InteRDom Students in the Dominican Republic

Perspective Matters

2012-01-23T15:30:00.003-05:00

By: Sydney Valerio
Summer Institute for Educators
Summer 2011

Sydney Valerio is an adjunct professor at Fordham University's School of Education. She also teaches high school English in the New York public school system. Of Dominican descent, her participation in the field portion of the PIER's Summer Institute for Educators in July 2011 was particularly poignant because of her roots on the island of Hispaniola.

As I climbed out of the taxicab and walked onto Santiago’s Calle del Sol, the Romantic gods found it very amusing to have a summertime shower come down on me. This historic street and city had witnessed the transformation of my being during many summers of my youth and now, as I dipped into its busy streets for some last minute photos and shopping before my evening flight, I knew that the skies of the Dominican Republic were speaking to me. Naturally, my Romantic inclinations appreciated nature’s ability to reflect my inner emotions. As the gumdrop-sized rain drops began to fall on my chest and resonate with the beatings of my heart I walked through these very familiar streets looking out for moments in which my camera would be able to capture the images I needed to feature in my project. As the universe would have it, the darkest of clouds dimmed the streets and squeezed torrential volumes of rain onto this ‘street of the sun’ forcing me to find refuge in a storefront along with other pedestrians. What followed could only be described by Paolo Coehlo’s phrase, ‘maktub’. It was written and the universe had conspired to make things happen for me. Those six hundred seconds that followed allowed for me to witness exchanges between store owners, customers, and those of us who only sought refuge. We all represented distinct purposes and backgrounds. Specifically, there was a young Haitian woman who was carrying a basin filled with toasted peanuts. Even her journey had been brought to a halt by the pitter patter of raindrops on her merchandise. Undoubtedly, the coincidence of our coming together had only transpired because of the inclement weather. All I could do was stare at her face and the nonverbal cues she communicated with her eyes. We were clearly, to one another, two women on a mission and reflections of our disparate worlds. Though we didn’t know each other’s languages we shared a smile and a nod of accordance that clearly stated: “This rain has derailed us!” As we held this silent conversation through our gazes a loud horn coming from a tractor-trailer sized Coca Cola truck interrupted our next move. This vehicle was having difficulty making a turn onto the colonial-sized street. All I could think at that moment, other than the irony of that situation, was about how much my perspective had transformed over the past decade of my life in which I had entered adulthood in a pre and post 9/11 world. A decade in which the homogeneity of being a Latina in the Bronx was distinctly redirected and redefined as I moved into different regions of New York for my educational and professional endeavors. More recently, my perspective had been influenced by my educational journey over the past two weeks.

The New Haven portion of the Yale/NYU Colonial Latin America Institute created the necessary foundation from which to develop my unit, “Perspective Matters”. The participants and lecturers developed my thirst for knowledge about Colonial Latin America. As a high school English teacher in a New York public school I knew I’d have to develop a unit that developed the skills assessed in the New York State Regents exam. In my decade of teaching I have found success because of my ability to relate the curricular material to the lives of my students in a very Constructivist manner. I knew that I wanted to feature Junot Diaz’s Pulitzer winning novel in my unit because of its compelling connecting effect. In order for my students to comprehend any excerpt of this novel they would have to develop their perspective and explore Dominican history and Latino identity. I must admit that my motives were clearly connected to Gardner’s Cultivation Communications theory in which he claims that as a society we define certain aspects of society based on the media images we consume rather than our first-hand, sometimes limited, experiences. While at New Haven, I selected Diaz’s excerpt as the main focus of his activity both because of the series of images that were at the center of the piece and because I knew that I would be able to capture these images firsthand the following week during our trip to the Dominican Republic. I was also very excited to select Diaz’s excerpt because of the large representation of students of Dominican descent in my school. I knew that their perspectives would contribute immensely to our discussions.

The moment I stepped foot on Dominican land I knew that my week in that country would be transformative. The itinerary created by the InteRDom team was full of a variety of visits, lectures and panels that promised to take my project to the next level. Every day’s theme nourished a part of my essence as a teacher and Latina of Dominican descent. Every visit and every guide through historical landmarks created windows for me to look through and use in the future. In specific, the day we spent at Altos de Chavon provided an amazing workshop and tour of the site’s museum and grounds. While visiting the Colonial Zone and the site of the first sugar plantation in Boca de Nigua I certainly understood the power my students would access through this project and their study of Diaz’s literature, Dominican history, and global society. I am currently working on developing the stage from which my project will be taught in all of my tenth and eleventh grade classes. I certainly look forward to the exploration and possible conquest.

