News
The project "Dominican experience" was born some ten years ago from high school students that wanted to be more aware and involvement in thrid-world, as citizens of the world, the reality of poor countries. Since that time and through these courses, the project was consolidated to give broad objectives leading to concrete achievements on both the Canadian - US and Dominican. Note that the project is open to all secondary schools wishing to experience the Dominican. Here are the highlights:
Before departure, prepare the student participant, where for six months, he will work to a common site preparation and awareness of the Dominican experience.
One-week placement in a foster home in the Dominican Republic where the youth is called upon to educate and learn about the five main themes of the project slums, work in the fields of cane sugar, Education in the Third World, the fair and free trade zone.
In return, participants are encouraged to develop a concrete plan to help a community around the city of San Pedro de Macoris, accommodation in the Dominican Republic. Their deliberations result will be a specific response plan to help local education and sustainable development action plan that will be supported by a group of students from various Vocational Schools, involved in the project.
Detailed Project Description
The original concept of the project's goal was to allow basic high school adolescents, who felt challenged by the reality of poor countries, an experience in the field, where for a week he would share the living conditions of families Home deprived. This meant, for the young, immersion in a foreign language: Spanish, discovery and awareness of realities and values of another world, a disadvantage compared to their own and, consequently, develop in the student a spirit of cooperation and mutual support as a responsible global citizen.
The consequences of such a pan teaching project had an immediate rise. Impressed and moved, the youth returned to the Dominican experience with the desire to share it with their classmates. This intention is born a whole educational component hinged on major routes.
1.Make promoting the project to enable other young people to experience the Dominican.
2.Consigner and articulate clearly the preparation for the success and continuation of the project.
3.Mount educational activities under the ongoing pastoral care and religious education which are in line with the objectives of the course.
4.Offrir of second language, particularly Spanish.
5.Creat a website that consigns the lived experience of young people on the ground who would be promoted to other schools interested in participating in the project and finally to maintain links between the Dominican community involved in the and the young people here.
6.Concevoir an evaluation system that would indicate, first performances both educationally and culturally from this experience, and secondly, who would lead the young to develop an intervention project to own continuation of the Dominican experience and Sustainable Development.
7.Finally, meet new needs that the Dominican experience it encourages participants to exchange information and mutual assistance in school, academic support, individual coaching, and facilitation of clubs and workshops.
The application of the "Dominican experience" and "academic sponsor" button now, virtually all students of the school, both those who live the experience in the field than others. This project has grown into a common site where everyone contributes his personal resource. And this rallying point is the website that records the Dominican experience in every detail. This site was designed entirely by students, which represents hundreds of hours of work to date. The site allows you to educate, learn, get involved, share their experiences and give others a taste of living the Dominican experience. In this way, the site has a circulation of the draft and the interest of other partners in schools to partner with us, not only schools but also students of college and university level.
Until now, over 3000 students have experienced the Dominican. To facilitate its distribution and make it a teaching tool, we designed a video (DVD) the experience of young people on the field and illustrates the major themes of our project. In this video, we highlight the reality of young Dominicans on their education system, the work of these young people in the fields of sugar cane, the misery of the slums and a briefing on the situation of fair trade coffee.
Over the years we have expanded our mandate. Several strands were grafted with university sponsorship.
The formula is as follows: students involved in the project for a year commitment to pay an amount of money to support a young Dominican in his university studies. The money paid as provides the essential needs of the student and her tuition. The project sponsor university "is based on the principle" pay it forward "so that when the Dominican student has completed his studies, he in turn agrees to pay for tuition for a of his compatriots, thus ensuring the sustainability of the project. In this way, it serves to establish long term relationships with young Canadians - US and Dominicans. The links established from the "Forum" section of our website and educational outcomes for sponsored students are posted on our website in July. So far, 58 Dominicans have benefited from this assistance and the results are really encouraging.
