Learn how Joanne uses travel, language, cultural immersion & place-based learning to help her kids feel at home anywhere. Joanne Paul shares her journey growing up between Haiti and the United States, raising multilingual and multicultural children, and creating a life centered around travel, community, and place-based learning. Joanne discusses how her family’s humanitarian work in Haiti shaped her worldview, why she chose Curaçao as a second home for her family, and how worldschooling can help children develop a deeper sense of belonging through language, cultural immersion, and real-world experiences. She also shares the inspiration behind founding Ileo, a place-based learning ecosystem in Curaçao designed for homeschooling and worldschooling families seeking meaningful connections with local communities and cultures.
393: From Haiti to Curaçao: Joanne Paul on Worldschooling and Raising Multicultural Kids
Episode Summary
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About the Guest
Joanne Lee Paul
Joanne Lee Paul is the Founder and CEO of ÎleO, a place-based learning ecosystem for worldschooling and homeschooling families, rooted in Curaçao and built on local partnerships. Born to Haitian parents and raised between the U.S. and Haiti, Joanne brings a uniquely Caribbean perspective to the worldschooling space, she is one of the only worldschool hub founders native to the region she serves.
What You'll Learn
- How Joanne is raising multilingual, multicultural children through travel, language immersion, and meaningful connections across cultures.
- How place-based learning and worldschooling can help families move beyond traditional education by learning directly from local communities and real-world experiences.
- How growing up between Haiti and the United States shaped Joanne’s understanding of community, belonging, global inequality, and the importance of giving back.
Links From the Episode
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JOIN A PLACE-BASED LEARNING COHORT IN CURACAO WITH ÎleO
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CONTACT AND FOLLOW JOANNE
#1 BOOK THAT JOANNE RECOMMENDS
#1 PERSON WITH WHOM JOANNE WANTS TO HAVE DINNER
TOP 3 FAVORITE TRAVEL DESTINATIONS
- Montreal (Canada)
- Curacao
- Cap-Haitien
TOP 5 BUCKETLIST DESTINATIONS
LOCATIONS WHERE THE INTERVIEW TOOK PLACE
- Joanne: Cary, Illinois
- Matt: Asheville, North Carolina
WINE CONSUMED DURING THE INTERVIEW
TOP 5 AFROBEAT ARTISTS
TOP 5 HIP-HOP ARTISTS
- Kendrick Lamar
- Lauryn Hill
- Muzion
- Nas
- Wyclef Jean and The Fugees
PLACES IN HAITI MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
LANGUAGES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
HAITIAN ARTISTS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
OTHER PEOPLE MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
OTHER PLACES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
Time Stamped Show Notes
**Click the time stamp to jump directly to that point in the episode.
[0:46] Introducing Joanne Paul
[2:31] Joanne’s Family’s Community Work in Haiti
[8:02] Growing up Between Haiti and the U.S.
[9:27] What Haiti Taught her that the U.S. Did Not
[10:28] Haitian Music Recommendations
[12:17] Observations of Foreigners Living in Haiti
[15:33] Responsibilities when Entering Another Country with Privilege
[16:21] How Growing up in Haiti Shaped Her Worldview
[20:46] Reflections on Speaking Multiple Languages
[23:00] Raising Kids with Mixed Cultural Backgrounds
[28:31] Wanting to Raise Her Kids in Haiti
[30:28] Deciding to Prioritize Worldschooling
[33:00] Falling in Love with Curacao
[40:00] Founding ÎleO as a Worlschooling project in Curacao
[46:13] What ÎleO Offers for Families
[50:10] The First ÎleO Trial Cohort
[52:00] How to Learn More About Joining the Next ÎleO Cohort
[53:43] How Joanne Recognizes Her Parents Legacy in Herself
[54:20] How Traveling Across Different Cultures Affects Her Kids
[56:12] The Lightning Round
[1:06:36] Follow and Connect with Joanne
