Dominican Republic Summer High School Programs with Rustic Pathways

Name: Dominican Republic Summer High School Programs with Rustic Pathways
Brand: Rustic Pathways
SKU: 31107
Rating: 4.85 (68 reviews)

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4.85 Rating

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Location

Dominican Republic

Length

1 - 4 weeks

Program Categories

Adventure Travel Service Learning Volunteer Abroad

Health & Safety

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Program Details

Program Type

Provider

Timeframe

Summer

Housing

Hotel Lodge

Language

English

Age Min.

Age Max

Pricing

Starting Price

What's Included

Accommodation Activities Meals Transportation

What's Not Included

Airfare

Last Updated: Nov 06, 2024

Last Reviewed: Jul 13, 2024

Wish List

75 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Since Rustic Pathways started its first Dominican Republic programs in 2012, our goal has been to emphasize the people over the places. While our staff and students adore the pristine beaches and idyllic settings, our programs go much deeper than the average tourist’s trip.

Each program in the Dominican Republic dives deep into service opportunities, whether through community development, environmental stewardship, or public health, and allows our students to connect with members of the communities where they serve.

While you’ll be sure to enjoy the picturesque beaches and tranquil mountains, you’ll also understand what life is really like for Dominican people. Next to resorts lie marginalized, impoverished communities called bateyes. Dominicans face many challenges and they have big hearts, warm personalities, and enjoy sharing their fun-loving culture.

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Explore mangroves, reef formations, and marine wildlife at Los Haitises National Park and Samaná peninsula. Get your hands dirty as you work on ecological restoration projects and learn from experts and communities about the efforts to maintain the extensive biodiversity of the region. Venture to hidden caverns to see ancient Taino cave paintings, and soak up the sun on some of the island’s most beautiful beaches.

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Work alongside health care professionals on high-impact public health projects across the Dominican Republic. Explore the diverse regions of this beautiful Caribbean island while immersing yourself in local culture and practicing your Spanish in a healthcare setting. Identify the health needs of rural, urban, wealthy, and impoverished communities and help develop meaningful public service initiatives.

Program Reviews

4.85 Rating

based on 68 reviews

Leave a Review

Rating Spread Volunteer High School

5 rating 85.29%
4 rating 14.71%
3 rating 0%
2 rating 0%
1 rating 0%

Impact 4.8
Support 4.95
Fun 4.65
Value 4.65
Safety 4.9

Growth 4.8
Support 4.8
Fun 4.9
Housing 4.7
Safety 4.9

Good for Students, Adventure travelers, Under 18

Showing 65 - 68 of 68 reviews

Truly amazing experience, wouldn't replace it for anything. It made me more aware of how I want community service to be a bigger part of my life. The people are so kind there, and it made me realize how fortunate I am. The rustic pathways staff was very friendly and welcoming; I always felt safe and knew I could talk to them about anything.

Going to the Dominican Republic last summer truly, as cliché as it sounds, changed my life. Before I was so self conscious of what I did not have (for various reasons), but now I feel ashamed that I used to feel that way. Not until I stepped inside of Batey Margarita, did I know how many people in our world are suffering. I am lucky enough to be blessed with an abundant amount of resources that I overlooked and abused and I wish I would have realized earlier that I could do something more productive with all of the opportunities and people around me. In the Bateyes I visited, the struggle for survival is real. Starvation, malnutrition, and diseases are daily realities for these people. My experience truly changed my life, and my way of thinking.
I cannot describe a typical day because each day was so unique and astounding. My time in the Dominican Republic was extraordinary, but I do have one story about a young boy who I will never forget. My third day in the Dominican Republic, our group went to a small community center in Batey Cachena, where I met this young boy, named Ricardo (spelling is probably wrong).
What caught my attention was that he sat alone in a small corner of the small building while all of the other children were playing, dancing, and coloring. So I walked up to him with my stickers, crayons, and coloring books in hand. I introduced myself and as soon as I did, he just smiled, gapped tooth and all. I lifted up the sticker sheet and asked him if he wanted a sticker. He stared at me with a confused look, so I pulled one off and stuck it to his forehead. Immediately he began giggling and showing it off to all the other boys. Later in the afternoon, I found out that he did not know how to count. So we sat down together for the rest of the day, and I stuck stickers all over his arms, face, hands, and legs, making him count almost to twenty, which was a vast improvement. Initially he could not count to four!

