The opportunity to serve & grow is right in front of you!
Each year over spring break we travel to the Dominican Republic for a week of working with and for others. We learn a lot. We work a lot. We laugh a lot. This is an amazing opportunity, and it is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for all who attend. Join us as we do construction work, teach English to kids in a classroom setting, and head out to small villages to help with a medical team. This is a unique trip each year and not only do we grow together as a community, but we also change lives of those we encounter, finding ourselves changed in the process.
La Romana
The city where we’ll be staying and working is called La Romana, located on the southern coast of the island. La Romana is primarily a sugar mill town, where neighborhoods called bateyes house seasonal sugar cane harvesters from nearby Haiti. Because these neighborhoods house mostly immigrants and not native Dominicans, they have historically been ignored by the Dominican government when it comes to providing basic services, education for children, healthcare, and other resources.
We will stay at a mission compound called Casa Pastoral, which is a housing facility that hosts groups like us while they’re doing mission work in the surrounding areas. They’ll provide our meals, rooms (boys and girls stay in separate rooms), and showers. The compound is operated by Hospital el Buen Samaritano, which is located in La Romana.
Construction work
In the past, we’ve traveled to a local barrio (small community) and worked on additions and improvements to a church and a school, to which we’ve recently helped add an additional multipurpose room for community events. Students could be doing anything from painting to moving rocks to shoveling sand, so come prepared to work!
Batey medical project
On different days of the trip, students can opt to travel to the batey communities to assist in several medical projects, including a nutrition counseling program, which help families better understand how to help their children avoid malnutrition, a hypertension station, where students will help medical professionals from our DR partner organization advise patients on how to reduce high blood pressure, and a growth monitoring program to help parents keep their children at a healthy weight for their current stage of development.
Classrooms
The school we’ve helped construct in the past is now fully operational, so when we go work on the construction site, a few students split off and assist teachers in the classrooms. It’s always a really fun time helping teach kids through games and music. You don’t have to know Spanish (or English!) to dance!
Dominican Republic Medical Partnership
Village Youth first sent a group to the Dominican Republic around 1992. From the relationship developed over the ensuing years, Village Church created a separate program to continue their medical mission efforts year-round. The Dominican Republic Medical Partnership (DRMP) of Village Church has provided 25 years of healthcare and health education to children and adults living in the impoverished bateys in the Dominican Republic. They promote sustainable healthcare efforts with Dominican partner organizations such as Fundacion Enciende Una Luz (Light A Candle Foundation). Efforts include children’s growth monitoring and nutrition, ongoing hypertension and diabetes management, medical care, family planning and life-changing surgeries in partnership with Hospital El Buen Samaritano (Good Samaritan Hospital).
March 8-16, 2024
Grades 9-12
Trip details
Costs and deadlines
$1,200 total cost
$300 deposit due with registration
$450 due Dec 1, 2023*
$450 final payment due Feb 1, 2024
This amount includes airfare, lodging, food, and transportation while in the DR. The only other money you’ll need to have is some spending money for souvenirs and money for food in the airports on the way to and from the DR. As with all of our service trips, scholarships are available. We don’t want cost to inhibit you if you’d like to serve with us!
*Last date to cancel and receive full refund (may be refunded after December 1 if another student takes vacated spot on trip).
What if I need to cancel?
We know things come up and sometimes we have to adjust our plans. As long as you cancel by December 1, 2023, you will receive a reimbursement of the full amount. After December 1, we can only offer reimbursements if another student is able to fill your student’s vacated spot on the trip. Thank you for understanding!
Do I need a passport?
Yes! If you don’t already have one at the time of registration, apply for one as soon as possible so it will arrive in time (sometimes passports can take a while to arrive!). If you do have one, ensure that it expires no later than six months from our last day of travel. If not, you’ll need to apply for another one right away. Sometimes airport customs won’t let you fly if your passport expires within six months of your travel dates. After you get your passport, we will need a clear, legible, well-lit color photocopy or photo of the first page (the page with your name and photo on it).
Volunteer as a chaperone
We could never make this trip happen each year without awesome adult chaperones!
