ISV - Volunteer Projects in the Dominican Republic

ISV is an amazing program that affects the communities it serves as much as the volunteers who are doing the work. Every aspect of signing up and working with ISV is professional, efficient, well thought out, and fun. ISV has selected excellent leaders and guides to work with their volunteers - every project manager, contractor, activity instructor, host family member, you name it, was knowledgeable, welcoming, and comfortable to be around. I had the honor of working in the El Castillo community which was as wonderful as I could have ever hoped for.

One moment that I think exemplifies the total work that ISV workers completed is the work we did on Marun's house. Marun is an older man who lives in El Castillo. For the past 18 years he has been living in a stick and plastic tarp house barely the size of a college dorm room, and at one point lived with 9 other people. In addition to construction work we did on 2 other houses and the school, we were able to build Marun an entirely new house with a sturdy foundation, secure walls and roof, and a cement floor. So many members of the community came to join in on the labor and when the home was complete, it was so evident how grateful Marun and all of his neighbors were. On days when we weren't doing construction work, we were running a summer camp for the kids who live in the community. I cannot express the love that is shared between the volunteers and local students. The end of the project was full of tearful goodbyes, long hugs, and the knowledge that both the volunteers and the children made huge impacts on each other.

So what are you waiting for? Be a part of helping amazing communities like El Castillo develop through community construction and education. Push yourself out of your comfort zone by signing up for the Spanish Immersion week at the start of the trip (I would HIGHLY recommend this week. You become connected to the country, the culture, and your fellow volunteers so much faster this way). Conquer your fears and see even more of the Dominican Republic by sticking around for the Adventure Tour. If you have any hesitation about signing up with ISV, don't - you are not going to find an organization as valuable, supportive, fun, safe, or welcoming as International Student Volunteers. ISV changed my life and I know it can change yours too.

Going in to this trip, I was scared- worried about anything and everything. To be honest, ISV seemed very disorganized as I first signed up. I realized how wrong that thought was when I received multiple pdfs, hundreds of pages long, all with thorough details of the whole trip, the country, what to expect, how to prepare, and what to pack. I was still unsure of what I was really getting in to. Looking back now, I laugh at myself having worried that I wouldn't have fun. The cultural immersion week was awkward at first- living in a Dominican woman's house, with two girls who seemed to hate me. As the week progressed, I became comfotrable with my host mother, closer with the other participants, and I am blown away at the unbelievable amount of spanish that I learned. Especially considering the price, I would definitely recommend this extra week.

The following volunteer weeks was a very fulfilling experience. The manual labor (putting a cement floor in for a family of 8) was measurable by results (and muscle fatigue), and our accomplishments were obvious, so the fulfillment was obvious. The summer camp that we ran for the children, however, was not easily measurable. But the impact we made on these children was clear. I began this trip hating children, and left loving them. Teaching the children what they don't learn in school is obviously great and helpful, but what made me happier was the social development. For example: there was a hatian boy named Patricio at the camp. He was bullied by most, if not all, of the Dominican students; but by the time we left, he was their star.

I debated wether or not I would sign up for the adventure tour. I'm glad I did, and I enjoyed myself greatly, but the first three weeks are what mattered most to me. Many of the activities we did I had done before, but doing them with this group that I had become close to over the last few weeks is what made it worthwhile. Honestly, I enjoyed going out at night more than the activities, but I couldn't have done that if I went home, so all in all, I would recommend the adventure tour if you have the money.

International Student Volunteers is an amazing organization with incredible organization and talent. It was truly the greatest experience of my life, and I look forward to going again.

There are no words to describe how incredibly amazing this trip was. I have never felt a stronger sense of community than I did in my time in DR. I will cherish each memory I made with my project leaders, fellow volunteers, adventure tour leader and the dominican people for the rest of my life. I signed up for this program to impact the Dominican, but didn't realize how much it would also impact me.