CDN Brings More than just Baseball Broadcasts to Dominican Fans

2011-12-06T10:44:00.005-05:00

By: Chris Martinez
InteRDom Intern Fall 2011
InteRDom Experience Series Article #4

Christine Martinez studies Global Studies with minors in journalism and Spanish at San Jose State University in San Jose, California. She is participating in InteRDom's Fall 2011 Academic Semester, taking courses at a local university and carrying out a research project specially structured for her by InteRDom staff on the business of baseball in the Dominican Republic. The articles that she produces will be published on this blog under the tag "InteRDom Experience Series." To read more about Chris' experience with InteRDom in the Dominican Republic, read the InteRDom Experience Series on the InteRDom webpage.

There’s a sign in the CDN studios in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, that outlines the channel’s mission statement. At the top of the mission statement is CDN’s motto: the national leader in news.

CDNs an important local channel in the Dominican Republic, not just for news but for sports broadcasting. CDN holds exclusive rights among local channels for Major League Baseball and Liga de Beisbol Profesional de la Republica Dominicana (Dominican Professional Baseball League) broadcasts. The channel has a big responsibility to bring the favorite sport to citizens on television.

CDN sports producer Ambiorix Vidal understands why baseball is so important to his country. As a former ballplayer, Vidal values the sport and sees the positive impact baseball has on the Dominican Republic.

“La marca país is the national brand,” Vidal said through an interpreter. “The Dominican Ministry of Tourism created the national brand to promote the Dominican Republic through everything. Baseball should do that.”

Vidal mentioned a plan for the Dominican League to play regular season games in New York to promote the national brand, but the plan did not come together because Dominican League games are scheduled for the fall and winter months, when it is too cold to play baseball in New York City.

Vidal sees how Dominican businesses can use baseball to connect with their customers. Local bank Banco BHD runs a television advertisement during CDN baseball broadcasts for their bank cards and credit cards featuring Dominican League team logos. The commercial shows fans of each of the six Dominican League teams, wearing their team’s colors and coming together in the end as fans of baseball rather than just one team.

"The commercial identifies the fan with their team,” Vidal said. “It identifies BHD as a brand that supports baseball here."

The week after the St. Louis Cardinals won the World Series, CDN broadcast a special report on the Cardinals team. It showed footage of the Cardinals celebrating after their win and featured interviews with popular Latin American players.

Albert Pujols, born in Santo Domingo, was one of the subjects. Pujols is one of the most popular players in MLB in the United States and is considered the best player among Dominican fans. Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina was also interviewed on CDN’s special. Molina is part of a famous baseball family from Puerto Rico and his inclusion in the CDN special highlights how Latin American baseball players and fans are interconnected.

Vidal said players like Pujols and Molina grow together by spending time in the minor leagues. They stay together because of their common language of Spanish and because players in the minors share everything, from food to living quarters to money.

“As a channel, CDN promotes the familiarity so the fans can know it,” Vidal said. “All Latin Americans like to be familiar with one another.”

While CDN brings baseball to Dominican fans, Vidal insists the best way to watch a baseball game is at the stadium, especially if the visiting team wins. It’s standard procedure to favor the home team’s broadcasts and leave out the visiting team’s post game programming if the home team loses.

“Each channel is the owner of their transmission,” he said. “The visiting team won't have their post game coverage on the local channel. Last year when Toros del Este won the league championship, ESPN Deportes showed their celebration. For fans to enjoy the game they have to be at the stadium.”

MLB increases profits by investing in values in Dominican baseball

2011-11-14T14:09:00.005-05:00

By: Chris Martinez
InteRDom Intern Fall 2011
InteRDom Experience Series Article #3

Christine Martinez studies Global Studies with minors in journalism and Spanish at San Jose State University in San Jose, California. She is participating in InteRDom's Fall 2011 Academic Semester, taking courses at a local university and carrying out a research project specially structured for her by InteRDom staff on the business of baseball in the Dominican Republic. The articles that she produces will be published on this blog under the tag "InteRDom Experience Series." To read more about Chris' experience with InteRDom in the Dominican Republic, read the InteRDom Experience Series on the InteRDom webpage.

As one of the four major sports leagues in the United States, Major League Baseball is a highly profitable enterprise. Unlike the other leagues in the US, MLB has significant investments in player development outside of the country. It invests more in the Dominican Republic than in any country outside the US, and it sees a great return on those investments.

In a symposium at Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo (FUNGLODE) in March, MLB released an economic impact report for the Dominican Republic that estimated an annual flow of US$125 million into the country from MLB and its 30 teams.

The sustainability of MLB's investment relies more and more on the development of Dominican players away from the diamond. ENTRENA specializes in training, consulting and education projects for clients in the Dominican Republic and the rest of the Caribbean and works closely with MLB in the country.

John Seibel, president of ENTRENA and consultant to MLB, works to bring the best of baseball out in the Dominican Republic through corporate social responsibility.

"The Dominican Republic is the only place in the world where a relatively small country has an incredible influence in development of a multinational sports industry," Seibel said. "MLB has an enormous influence through our players ,our image, and the values we represent."

