PROGRAM PHOTO ALBUM

TIME CAPSULE LETTER

Hi everyone!

Time flies, it’s been a couple of days since you left our home base in Bayahibe. Guys, first of all thank you for your efforts these last ten days. We really enjoyed getting to know many of you and learning about what made each of you incredible people. we’ve grown so much learning a new culture, connecting with new friendships and becoming better leaders. Your efforts cleaning up the national park Cotubanamá and painting signs meant a lot to Padre nuestro community and our staff.

Also, did you remember the day with the kids? They had the incredible opportunity to learn more the English language and spend time with students from all over the world! We knew you loved that moment. Thanks to all of you we are also able to contribute, support and improve their skills! I hope you are able to keep focusing on positive changes in your communities back home and remember… if you do what you feel you will win even if you lose. As you knew we do not have any power over nature, although we couldn’t see turtles as a team we are very grateful for your resilience and flexibility on the walk, you demonstrated your values ​​and we were able to understand the reasons for our impact as human beings on the environment, and we learned that it is up to us every day to be a change with our actions, no matter how small, they must be consistent.

For all of the above, with the ONE Meaningful Goal activity we could realize about how important it’s to carry kindness, compassion and patience during our experiences even if we don’t get the desire results, and that among this experience together in DR we could find the results of the effort and the challenge of teamwork, how communication is truly the key in order to live well as a community and bring that to your hometowns. Finally, remember to always keep an open mind in life and strive to challenge yourselves every day by getting outside of your comfort zone. Be kind always!

Diego Soto Lagos, