Alternative Reading Break

Dominican Republic

Participants on this trip will be travelling to Monte Cristi, Dominican Republic to work with an organization called Outreach 360 (formerly Orphanage Outreach).  Our team will be staying at the Hope of a Child Orphanage and interacting with the children there as well as the local community.  During the day, we will be teaching English in local elementary schools to a variety of grade levels and will have the opportunity to see and experience the community where we are staying in the afternoons/evenings.  

Participants:

• 18 Student Participants
• 1-2 Peer Team Leaders
• 1 Professional Staff Team Leader

Service Projects:

• Teaching English in local elementary schools (no experience or ESL certification required)
• Small projects around the orphanage and the English Institute that Outreach 360 runs in the local community (this may include digging, building, painting, games with children, etc.)

Community Partner:

Outreach 360 provides opportunities to orphaned, abandoned, and disadvantaged children with the goal of “releasing the hero within” each of these children!  While the children who live at the orphanage are a focus of Outreach 360 along with the volunteers who join them, all the children of Monte Cristi are disadvantaged in some way and Outreach 360 provides educational opportunities and contributes positively to the greater community. The economics of Monte Cristi are very poor, the children only go to school for half a day, and there are minimal extracurricular activities for the children to participate in.  Outreach 360 serves the local community by teaching English, completing construction/painting projects, and by providing fun activities for children to do outside their classroom hours.

Visit Outreach 360 on-line at:  www.outreach360.org

Cost:

This trip will cost $1600 Canadian per person*.  A down payment of $200 toward the cost of this trip is due by the application deadline in the form of a cheque or cash.  Please make all cheques payable to Brock University and note your name and student ID in the memo line.  With space on the trip being limited, all deposits will be returned to students who are not selected to participate this year.

*Flights are not booked at this time.  If flights can be found for less than what is currently budgeted for the trip, the cost of this trip will go down and an updated trip cost will be provided to the selected participants.

Medical Precautions:

It is required that all participants have an up-to-date Tetanus and Hepatitis A and B vaccines.  Anti-malarial medication is also required.  Any medical related needs are the responsibility of the participant and not included in the cost of the Dominican Republic experience.

Accommodations & Meals:

Our team will be staying together at the Hope of a Child Orphanage in Monte Cristi, DR.  Participants will be sleeping on bunk beds and will have access to modern washrooms and shower facilities.   Mosquito netting will be provided for sleeping. 

Our team’s meals will be provided by staff at the Hope of a Child Orphanage and include local items (chicken, beef, rice, beans, salads, plantain, etc.) with more North American style breakfasts (pancakes, oatmeal, cereal, etc.).  The water used in meals and available for drinking is purified.  We may also venture into the local community for a meal or snack during the week.  On the way to and from the Dominican participants may wish to eat a meal at the airport.  This will be at each individual's expense and not included in the cost of the trip.  

If you have any additional questions about the Dominican ASB experience, please feel free to contact Sandy Howe at showe@brocku.ca or at x4126.

Applications are now being accepted on a first come, first serve basis! Residence students are given priority if they apply before noon on Thursday, December 2nd. After that time, this trip will be open to all Brock students.

Dominican Republic Participant Expectations:

• Available to fully participate in all pre-departure meetings (dates coming soon - typically Wednesday evenings at 10pm).
• Available to fully participate in the post-trip meeting (date coming soon).
• Available to fully participate for the duration of the Dominican experience during Reading Week (Saturday, February 18 - Sunday, February 26, 2011).
• Submission of a $200 non-refundable down payment (cheque or cash only) with your application by 4:00pm on the deadline day*. 

Please make all cheques payable to Brock University and include your name and student ID in the memo line.  The down payment can be dropped off to Sandy Howe in DeCew, Room 207 during business hours.

• Submission of all remaining ASB fees by 4:00pm on Thursday, January 13, 2011.

Note: If a participant withdraws from the program and a waitlisted applicant is able to participate, the withdrawn participants is still responsible for their fees associated with Outreach 360 as indicated on the Outreach 360 registration page, as well as the cost of changing the name on their flight to that of the new participant.  If no one is able to fill the spot on the trip, the participant is responsible for all fees associated with Outreach 360 as listed on the Outreach 360 registration page, as well as the cost of cancelling their flight. After January 20, 2011, all fees are considered non-refundable.

• Responsible for ensuring valid travel insurance and health insurance is in place for the duration of the Dominican experience. 
• Responsible for obtaining all required medical vaccinations/prescriptions associated with the Dominican Republic  experience.
• Responsible for following all safety related guidelines outlined by the trip leaders and partnering organizations.
• Responsible for arranging valid travel and health insurance.  I agree to check with my parent/guardian regarding valid international Health Insurance.
• Responsible for producing a valid passort and/or VISA.
• Understanding that this is a substance free experience (no drugs or alcohol may be consumed during the experience or purchased to bring back into Canada).
• Understanding that this program is facilitated through Brock University and as such, the Code of Conduct for Brock students extends to cover all behaviour during the experience.

 Apply now to be a student participant!

Apply now to be a Peer Team Leader!