Seibel believes that by investing in morals and values, MLB can sustain its investment. ENTRENA helps MLB foster long term financial sustainability by giving back to the community and to the fans and investing in education. Through these actions, Seibel says that people will respond even more favorably to the social impact of baseball and remark, "mira que buena es la pelota" or "look how good baseball is," and thus build a stronger foundation for baseball to grow as an enterprise.

"You do it because it's the right thing to do," he said. "Not to get some marketing out of it."

The Los Angeles Dodgers were the first MLB team to establish an academy in the Dominican Republic in 1984. Almost 30 years later, each MLB club has an academy in the country, a massive growth project that has led to constructing new state-of-the art academies like the San Diego Padres' facility.

This investment in Dominican baseball also helps the local economy by creating jobs. Groundskeepers are needed to tend to outfield grass and pitching mounds. Doctors, athletic trainers, and nutritionists are needed to keep the players healthy and focused on peak performance. Seibel said that these jobs spotlight the need for baseball development in this country to focus on training and managing these niches as the industry expands.

When it comes down to investing in development, the question is always about money and where the funds come from. Seibel said that much of the development funding for the DR comes from international sources, such as USAID, the Inter-American Development Bank, World Bank, and European Union.

He also said involvement from the Dominican private sector is key, but it presents challenges. "If you want to make development sustainable in the long run, Dominican society needs to be actively engaged,” Seibel said. “You can use international funding to jumpstart something but you [must] actively involve the Dominican private sector and government. That's a challenge."

MLB also directly invests in its own programs, many of which operate in the Dominican Republic. RBI--Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities--works in both the US and the Dominican Republic to increase interest in baseball and softball among at-risk children. The MLB Dominican Development Alliance is a unique program developed as a result of a public-private partnership between USAID and MLB. It was started with Dominican goals and realities in mind, rather than transplanted from the American setting and adjusted for the needs of the Dominican Republic.

"It is a model of the private-public partnership that the US government, through USAID, wants to develop more," Seibel said of MLB/DDA. "It's not just about giving money but rather creating a sustainable partnership which can harness the potential of baseball to improve poor communities in the DR.”

Education in the Dominican Republic: Part II—Major League Baseball’s role in providing a future for Latin American prospects outside of baseball

2011-11-01T17:16:00.004-04:00

By: Chris Martinez InteRDom Intern Fall 2011 InteRDom Experience Series Article #2

Major League Baseball’s home base in the Dominican Republic serves the needs of baseball players throughout Latin America. The Santo Domingo based office was placed in the country that produces the highest number of international players to MLB. The Dominican Republic also sees more scandals with players surrounding age falsification, drug use, and predatory signing and training practices than in any other Latin American nation.

One of the lesser known functions of the Office of the Commissioner of Major League Baseball in Santo Domingo is the organization’s work to improve the education of Latin American prospects playing in baseball academies in the Dominican Republic.

The Office of the Commissioner of Major League Baseball in Santo Domingo estimates that for every 100 teenage prospects in the Dominican Republic, two make it to the United States to play baseball. That places a heavy burden on MLB to provide skills outside of baseball to the scores of young men with dreams that may never be reached. This is not a simple task and that is why the Office of the Commissioner is conducting substantial research on the matter.

Community affairs director Peggy Morales works in the Office of the Commissioner to enrich the lives of prospects in the Dominican Republic. Currently the prospects, who begin their careers at age 16, are taught English lessons in the team academies along with their baseball instruction, but MLB wants to offer them more.

The Pittsburgh Pirates are a shining example of what MLB’s education initiatives can do in the country. Their academy offers English lessons as well as lessons on how to use computers and they aid prospects to finish their high school educations through lessons at the academy. The Pirates work with Cenapec, a non-profit education organization in the Dominican Republic that helps adult students complete their basic education though distance learning.

Pittsburgh has an education coordinator who works in the team’s minor league system in United States as well as in the Dominican Republic to make sure that the education in the system is up to par. “They have a good educational philosophy they want everyone—players and staff--to be prepared,” Morales said.

Cenapec created a program specifically for the Pirates’ based on the organization’s needs and has an education coordinator working solely for the Pirates. Players at academies take classes four hours a day, three days a week to complete their high school diplomas. Comprehensive classes are offered in history, language, social science, and computers. The students have access to several classrooms equipped with computers and media at Pittsburgh’s academy in El Toro, close to Boca Chica.

Pittsburgh mandates attendance at these lessons for all their prospects. “It’s difficult because players schedule is tight,” Morales said. “They practice, play, and take English lessons, and then take classes. It poses a challenge for implementing programs. It's tough to get players to value education because they're so tired from the day's events.”

Achieving DELE Language Certification in the Dominican Republic

2011-10-17T13:24:00.001-04:00

By: Caitlin Lowery, Graduate and Gap Year Program, Fall 2010

When I applied to the InteRDom program, I mentioned that one of my goals was to take the DELE (Diploma de Espanol como Lengua Extranjera) exam and the InteRDom team worked hard to help me accomplish that aim. The DELE is a test of proficiency in the Spanish language for non-native speakers, comparable to the TOEFL exam required for foreign applicants by many universities in the U.S. to demonstrate linguistic competence in English.