Many of my peers think that community service is just something school officials force us to do as a graduation requirement. However, for me, community service is a way of giving back and I do it because I want to. I knew that my time in the Dominican Republic would not always be easy, because it was very demanding. The physical labor was draining, and the mental fatigue I experienced when I saw how poor Batey inhabitants’ living-conditions was crushing! However, the most demanding challenge was to develop the ability to connect with people who were completely foreign to me, but I conquered that and now have strong relationships with many of the locals that I met.

My experience in the Dominican Republic has led me to believe that community service is essential to a more empathic individual. Community service is not a choice: community service is a moral necessity! My short adventure has made me want to do more for those communities that I visited. I know I can make a difference in the Bateyes, and I yearn for an opportunity to do so.

Because of my time in the Dominican Republic, I was given a chance to explore myself as an individual, but without my support system, I would have never been given the opportunity to participate in this program. I want the people living in Bateyes to feel the same way as I do, to feel like they have a support system, and realize that there are people out there to help them. Like how I know there are people out there to help me.

I recommend this program to every single person I meet!!

What would you improve about this program?

I think our group was too big, which allowed people to get too comfortable with our group, and not interact with the locals as much.

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I couldn't have asked for a better trip. Being able to interact with the community members and working with them to improve the conditions there was by far my favorite part. I love the staff, the program, and the people of the Dominican Republic.

I really enjoyed being in the village of La Jagua because it was a life I hadn't experienced before. I really wanted to help build the aqueduct and I did, but I would've liked to work on it a little more. I did love the dance classes but I was expecting to be able to do a little more work when I signed up for the trip. I loved the expeditions to Rancho Baiguate and also white water rafting. The staff was awesome! The living arrangements were ideal and I loved having a local cooking all of our meals because it was truly part of the cultural experience. Overall, it was a great experience.

What would you improve about this program?

I would've liked to see a little bit more of Santo Domingo but maybe we didn't because of the weather. That's about it!

Questions & Answers

Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Why did you choose this program?

After thinking about what kind of service I wanted to provide, and where I wanted to go, how long I wanted to stay, I finally decided to choose Island Living. This trip was only 9 days and left me wanting more. This was 12 hours of service with plenty of beach days, so you can soak up the tropical sun on your off days. You will learn a lot about the island as well as providing eco-service, you'll probably end up leaving the Dominican Republic in hopes that you actually start a sustainable garden in your backyard just like my whole group did.

Although it was short and sweet, if you've never done a trip like this, then it's perfect for you to try out. Chances are, you'll end up loving it, and you will want to make even more of an impact. When you go on a service trip, you really feel as though you're making a difference in the community and crave more, this is what the world needs: more volunteers. Volunteering doesn't just benefit the community, but it also develops your skills and builds your experience.

What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

Don't be afraid to try new things on your trip, every day, you will be presented with new opportunities and I highly suggest you take them. When will you be able to do some of these things back in your hometown? Consider that before you turn something down, otherwise, you might regret it later.

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What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

This program allowed me to learn more about the more rural communities in the Dominican, while also appealing to my environmentalist side by providing eco-service.

Each day is different from the last, however, it is very fast paced because you have so much to do in such little time. The black water treatment project taught me a lot about the problems the community goes through day-to-day, and they are not the same problems that we have as privileged world travelers.

The work may seem difficult and tiresome, but it is worth every drop of sweat and all of your energy. This work humbles you, and once you finish the treatment system, you have the benefit of looking forward to beautiful beach days, waterfall hikes, and enjoying the eco-lodge resorts with your group.

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

I was so nervous to go alone, granted I had traveled alone before, I was nervous to spend a week and a half with total strangers. Thinking it wasn't enough time to get to know someone well enough, and too much time to not associate with them, but my perspective changed quickly when I was welcomed with open arms.

You may be hesitant at first, especially if you go alone (without a friend), but it just makes your group that much more special. You aren't exposed to any other support system other than the people around you, and they become your family in such a short amount of time. I still talk to most of my group, about 16 people were on my trip and that's the maximum. It may seem small, but in reality, it just makes getting to know each other easier.

We all worked really well together and our group leaders were fantastic. They all have stories of their own, and my group leaders were some of the most outgoing and adventurous people I've met, definitely take the time to get to know them too, they'll teach you a lot.

Is there anything you wish you would have done differently?

If I could've done anything differently, then it would probably be to go into the trip with a different mindset, willing to try everything right away because some of these opportunities are only presented once and I didn't get another chance to make up for what I missed out on. Just go into the trip willing to try new things, jump out of your comfort zone.

