Photos From the St. Lawrence International School

 

DR Projects is Back in the DR! 2022 Trip Diary, Page One

 Dear Friends and Supporters of DR Projects -

This is the first in a series of Blog Posts for the DR Projects trip in April, 2022.  I'm hiding out as part of the 2019 trip blog because I am not getting along with Blogspot with regard to starting a brand new blog.  We'll make sure that everyone finds their way to this one!  After two successful trips in 2019 (the one chronicled here below and the one led later in the year by Frank Perotti), we had big plans for our next trip in 2020, with the particular goal, of continuing the reading program at the Altagracia elementary school in Cotui.  Everything was in place:  we had seen the curriculum in action, we had two dedicated teachers, and we had a cadre of volunteers ready to take things to the next level.  On a larger scale in the DR, our ally and inspiring role model Juan Valdez, was making significant progress in his visionary goal of helping every underserved child in his country to learn English. It's a critical social justice concept.  The Ministry of Education was very interested in his model, and the pilot program at Altagracia was evidence that it could work.  Then came COVID.  We had to cancel the planned trip in 2020, and then had to forego the possibility in 2021.  Things ground to a halt in the DR, particularly in under-resourced public schools.  It was, as Juan Valdez told us, two lost years.

But thanks to the vision and advance planing capability of DR Projects leader Rita Severinghaus, a plan evolved for a trip in 2022, which among other things food advantage of the expiring Jet Blue cancelled reservations.  It's a small, nimble group, with no students and only veterans of past trips. That has allowed us to be a bit more nimble in our travels.  Our hope is to touch base with as many of our DR partners in schools, villages and health clinics as possible.  We will be in Hernando Alonso, and at Altagracia, and at the El Limon health clinic.  But we started our trip on Monday by breaking new ground with a very special school visit.

We have mentioned Juan Valdez previously, but here's a brief bio, for important reasons.  Juan is a DR native from very humble beginnings.  He has an Oxford education, and is a a world-renowned researcher in education, and particularly in the area of language acquisition.  He runs three companies and has consulted and researched in many countries, including Mexico, the US, and South America.  He is the head of the Dominican Republic's association of teachers of English.  He has been offered the position of Minister of Education, but turned it down because he has better ways to work to achieve his goal of providing the means for every child in the DR to learn English.  As of now, the Education system in the DR is challenged in many ways, and cannot even begin to provide English as a second language in a large majority of public schools, even though that is a stated goal.  Private school students do get English instruction.  So it becomes an issue of class and economics.  Without English, students cannot hope to get jobs in the service economy and/or tourist industry, and those are the primary means of advancement. So it's a social justice issue, and it's one Juan Valdez has dedicated his life to.  He is on there verge of making huge progress.  The Ministry of Education has signed a contract with him to provide English education in 505 schools.  He has plans with Hunter College in NYC (Where he is currently co-teaching a course remotely) to train supervisors of English Teachers.  There needs to be approval by the Finance Ministry. There are many opponents and obstacles, but he is single-minded in his pursuit. DR Projects, providentially, has been an important ally for him, particularly in its support for the pilot program at Altagracia.

We were gifted to learn many of these updates from Juan in person Monday at the Saint Lawrence International School in Santo Domingo, which he founded 12 years ago, just as his daughter was beginning school.  It's a private school that is also a neighborhood school in a middle class suburb.  It is not for the elites, and runs on a tight budget, but to us it was a dazzling example of good education. We had the opportunity to visit many classes and speak with students and teachers.  It is a completely bilingual school.  Many of the classes are taught in English.  The 9th graders I sat with in Language arts are very, very fluent and confident.  The robotics class is taught in English, and they eagerly showed us their progress toward defending their national championship. There is much, much more to describe, but I am on deadline as we prepare to get on our van to go north to Cotui. Juan's gift of two hours with us was inspiring.  We are all full of ideas and plan for partnerships, exchanges and continuing work to help him realize his goal as part of DR Projects' mission for education, health and environment.  More to come on this blog, I hope, and pictures as well.  For now, welcome back to the world of DR Projects!

Rob Grabill, your humble scribe

Planning Underway For 2020! Check Our Newsletter

Plans are well underway for our next service trip to the DR to continue our work with the English Language Program at the school in Cotui!  Check out the latest updates and the news about our Yard Sale on January 11th and other fundraising efforts!

file:///Users/robgrabill/Downloads/DRP-UMD%20Newsletter%20Vol.%203,%20Dec%202019.pdf

I'm still Posting!