The DELE is only offered a few times a year and has three levels: Inicial, Intermedio, and Superior. InteRDom set up private Spanish language tutoring sessions for me, twice a week, for my entire stay in the Dominican Republic, with Martha Campusano, a very kind and capable teacher. I elected to take the "Superior" test, because I felt that it would be most beneficial in light of my future plans. The test includes reading comprehension, writing, listening, vocabulary and grammar, and an oral section. I decided to take the DELE in part because I wanted a concrete measure of my degree of proficiency in Spanish and also because I would like to work in the field of international development and I believe it will be useful when I apply for jobs that require fluency in Spanish. After weeks of studying with Martha and living and working in Santo Domingo, I passed the exam and should receive my diploma in a few weeks, an accomplishment I could not have achieved without the help of Martha and the InteRDom staff.

Epy Guerrero’s baseball legacy lives in the US and the Dominican Republic

2011-09-29T10:49:00.005-04:00

By: Chris Martinez
InteRDom Intern Fall 2011
InteRDom Experience Series Article #1

Christine Martinez studies Global Studies with minors in journalism and Spanish at San Jose State University in San Jose, California. She is participating in InteRDom's Fall 2011 Academic Semester, taking courses at a local university and carrying out a research project specially structured for her by InteRDom staff on the business of baseball in the Dominican Republic. The articles that she produces will be published on this blog under the tag "InteRDom Experience Series." To read more about Chris' experience with InteRDom in the Dominican Republic, read the InteRDom Experience Series on the InteRDom webpage.

To understand baseball in the Dominican Republic, it's best to consult the best man for the job. Epifanio Guerrero has signed more players to Major League contracts than any scout, has produced World Series winning talent, and has won loads of awards for his accomplishments. He continues his work as an independent scout in the Dominican Republic today.

These days, Epy is an affable guy who's eager to tell stories of his 40 years in baseball. His house at his training complex in Villa Mella has a room full of pictures of his players, articles about his work, and awards for his achievements.

Guerrero's success in the sport can be summarized in a framed photo sitting in his Santo Domingo home. It's the three newest members of the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, N.Y.: right-handed pitcher Bert Blyleven, infielder Roberto Alomar, and executive Pat Gillick. The trio was inducted into the Hall of Fame this July, and Guerrero was on hand to celebrate with Alomar and Gillick, two men who owe much of their success to Guerrero.

Guerrero worked as a scout in the Toronto Blue Jays organization, signing and developing players like Carlos Delgado, Tony Fernandez, and Damaso Garcia. In 1991, fourteen of the players on Toronto's 40-man roster were guys Guerrero signed and developed. The following year, the Dominican Summer League Blue Jays won 38 games to start the 1992 season before finishing 68-2.

Artifacts of both milestones are also in Guerrero's Santo Domingo home. There's a picture, yellowed with age and hanging on the wall, of Guerrero standing with seven of his kids in 1991. A white baseball cap embroidered with the old Blue Jays logo and a special inscription of the DSL team's 38-0 record hangs on his bureau.

Of course, there is the big prize of the Blue Jays organization. Toronto won back-to-back World Series titles in 1992 and 1993, thanks in no small part to Guerrero's talent pool. Alomar was one of the offensive stars of those teams.

Gillick was the general manager of the Blue Jays when they won their world titles and went on to win another World Series with Philadelphia in 2008 before retiring from executive work.

Guerrero built the Toronto teams for Gillick, someone he's still close with and refers to as a father figure.

Guerrero has also scouted for Houston and Milwaukee but has seen the greatest achievements of his career come in Toronto. Now he works for himself, developing Dominican kids independent of any one team.

Guerrero’s legacy in the Dominican Republic can be seen in the talent he sends to the Major Leagues, but also in his most important organization: his family.

It’s clear that Guerrero values family in baseball. His sons Sandy, Patrick, and Mike all work in the sport. Sandy is the hitting coach for the Triple-A Nashville Sounds in the Brewers organization and Mike was a manager for Double-A Huntsville, also a Brewers affiliate, in 2009. Patrick works with his father in the Villa Mella camp.

The Field of International Relations in the Dominican Republic

2011-09-02T18:16:00.005-04:00

By: Jatnna Garcia
InteRDom Caribbean Summer 2011 Alumnus

Growing up in the Dominican Republic was a great experience. There are so many things to love about this tiny island, from its weather to its people. Through the different multicultural activities at school, I met people from all over the world with all sorts of races, religions, and cultures. I became highly interested in foreign languages, the way people from different nations interacted, and how people with different cultural backgrounds got along. I knew ever since elementary school that I wanted to get to know many cultures, further interact with people from around the world, and learn more about different nations, therefore, international relations seemed like the best career choice for me. Eventually, I figured that it was important for me to study in another country, in order to better understand how one’s culture, religion, native language and so on could affect the way one formed relations with different people. This is what mostly influenced my decision to finish high school in the US and go on to college in the same country. Besides, I realized it would be a great way to get some firsthand experience on international relations. Also, few to no Dominican colleges offered the program, so the best decision seemed to be to leave the country.

