The New Victorian School (TNVS) is a non-profit private institution located in Turgeau, Port-au-Prince, Haiti. TNVS has been in existence since 1991. First as The Victorian School (TVS) 1991/1999), and in January 2000, after complete destruction by fire, became The NEW Victorian School that consists of four sections:

• Academic Section
• Early Bird English for Children
• Music Section
• Vocational Section for Youth and Adults

On Tuesday, January 12, 2010, The New Victorian School was completely destroyed by the 7.0 earthquake which hit Port-au-Prince, Haiti. At the time of the earthquake, approximately 4:55 pm, there were no students or staff in the facility. Only six people were in the school building. Four of the six survived; two lost their lives.

Romel Joseph, Executive Director, had just gone up to the third floor to deliver a phone message to his friend. While he was standing on the third floor balcony, the building began to tremble. Within seconds, it collapsed. Mr. Joseph was trapped under the rubble of the school for 18 hours. His legs and feet were pinned under the concrete support beams of the fourth and fifth floors. On Wednesday morning at approximately 11 am, he was freed from his “concrete tomb.” Friday, Mr. Joseph was airlifted by the American Embassy to Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, Florida. He is currently being treated for fractures and other injuries to his left hand and both legs.

On January 12, 2000, exactly ten years prior to the earthquake, The Victorian School was consumed by a fire. Six weeks after the fire, classes resumed. With much hard work by all, students were able to complete the school year on schedule by attending late afternoon and Saturday classes. Construction of the buildings was slow, costly and took several years; however, The New Victorian School was a much more modern facility than its predecessor.

Once Mr. Joseph is fully recovered, he will return to his country and begin the reconstruction process. He is totally committed to re-establishing The New Victorian School in order to continue serving the children of Haiti. Tentatively, his goal is to reopen by April 12, 2010, in order to complete the current academic year.