Regarding the implementation of the Dominican experience in the classroom, several activities have already been established and others are in preparation. To date, four major comprehensive research have been developed by students: the history of the Dominican Republic, both socially, culturally and economically, the free zone, its reality and consequences on workers' rights ; the human rights and particularly the work of young Haitian exploitation in the fields of sugar cane and finally a portrait of the education system and its implication for the Dominican youth in a future perspective. All these searches are accompanied by educational materials (maps, pictures, posters, video) and are presented in forums where youth are invited to comment, respond and record their thoughts. Moreover, this research has been designed from the perspective of a promotional material for any school that would be interested in our project and would like to know more.
The Dominican experience that we live for over ten years, has inspired an immeasurable source of pedagogical approaches and awareness of the reality of the Third World. All these young Dominican who experience not only the desire to share it but also get involved directly in the field with the aim of sustainable development. Thus was born the "water and power project (which can be viewed on our website). The project addressed a crying need for a small community of Haitians near Consuelo, who live in conditions of extreme precariousness. These people were without water because it lacked the electricity needed to power the water pump. To meet this need, students from the College Jean-Eudes did last May, a fundraiser and raised $ 6.200, a sum which helped turn the water pump and provide the local population not only the water but also electricity. Students are proud to demonstrate at the forums, the implication of such a project and its impact on the environment. Indeed, before their intervention, the population had to acquire, subject to two pesos, bags of drinking water and the bags empty carpeted literally the village streets. However, during our last trip, we went to see firsthand the new power supply and we were suddenly struck by the cleanliness of the premises, there was no vacuum bag which was polluting the environment! Note that this project is part of the mandatory assessment at the end of the Dominican experience. The evaluation includes a component, where the young who comes to experience, should propose a feasible project and meets a need of the local community. Thus was born the "water-electricity" which was voted by all students and then submitted to a detailed implementation plan. Students have completed their mandate while respecting deadlines. And it is encouraging in view of the results of this project that other projects are currently being prepared and waiting for the funds needed to start.
We would like to draw your attention
to one final appearance on the assessment of "the Dominican experience, evaluation is led by professors of different disciplines involved in the project. During their stay, students are encouraged to record their impressions and discoveries every day. These notes are part of the final evaluation, so that when they return, we make an assessment and we transcribe them on our website. This exercise allows us to highlight the skills and values that such a project grows in young participants. Here are the highlights: a) interest in learning a second language, b) education based on practical experience, c) taste for research and analysis, d) adaptability and teamwork e) social awareness and desire to get involved and want to change things, including in their own environment, f) finally, the fact that this project brings new meaning to their lives and allows them to believe in a better world.
The size of the target audience and its composition: to date, over 800 high school students participated in "the Dominican experience" and they perpetuate their experience on our website. So far, quizzes schools took up the project, some of which have made the trip several times. In Ontario, it's high school Hearst The Rise-EJ-Lajeunesse, The Rise Champlain-Garnier, Wibby, Relay, The Citadel and Catholic schools in Quebec and Champlain, the college Jean-Eudes and a group of eight students from different colleges together under the name "jeunesséquidad. Currently we have 13 other schools that have expressed their intention to participate in the "Dominican experience" and waiting for the green light to start. Hopefully, these expectations should be met by the end of 2007.
The viability of the project based on:
1.The fact that the project has already taken root and is clearly circumscribed in the context of development activities and global resources adapted to the school
2.The great interest that the project inspires school directions
3.partridges needs it addresses youth both in terms of international cooperation, intercultural relations that sustainable development
4.The fact that the project is versatile and it is already affecting several areas of learning
Moreover, we draw your attention to certain aspects of our project and who enroll in sustainable development including university sponsorship, the study on cocoa (fair trade coffee) and its involvement in rural Dominican and execution of projects field at the end of the evaluation of the experiment, whose "Water-Electricity is a part.
How the project addresses issues of international development and highlights Canadians or Canadian organizations, we believe that purpose that our website eloquently illustrated. Furthermore, we are currently studying the possibility of extending "the Dominican experience" to other countries like Peru, Bolivia and possibly Haiti.
Summary of research and development to date.