Coming back to the Dominican Republic to work for a local NGO that deals with International Relations so closely as does the Dominican Council of International Relations (DCIR), under the initiative of FUNGLODE, was a marvelous experience. It feels great to be able to, through my chosen career path, give back to the land in which I grew up. Since I left, I always came back for vacations, but none had been as long and beneficial as this one. I got to see and be a part of a lot of changes taking place in regards to education in the country, one being in the area of international relations itself. Careers in diplomacy and international relations are now offered in two local universities (UNICARIBE & UCSD), and more programs, including masters and graduate programs are being drafted. Lastly, I noticed that more and more people are interested in international relations here in the Dominican Republic, and that the country is getting more and more involved in international affairs. These discoveries fill my heart with joy because, although there's still a long way to go, Dominican Republic, in comparison with other countries in the Region, keeps an accelerated pace in terms of development, in accordance to the demands of a globalized planet.

Links between Globalization, Internships, Education and International Exchange: Internship Certification Seminar

2011-08-12T15:04:00.004-04:00

By: Joaquin Salazar
InteRDom Consultant and Certification Instructor

With the turn of the 21st Century, humanity finds itself in the midst of an information revolution generally known as globalization. It became especially significant following World War II, which brought the devastating consequences of death and destruction, and in turn awakened academic, philosophical and world political bodies that lead to the signing of the Charter of the United Nations in June 1945.

The goal of the United Nations was cultural interchange on a global basis, which is expressed in the Universal Declaration of UNESCO on Cultural Diversity in paragraph 2:

“In our increasingly diverse societies, it is essential to ensure harmonious interaction among people and groups with plural, varied and dynamic cultural identities as well as their willingness to live together. Policies for the inclusion and participation of all citizens are guarantees of social cohesion, the vitality of civil society and peace. Thus defined, cultural pluralism gives policy expression to the reality of cultural diversity. Indissociable from a democratic framework, cultural pluralism is conducive to cultural exchange and to the flourishing of creative capacities that sustain public life.”

This Declaration implies a deep understanding of the movement known as globalization, which has been on the rise in recent years in all areas of human activity. In 1961, by executive order of US President John F. Kennedy, the Peace Corps was founded as a way for young Americans to contribute to the goal of helping people outside the United States to understand American culture and to help Americans understand the cultures of other countries.

Since that time, many international internship and exchange programs have undertaken the same goals and offered students from around the world a chance to do the same: to obtain-- with little sacrifice and ample international funding-- cultural, social and professional experiences in new places while integrating in other national cultures, races, ethnicities and religions without preconceptions and prejudices. It is about promoting genuine friendship among people, a goal for which the great thinkers of humankind have always advocated.

In 2005, Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo (FUNGLODE) and Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD) joined this movement through its specialized unit known as InteRDom, which offers internship programs in the Dominican Republic for students from the most important universities in the United States.

In 2009, InteRDom went even further by beginning its Internship Certification Seminar. To date they have certified three groups of Monitors. The purpose of these certifications is to train personnel to be coordinators of internship programs within Dominican companies, state and government institutions and NGOs in order to create a synergy between the academic world and the companies or institutions receiving the interns.

InteRDom directors believed it was important to expand the Internship Certification Program to universities in order to fulfill the triad of the internship parties:

the intern
the academic institution
the company or organization hosting the intern

The academic institution or company hosting the intern should combine efforts to ensure that the internship provides a valuable human educational experience as well as a quality professional experience for the intern. It is about “learning by doing” and establishing a genuine link between the student and the professional at work.

Based on the system theory of Austro-German theoretical biologist, Karl Ludwig Von Bertalanffy, who in 1901 developed the General Systems Theory, which states that everything is interconnected; academic institutions and businesses constitute social cells and interdependent productive sources which interact and provide mutual nourishment.

Both, in their own right, have a great deal of social obligation and responsibility to the populations around them as well as to other institutions, financial as well as political and social, in all countries.

According to this view, the synergy between educational institutions, industry and state institutions is intimately shared and understood; human beings, the product of this synergy, should also possess a mentality in keeping with this vision.

If, furthermore, we delve into the perception of personal competences that govern individual and collective life among human beings within communities, we see clearly that internships, as educational and professional experiences, perfect these competences to produce an individual capable of interacting with his/her fellow human beings as individual and collective entities based on personal and professional knowledge which will, in turn, contribute to the advancement of the general collective.

Indeed we are facing a new concept of internship, a global vision of transforming humans into interns, as well as transforming academic institutions, business and governmental institutions into entities that are responsible for the social and collective well-being.