It's been a day since most of our group returned home uneventfully (if you count our Dunkirk-like retreat in the Santo Domnigo airport uneventful).  In past years, the blog has ended when the trip ended.  Not this year.  I am going to try and keep it going this year.  I would love to have the blog be a spot where we can share thoughts and communications with the larger DR Projects team.  Those who went this year, those who have gone in past years, and those who have supported us.  So please spread the word (as I will in other media.  I want to discover the best way to continue our work, and this may be it.  So get used to the idea that I will be posting every day for a while.

There was a small reunion this morning at the Church of Christ at Dartmouth in Hanover.  Mandy, Rob and Amy all showed up to help lead worship:  Amy in the choir, Mandy opening the service with a wonderful reflection on the trip, and Rob preaching the sermon he wrote on the plane while being elbowed in the middle seat.  But it became a reunion when we looked out and there was Nicole in the pew!  Yay!  Next week at CCDC, we are hoping for a bigger reunion.  We would like to invite as many DR friends as possible,  Mandy will be preaching on the transformative power of service and discipleship, and maybe Nicole will sing.  But we need to get as many of the other students to be willing to back her up -  at the very least in the pews, but better as her backups.  We'll find the right piece -  Nicole's working on that. Maybe something gospelly.  After church, we hope to present the first draft of our slide show.  I need some volunteers to help with editing and scoring.  Any takers?

So if anyone's out there reading this, get ready for some daily observations that help us reflect fully on an amazing week, and keep the process going as we support our sisters and brothers in the DR. Stay tuned.

Goodbye, Cotui; Hello, Santo Domingo

We have great WiFi tonight in Boca Chica, a suburb of Santo Domingo, so here’s a farewell blog post before we head home tomorrow.  We checked out of our hotel this morning, crammed our bus with all of our luggage, and stopped by the Altagracia school to say goodbye.  Actually, it turned out to be a bit more than that.  We assembled in the main courtyard with all of the students and teachers, and shared a wonderful goodbye ceremony.  The school Director presented Rita with a wonderful plaque, and every member of our team received certificates of appreciation (frame-worthy).  We also got gifts!  Many of us received really cool hats. The guys all got fedoras.  Several of the women got nice floppy sun hats.  We presented the school with an American flag. Some speeches were made. Then, wow!  The school has been preparing for weeks for a city-wide Carnival parade.  It’s a competition between many schools got best costumes, dancing and overall presentation.  Think Rose Bowl Parade. We have seen them preparing costumes and props all week, and wished we could se the parade.  So they showed us!  They did a full costume dress rehearsal with all of the pageantry that will surely win them a prize.  Words fail, but luckily we can attach photos. Then, finally, goodbye for a year, with many hugs and tears. Perhaps we have helped make a difference.  We know we have been changed.  We headed south to the capital.

We made several stops along the way, pulling off the road in Piedra Blanco so we could browse and buy some of the colorful handmade rugs by local craftspeople hanging on racks by the dozens on the roadside.  Sort of like pulling over on Rt. 89 to buy maple syrup.  We actually pulled over later to buy fresh cashews from local vendors.  We also made a more prosaic stop at a local plaza at a sleek market to buy local treats like dulche de leche and macaroons.  We avoided the heavy traffic that delayed us last year and arrived in the Colonial Zone, the oldest part of the city.  It’s also the oldest European settlement in the hemisphere, as in founded by Columbus in 1493.  The cathedral, built in1530, is also the first. It’s also 20 degrees cooler inside.  We set up headquarters on the outdoor porch of a pizza place facing the cathedral square (better than Dominos) and then fanned out to sightsee and shop for chocolate, coffee and in some cases larimar jewelry, fashioned from the distinctive milky blue gemstone found in the DR.  Then we boarded the bus and headed to Boca Chica, the seaside resort town 30 minutes away.  We checked into our beachfront hotel, changed, walked through the lobby and literally right onto the beach.  The beach faces a huge lagoon protected by a breakwater, forming an amazing swimming area with an all sand bottom.  One can wade for half a mile before the water gets head height.  The students did the most swimming, otter-like.  Many of the adults waded or swam.  Mandy got her hair braided like they do at resorts, because it’s a resort. We had supper on the open porch facing the beach, enjoying fresh red snapper.  Then we had our final meeting, reflecting on the week.  Not surprisingly there was a lot of emotion.  We have become close, and its ending.  We have been changed by our work.  There’s more to do.  We’ll be back!