Regarding our goals, to date, we believe we have achieved the most difficult, namely the implementation of the project and its relevance in terms of international development and education. To this end, we believe the results speak for themselves, enthusiasm and devotion with which young people are involved in this project clearly show that it meets the needs at home and out of the rigid framework of the lecture . The project is located in Ontario and still harbors many initiatives, but in terms of secondary schools in Quebec, where we implemented the project three years ago, interest in this project exceeds all expectations. Spontaneously several schools have already expressed a desire to join us. But our most valued partner is certainly the group of "Roundabout", consisting of college and university students who have contracted to perform various field projects adopted in the evaluation of participants in the Dominican experience . On our website you will find philosophy, their involvement in our project and the goals they set themselves to make "the Dominican experience" a unique and inspiring youth.
Marketing plan and distribution
Regarding the dissemination strategies of our project, we have three major sources. The first and most important (because it joins any number of potentially interested people) is our website. Already quiz schools registered with the project via our website for the year 2003-2006. The second is a video (DVD), which demonstrates the broad parameters of the project. It was designed in three phases: presentation and preparation of students before their departure and their expectations for such an experience, secondly, their field experience in the Dominican Republic in their host families and in the context of themes relating to the project (shantytown, sugarcane, etc..) and finally back where they share their impressions and review their experience in the Dominican Republic. Third, we display the posters in schools.
Members of our team
In the Dominican Republic, we have partnered with the Parish Parroquia San Pablo Apostol Diocese Diocese of San Pedro de Macoris, whose Oscar Nuñez Romero. There are also twelve coordinators Dominicans who are present at each stage we are doing there and who ensure the smooth conduct of the experience of young people. Their contact information and a presentation of each are on our website. In Canada, besides the schools that have already experienced the Dominican Republic and who are our partners for further development of the project, we have the commitment of eight college and university students who work permanently on the project. Also, you can find their contact details on our website at the link "Roundabout. Finally, the board of directors, meeting in regular Facconi.
Partner organizations and timelines
Our partners are the schools participating in Project Dominican experience "and they are also" donors "in the sense that internships in the Dominican Republic are fully met by raising money that students do. Please note that participating students take their own transportation costs. We have no other source of funding.
Regarding timescales, this time the group "Roundabout" is putting together a two-week camp for young Haitians in the Dominican Republic, fields of sugar cane. In the first two weeks of July they will be on site to evaluate this study, this research designed to better inform the student population about the realities of third world market, especially in the Dominican Republic. The project must be completed and submitted on our website no later than the end of the summer for the school year. We also have a CEGEP students who are on probation in the month of December in the Dominican Republic for further research concerning work in the fields of sugar cane, slums and the free zone. Their mandate is to acquire a deeper understanding and more nuanced understanding of these themes to record them on our website and be able to answer questions from interested school environments.
There's still so much to say about this wonderful project which has inspired many. We hope, through this exercise, you will be aware or convinced of the relevance and urgency that such a project represents both academic and humanitarian terms. But now, to carry all that we have yet to do, keep dreaming ...
What the group "Roundabout"?
"There is something worse than infamy chains is no longer to feel the weight. "- Gerard Bauer
As a young adult western awareness of our affluence, our quality of life, our access to vital resources like water, is not an easy task. But be aware that, for our welfare, nearly 4 billion people live without clean water, without food or freedom is even more so.
As strings, our ignorance and indifference prevent us, as individuals and society, to open ourselves to the reality as it is, the beauty and misery of women and men who walk this earth in the shade. As strings, our ignorance and indifference restrict cultures and new values to go up our heart, not treading often our eyes, our hands sometimes.
And, like prisoners, quietly, we make the weight of these chains.
Who are we? Young people who, individually and together, come together in hopes of breaking a few bars between the two worlds inhabited Earth.
Our goals? Helping the less fortunate to live more healthily and this while respecting their values, then open to young people by a new vision of reality again consistent with their values.
We are the Rond-Point. Simply.
How can I be sure the money is used in the best way?
This kind of concern can sometimes arise when it comes to charity. The group of young "Roundabout", tries to choose projects and the most reliable for reducing the risk to a minimum. Even if we could conduct a field audit, project beneficiaries have always been concerned to send letters, invoices, accounts and photographs showing the progress and / or the project.