Service Learning in Batey Libertad

2011-06-17T16:54:00.007-04:00

By: Cynthia So

Executive Director, Yspaniola

Batey Libertad has seen its share of visitors. Youth from the batey are adept at using Facebook and have accumulated friends from across the world. Students are motivated to learn English, knowing they can practice their skills each time a group comes to visit. More importantly, over the years Batey Libertad has benefitted from community development projects that have provided colorful cement homes, latrines, better roads, community centers, potable water, and scholarships for education. Service-learning programs have provided mutual benefit for both groups visiting the batey, as well as for the community.

Batey Libertad is unique in many ways, making it an ideal destination for travelers who wish to experience a different side of the Dominican Republic. The community has been overwhelmingly receptive to visitors. Families welcome visitors into homes, share meals and stories, and build friendships across cultural lines. Over the years, leaders have developed within the community, helping to facilitate the logistics of trips and homestays, and working to maintain a safe and welcoming environment within the batey.

Yspaniola is a non-profit that seeks to provide enriching service-learning experiences for individuals who wish to visit the bateys. Yspaniola initially developed from a service-learning trip led by undergraduate students from Yale to Batey Libertad in 2005. The students were inspired by their experiences in the batey and wanted to continue a productive partnership with the community. By collaborating directly with community leaders and residents, we ensure that projects are valued and needed within the batey, and that they can be sustained after groups leave the community.

InteRDom Blog Has a New Look

2011-06-10T16:19:00.005-04:00

Over the past couple of years, InteRDom Internships in the Dominican Republic has grown, expanded and changed much like the world that we live in. The simple “student experience” format of the former blog no longer reflected the multiple facets of the program. More than just a simple internship and academic study program, InteRDom now has a number of projects and collaborations promoting international intellectual exchange and the economic development of a spectrum of sectors in the Dominican Republic. A couple of these programs are:

Internship Supervisor Certification Seminar— An innovative training program designed to capacitate directors and employees of Dominican and international organizations interested in implementing new internship programs or in improving existing ones in their respective companies or institutions. Its content is developed by InteRDom staff members and consultants, and the program is given approximately three times a year in the Dominican Republic. This program ensures a successful internship experience for both interns and organizations.

Fellows Program—Inaugurated in 2010, the Fellows Program seeks to develop a community of scholars that contributes to the Foundation’s growing body of research on matters of international concern that directly impact the Dominican Republic. In the Fellows Program, Master’s and PhD candidates travel to the Dominican Republic through InteRDom to conduct high-level research on issues at the forefront of the United Nations agenda in order to give voice to national and regional concerns and to offer viable solutions to domestic and international challenges. Fellows that carry-out exemplary work have the opportunity to present their findings before the United Nations community on behalf of GFDD.

“Expert in the Spanish Caribbean” and other short programs—In an effort to respond to the specific needs of universities, to encourage graduate and undergraduate students to deepen their learning and research on Caribbean issues and to aid teachers and professors in the internationalization of their curriculum, InteRDom has begun to develop short programs to respond to specific proposals presented by universities and centers. The programs run from 1 – 4 weeks based around specific subjects and themes. Some topics explored in 2011 include: the Dominican Carnaval, political science, service-learning, Colonial Latin America and its effects on modern Dominican identity and Spanish language immersion. The concept of Expert in the Spanish Caribbean is the result of the desire of the program to specialize its program offering and to generate a culture of exchange. The short programs complement the vision of InteRDom’s parent institutions Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD) and Fundacion Global Democracia y Desarrollo (FUNGLODE) to generate innovative programming and conversation around issues relevant to the region.

InteRDom wants the new look and content of the InteRDom blog to reflect these themes, as well as other topics related to our work, such as international education, global business practices, career development strategies, Dominican and Caribbean issues and cross-cultural awareness. The contributors to this blog are not only InteRDom staff members, but friends of the program, collaborators, program alumni, current students and experts and professionals in a number of fields. It is our hope that the things posted here will inspire lively debate and increased interest in intellectual exchange and the development of Hispaniola.

InteRDom is receiving thoughtful proposals from contributors who would like to share their stories, experiences and information about these and other topics. If you would like to contribute, please send a draft to students@interdominternships.org.

"Get Together" with InteRDom!

2009-07-22T13:56:00.002-04:00

There’s never a dull moment on the InteRDom program! Aside from the 4 cultural trips around the Dominican Republic, InteRDom organizes a series of informal “get-togethers” to give students the opportunity to catch up with one another, share ideas about their internships and classes and get to know different places in Santo Domingo.

In the Summer of 2009, the interns have had the opportunity to go on a number of sponsored get-togethers, including a pizza night, a 4th of July party, a meeting with the Director of FUNGLODE and a tour of the National Congress building.

At the pizza night, the interns were joined by Dominican journalism interns from Listin Diario’s “Journalist for a Year” program, giving them the opportunity to share experiences about university life and internships with one another. The Listin Diario interns also proved to be a wealth of support and knowledge for the InteRDom interns working on research and study projects. All of this against the backdrop of a truly Dominican pizzeria, and the night was made!

The 4th of July party was another spectacular evening! The interns were invited to the house of the United States Ambassador in the Dominican Republic for their annual Independence Day Celebration. The extravagant poolside celebration, featuring lavish buffet tables under 3 large tents, was an excellent networking opportunity for the students, who had the opportunity to meet both American and Dominican officials such as Max Puig, Dominican Secretary of Labor; Miguel Vargas Maldonado, President of the Partido Revolucionario Dominicano; and Roland W. Bullen, Minister-Counselor of the U.S. Embassy in Santo Domingo, as well as various journalism and television personalities.

In addition to these social activities, InteRDom students were also invited to a meeting to meet the new Executive Director of Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo (FUNGLODE), Marcos Herrera, and to tour the National Congress building by Senator Dominguez Brito of Santiago. Both events were excellent networking opportunities, as well as a chance for the students to ask questions and get a more behind-the-scenes look at how government and politics function in the Dominican Republic.

All of this and the summer isn’t over yet! There’s even more in store for the Summer of 2009…Stay tuned!

TOP Summer Internships!

2009-05-18T10:54:00.001-04:00

InteRDom partners with over 300 companies and organizations in the Dominican Republic to bring students a wide variety of projects and opportunities to match each student’s study area, skills and talents! As the needs and interests of companies, organizations and communities are constantly changing with the times, so are their internships! Here is just a sampling of 3 of the TOP internships of the Summer 2009:

The first is in one of the region’s foremost NGOs: the Pan American Development Foundation (PADF). PADF is an international NGO that does work in disadvantaged communities all throughout Latin America and the Caribbean; specifically in the Dominican Republic, the Fwontyè Nou—Nuestra Frontera (Our Border) program implements projects intending to create economic opportunities and mitigate conflict along the poverty-ridden Dominican Republic-Haitian border region. This summer’s intern will be developing a business plan to unify the farming organizations along the border in order to help them work together to give their products a more competitive edge on the world market.

The second TOP internship is in another important NGO, but this one is in a local grassroots organization called Sur Futuro. Sur Futuro is an organization focused on bringing about social and economic transformation in the Southern region of the country using business development plans that focus on local capacity-building, protection of the environment and sustainable use of natural resources. Sur Futuro uses interns to help develop any and all of their projects, and this summer one student will be the Business Development and Fundraising Assistant for the new Sabana Yegua Upper Watershed Management Project. This project aims to restore and protect the natural resources of the river basins of the Sabana Yegua region. The InteRDom intern assigned to this project will create a business proposal for local entrepreneurs that promotes the sustainable management and development of the land. He will also assist in developing a fund-raising plan to support all of the organization’s environmental compensation projects.

Lastly, this summer one intern will be working in conjunction with Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo (InteRDom’s sponsoring institution) and the Ministry of Labor of the Dominican Republic to research and develop a proposal for legislation that will regulate and promote internships in the country. This is very important work as the current laws of the Dominican Republic do not include internships at all, but their insertion into regular Dominican business practices would help alleviate many problems currently on the rise in the business sector, including the lack of preparedness of college graduates to enter the workplace. The work of this intern will be included in the final proposal that will go before Congress petitioning for an addition to the labor laws and regulations of the Dominican Republic.

As you can see, InteRDom interns in the Dominican Republic have exciting work opportunities that make an impact on both smaller communities and the nation as a whole. This is just a sampling of the wide variety of opportunities that students from all field of study have to put their skills into practice and aid in the development of a nation. That’s why InteRDom interns are the cream of the crop!

A Day In the Life of an InteRDom Intern

2009-03-03T17:49:00.000-05:00

In the United States, it is not uncommon for University life to become dull and routine… but your experience abroad should be anything but dull! While InteRDom values a strong work ethic, the InteRDom experience is a delicate balance of work and fun, and InteRDom interns in the Dominican Republic have the chance to live both sides of Dominican culture in a vibrant, dynamic setting.

A typical week for an intern on the program consists of three parts: internship, classes and social activities.

Students generally work at their internship site from 18 to 20 hours a week, depending on what his or her contract specifies. The schedule also varies: some interns go to work in the morning, others in the afternoon. Some internships related to development, agriculture, Dominican-Haitian relations and others include a travel itinerary, which allows the students to become involved in other communities. Any additional trips are carefully planned so as not to affect the student’s academic performance.

Speaking of academics, depending on what the student has chosen for an academic program, most students take between 4-8 hours of class per week. If the student in enrolled in our Caribbean Culture course, class time includes field trips and cultural outings around the city. If the student in enrolled in courses with other Dominican students, the class itself will be an immersion experience, as you learn how a Dominican classroom functions and how students are expected to behave.