Leigh Young-lawler

2015 Alum

Claire Pei

2014 Alum

Gigi Woodall

2014 Alum

Tara Belinsky

2014 Alum

Amanda Nocera

Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

Harry Emmanuel Alvarez

Program

Dominican Republic Summer High School Programs with Rustic Pathways

Job Title

Country Director - Dominican Republic and Cuba

Born in New York and raised in the Dominican Republic, Harry graduated from SUNY New Paltz with degrees in psychology and Spanish. Having managed programs in Costa Rica and Panama, Harry now manages Rustic Pathways operations in the Dominican Republic and Cuba. In addition to his passion for indigenous cultures and Latin dance, Harry enjoys cooking at his home in New Orleans.

man in Cuba next to a house

What position do you hold at Rustic Pathways? What has been your career path so far?

I am the Country Director for the Dominican Republic and Cuba. I started working for Rustic Pathways as a summer program leader in 2008 in Costa Rica shortly after graduating from college. I worked seasonally for a few years before deciding to join our full time team as a Program Manager in Costa Rica and Panama in 2010, where I managed our programs working with indigenous groups. In 2012, after many years of trying to convince anyone that would listen that opening a program in the Dominican Republic was a good idea, I finally got the chance to prove it.

What does the future hold for Rustic Pathways - any exciting new programs to share?

I am extremely excited about our new programming in Cuba. Building cultural bridges has always been a big part of the draw of Rustic Pathways for me. With this new opportunity I feel like I can have a small part in history by helping build a bridge of understanding and collaboration between Cuban and American youth. On top of that I have irrevocably fallen in love with Cuba's landscape, people, rhythm, and energy. The historical connections between Havana, Santo Domingo, and New Orleans only adds to my inspiration for learning more about Cuba.

What was your favorite traveling experience?

My wife and I started dating shortly after I started working full time for Rustic Pathways. She herself is also a traveler, and also works for Rustic Pathways. At the time we would spend 4-6 months apart due to our duties in different parts of the world, but would re-unite at the end of our summer season to go on a trip together. In 2011 we went from San Jose, Costa Rica to Mexico City on bus. We climbed volcanoes, ate lots of good food, swam in many beaches, but by far our favorite moment was watching the sunrise from the top of one of the main temples at Tikal in Guatemala. Looking out at the vast city that once was made me feel so naive in my belief that we are now so much more advanced.

What unique qualities does your company possess?

I've seen Rustic Pathways grow and mature over my seven year tenure. Two of the best qualities are the family-esque culture and the program-centric model that we have committed to. I have had the pleasure to participate in leadership meetings, and it is incredible to see that every conversation always comes back to the students and the experience. Every decision we make comes back to whether it is a decision that positively impacts our students and the communities we partner with. I also love the fact that many of my co-workers are also very important people in my life. My co-worker from Costa Rica officiated my wedding, and some of my best friends either work or have worked for Rustic Pathways.

What is the best story you've heard from a return student?

A big part of our Dominican Republic programming is our work with sugar cane workers, mostly of Haitian descent, in the bateyes of the Dominican Republic. A big part of the issue there is the lack of documentation on the part of people have been living in a state of limbo for generations now. One of our students was so moved by her work in the bateyes, and the issues there that she did not want it to end with her program. She went home and began a fundraising and awareness campaign that would allow us to acquire birth certificates for over eighty Haitian-Dominican youth in the bateyes.

Location

Location:

Dominican Republic

Currency:

Dominican Peso

Weather:

Jan-Mar

86 F / 48 F

Apr-Jun

90 F / 55 F

Jul-Sep

91 F / 55 F

Oct-Dec

90 F / 52 F

Airports:

Punta Cana International

( PUJ )

Las Américas International

( SDQ )

Cibao International

( STI )

The Dominican Republic shares the island Hispaniola with Haiti (the DR is to the right, Haiti to the left), and is a hot spot for beaching, staying at resorts, and living a Caribbean lifestyle. Close to Miami, with a diverse population and Creole cuisine, this island is a popular tourist destination filled with all sorts of adventures.

About Rustic Pathways

Travel and volunteer abroad with Rustic Pathways. Choose from culturally-immersive adventure and volunteer programs in 20+ countries. Make lifelong friends from around the world, work on sustainable community service projects, and discover new passions during a Rustic Pathways program. Whatever you're looking for this summer, Rustic Pathways has...