flexibility to blend effortlessly into many different sectors. Her philosophy of teaching is rooted in the idea of “Mindfulness”, which promotes community and connectedness, while establishing a sense of pride and respect for both the Haitian language and culture. Wynnie’s work includes a translation of an excerpt of the Franketienne novel “Dezafi” published May 2013 by Transition Magazine (Issue 111 “New Narratives of Haiti”), a publication of the W. E. B. Du Bois Institute at Harvard University. Most recently she has presented a workshop titled “#ReHumanizingHaiti or The Role of Technology and Social Media in Language Activism/Advocacy for Historically Undervalued Languages” at the Annual WikiConference in San Diego, California.

Nerlande Pierre-Louis
Jaden Timoun Private Instructor

Nerlande is a first generation Haitian-American living in Queens, NY. Nerlande was first introduced to Haitian Creole from birth and is now trilingual in English, Kreyòl, and French. She is an 8th grade English teacher with the NYC Department of Education. Nerlande currently holds a B.S in Adolescent Education and an M.S in Literacy, both from St. John’s University. She also holds New York State Certifications in both Secondary English and Literacy. After living in Haiti for many years, Nerlande continues to play a role within the Haitian community of New York City as a board member of NYC School District 29 ‘s Multi Language Advisory.