The InteRDom HOT Summer Seminars are an added bonus to everyone’s academic program! These seminars give students the opportunity to debate current “hot” topics with community leaders and experts in the field, not to mention other Dominican, Haitian and international students. The topics this summer are hotter than ever! As the Dominican Republic was recently added to the World Bank’s top 10 list of Latin American economies, we will be giving a seminar entitled “Doing Business in Latin America” in conjunction with the World Bank. Our other seminar, “Civil Rights in Latin America,” will focus on the steps taken in recent years (both legislative and independent) to improve the situation of human and civil rights of all Dominican (and non-Dominican) citizens.

At InteRDom we understand that All Work + No Play = No Fun, and we want you to enjoy your experience abroad! For this reason, we have organized an exhilarating agenda of cultural excursions that will allow you to travel all over the landscape of the country. Our “plus one” policy is a measure that we take to encourage you to invite a friend from school or from your internship—and all his/her expenses are paid! You will learn much more about Dominican culture if you experience it with actual Dominicans!

In addition to these trips, we plan a fun activity for one night each week to give all of the InteRDom students a chance to get together, catch-up, talk about their experiences… and to have a little fun!

Getting Ready for Summer 2009

2009-01-27T16:55:00.000-05:00

The InteRDom team is getting excited for what promises to be an exhilarating Summer 2009 session! We have brand new internship offerings, as well as a fun agenda of excursions and cultural outings planned; the students are the only missing ingredient!

This year InteRDom interns have been accepted at more than 40 Dominican organizations, which represent professions that run the gamut from art to technology and serve the private and public sectors, as well as NGOs. These are top organizations in the Dominican Republic, and they are getting prepared for your arrival!

In addition to the internships and the cultural and academic agendas, InteRDom is thrilled to announce its 2009 HOT Summer Seminar Series. This series is a feature of its summer academic offering, and deals with recent topics of great importance on both the Caribbean and international scales. The seminars are given in conjunction with another organization that is expert on the topic, and students from local universities, businesses and non-profits are invited to attend. These seminars give students the opportunity to debate current “hot” topics with other students, community leaders and experts in the field.

In the summer of 2009, InteRDom students will be able to participate in two very important seminars that represent different aspects of current Dominican social and economic development. The first seminar, “Doing Business in Latin America,” will be given in conjunction with the World Bank, and is a result of the Dominican Republic’s recent addition to the World Bank’s list of the top 10 economies in Latin America. The second seminar, “Civil Rights in the Dominican Republic,” will be given with Fundación Institucionalidad y Justicia (FINJUS) y la Escuela Nacional de la Judicatura (ENJ), and will focus on recent documented research and reports of civil rights legislation and experience in Dominican communities.

We invite all accepted students to be writing in the blog right away! Tell us your impressions of the application process, and what your expectations are for the summer!

InteRDom is HOT!

2008-08-27T10:32:00.000-04:00

More than just classes and internships, the InteRDom program is about learning about the culture, history and geography of the Dominican Republic while having FUN! The Summer 2008 program was chock-full of activities to teach students about this one-of-a-kind country from many different perspectives. For example, one of the first excursions of the summer was a trip to the northern part of the island to visit museums in Salcedo and Santiago. InteRDom’s tour guide, Tirso Cabral, took advantage of the three-hour bus ride to the interior to teach the group about the Dominican landscape and the history of the people, particularly of General Trujillo and the Mirabal sisters. As we passed through La Vega, he taught us about the Dominican agricultural economy, and pointed-out all of the different crops that grow in the richest farmlands in the country. When we finally arrived at the Mirabal Sisters Museum in Salcedo, the only remaining Mirabal sister and the caretaker of the museum, Dona Dedé, was awaiting the group. She encouraged us to tour the museum first, and then return to speak to her so that she could answer any questions that we had concerning the museum and the lives of the sisters. The museum and its artifacts were fascinating, as were the beautiful gardens that surrounded the house and the graves of the sisters. Dona Dedé spoke to the group for over 30 minutes about her sisters, their experiences, and how their lives differed from how they are depicted in the book In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez.

However, not all of our excursions include museums! We also took a relaxing overnight trip to the beautiful beaches of the Samaná Peninsula, as well as a day trip to the popular Saona Island. Our weekend excursions covered almost the entire geography of the island, in order for students to fully experience the country’s diverse culture and topography.

Even during weekdays, we organized activities so that the students could come together and share stories about classes, internships and daily life. This year the students met almost every Thursday, bringing friends that they had made at the University and at work to have a good time and to get to know the rest of the group. Among the activities that we planned within the city were: a trip to the theater to see a play, a movie and pizza night, a trip to the movies, countless dinners and a group excursion to see a comedian at UNIBE.

The Summer 2008 InteRDom program was full of fun and interesting activities, and the students learned a lot about the Dominican Republic while forming close bonds with one another. InteRDom is looking forward many more successful programs in the future!