Traveling with ISV was one of the best things I've ever done and I will forever cherish the memories I made throughout my trip and the things that I learned. This summer, I spent 5 weeks in the Dominican Republic (1 week Spanish Immersion program, 2 weeks volunteer project, and 2 weeks adventure tour). Every single portion of this trip was meaningful - the Spanish immersion week allows you to live with a family through a home stay to truly experience the Dominican culture, as well as developing your Spanish speaking skills. The program can definitely accommodate any level of Spanish speaking - I had no experience with Spanish before, but I left with a basic level of knowledge. The volunteer project was incredible! You get to make connections with the members of a small community, as well as truly make a difference for them and leave a positive, lasting impact. On my project, we led a summer camp with the children in the school and taught English, health and physical education, music, dance, and of course had lots and lots of fun! We also did a lot with community development - we laid a new concrete floor in the school, renovated some portions of 2 houses, and even built an entire house from the ground up. The adventure tour was full of conquering fears and stepping out of your comfort zone, and also allowed us to see a lot of different parts of the country. I would recommend this trip to anyone who is looking to see a different part of the world, experience a new culture, and truly help a community and the people living in it. If you go with an open mind, you will definitely leave with a whole new perspective on the world and appreciation for life!

My experience with ISV in the Dominican Republic was one like I've never had. This trip was my first time out of the country and ISV made me feel very comfortable and safe. My two weeks as a volunteer at the summer camp was life changing. I was challenged in ways I never thought possible and it is such an amazing feeling looking back on what our group accomplished. I was completely immersed into the Dominican culture and fell in love with the country.

Last summer I spent 5 weeks in the Dominican Republic with ISV and it was by far the best 5 weeks of my life! I wish I could find the words to express the ways in which this trip has changed me but I guess that’s up to you to experience for yourself. I tell everyone that I think this trip was the best way to travel the island in 5 weeks. You get to experience almost every side of life. The first week you stay with a wonderful host family which allows you to get a glimpse into the everyday life of what I would consider your average middle-class family in the Dominican Republic. Then the next two weeks doing volunteer work you get a glimpse of the more poverty stricken areas and the places and ways these people live which makes you truly appreciate the things we take for granted on a day-to-day basis. Some of the volunteer work we did included interacting with the children in the community, creating cement floors in houses that previously had dirt floors, building several latrines and a community center. The volunteer work itself was so rewarding! The work was definitely physical; I was sore after the first day of shoveling but I also found my passion for cement mixing. Then during the adventure tour you push yourself past your comfort zone during various activities surrounded by beautiful scenery. You also travel basically around the entire island moving from hotel to hotel every 2-3 days. I was expecting to stay in cheap motels, but we stayed in BEAUTIFUL hotels that far exceeded my expectations. From the hotels you take day trips to other areas with beautiful scenery. Some of the activities we did during these two weeks included white-water rafting, surfing, cliff jumping, snorkeling, wind-surfing and swimming in beautiful clear water. Through this trip I have made friends that will last a life time and I am so grateful to have gone on this wonderful trip with ISV.

From riding on sketchy horses to trying to speak a limited amount of Spanish I would say my time here in the Dominican Republic was well spent! The immersion week was one of the many experiences in which I won't forget. The host family didn't know much English so it was a definite struggle in trying to understand each other, but we somehow were still able to communicate with each other! Getting to know the locals during our immersion week and our project site was quite interesting. Especially the boys in the Dominican Republic versus the American boys, the Dominicans were quite the tigueres (very flirty). Teaching the children and building a wall to block off a cliff on their school property is one memory in which I'll never forget. I'll never forget their kindness and willingness to put up with us Americans and our limited amount of Spanish speaking. This particular experince was very much rewarding to each volunteer. And the adventure week was well an adventure! Haha back to the sketchy horse riding, that was also quite an experience and learning to trust the horses and the locals. But my favorite adventure activity by far was kayaking through a tiny bat cave and a mangrove forest. The scenery in which I experienced while kayaking through a mangrove forest was definitely beautiful, and one I'll never forget.

I spend five weeks in the Dominican Republic, and I want to go back! The country itself is it beautiful and unique. We were welcome with open arms. The Dominicans are very proud of their roots. They love to show it in their family values, food, music, and history. The first week was the Spanish week. We were placed with host families and learned the history and culture of Dominican Republic. The next two weeks, we were off to El Castillo, near Constanza. We spend time with the local children with their English skills and help to rebuild two houses. We also constructed the "jam place" where the local women will make jam and sell it. Those two weeks was the highlight for me. It was worth it to see all the hard work we put in to give a community and the connection we had with the community. The adventure tour which involved a lot of water activities, yet it was fun. We travel around the country, experience new things, see breath taken sites. However, the best part was that you meet amazing people. Our ISV project and tour guide leaders are great. In a short period of time, everyone is family. I would love to go back again and see everyone again.