Last Day Teaching; Night on the Town

Dear Friends-
This is our seventh day, and our last night in Cotui.  We’ll stop by the school tomorrow to say goodbye, but today was essentially our last day at Altagracia. It was our best one, given that the teachers, students and visitors all knew their roles.  We feel very much at home in the building, and the novelty of our presence has worn off enough to allow us to communicate well and maximize our presence.  Both teaching teams taught two periods, and it was clear that the students and their teachers are gaining significantly. We will be leaving this new program in great shape!  Recess was extended, and it turned into a dance party, with music blasting and every manner of dancing breaking out.  We had time for another teaching period before we left for lunch, and then returned to distribute the gifts we had careforepated the night before.  Every child received a gift package, with a new colorful shirt, a mini-journal and pencil, and toothpaste and new toothbrush.  There were many, many heartfelt goodbyes.  These kids are so smart.  They know that we’re leaving, and it’s that we will miss each other.  But we will be back! We are fiercely dedicated to this program’s success, given all we have seen.  After school, some of us stopped by a local nursing home to drop off a donation of supplies, and some went to a local store to buy spices and coffee. Tonight we’re going to a karaoke club to celebrate.  I hope to blog tomorrow, but may not have WiFi.  We’ll be home soon enough.  It’s  been grand!

School in the Morning, Afternoon at the Treehouse

There is a real rhythm to our days now, and it’s serving us well. We are creatures of habit, and we were up with the roosters (ask us later about the roosters), are at 7:00, and we’re on the bus to the Altagracia school by 7:30.  We were at school in time for the opening ceremony.  The students all filed off to their first class, and we gathered at the School Director’s office for a brief ceremony, presenting her and the school (and the English program in particular) with 12 gently-used Chromebooks designed for school use.  Frank Perotti had obtained these from one of the schools he superintends, once their contracted use was over.  It’s a transformational gift for the school, and they were very excited.  We had two morning class periods, and it was clear that things went more smoothly and productively.  The two English teachers, Lewis and Valentina, have gained confidence and did a wonderful job directing us in our small groups.  We reviewed past lessons, learned new words, played learning games, and produced some hilarious skits. The ones about Becky’s mom are now part of Altagracia culture.  Then it was recess time, 25 minutes of chaos with every child in the school turned loose to find their favorite American.  Some of us played games.  Mandy led Simon Says. Amy Smith led chalk drawing.  Most of the students were awash in a scrum of children, sort of massive group hugs. Rob sat in the shade and took on dozens and dozens of children in thumb wrestling. The aggressive children who pushed to the front to play had less luck.  Some of the first and second graders had very good luck.  Recess ended at 10:30, and we made our way to the bus.  It was time for an afternoon of R and R.  We drove the very familiar (to some of us) route to the village of Hernando Alanso, where we had worked in the school for the past two years.  Passing the school, we came to the “Tree House” a unique mini-resort on a hillside overlooking the reservoir.  Some of Rita’s groups had stayed there in past years.  There have several open rooms with balconies, a pol table, and a swimming pool. Many of us headed straight for the pool.  Others played pool.  Soon we were served a delicious meal of barbecued chicken, rice, cassava and pineapple. It will be weeks before we can try the bland, stringy version we get back home. Cotui is not just the pineapple center of the country - it’s known as one of the world’ best.  After lunch, some of us returned to the pool.  Some took long walks to the reservoir. Some napped. After a while, a detachment of us got a ride in a little red mini-taxi to the Hernando Alanso school. We got there in time to see many of the students who were hanging around after school.  It was amazing that we recognized some of them, and were remembered in kind.  We saw the playground we had built, so well used that many of the markings on the basketball court and hopscotch area were almost worn off.  Frank and Rob promised themselves that they would be back next year to repaint them.  We saw the library we had built in a sectioned-off part of a classroom.  It was thrilling to see that it was clean, full, and obviously used regularly.  We were happily surprised with a small reception organized by Jenny, the Assistant Director and a dear friend.  All too soon our bus was at the gate.  We hopped on, continued to
Tree House, and headed back to Cotui for supper, renewed and ready for our last day at school.  After supper, we spent nearly two hours organizing gifts for every student: a new t shirt, a journal, toothbrushes and toothpaste. It’s quite a task for hundreds of kids.  But we now have little packets, sorted by size, tied with ribbons, and ready for these children that we have come to love. We’ll stop by school Friday morning on the way to Santo Domingo to say a final goodbye, but the realization that tomorrow is our last teaching day is bittersweet.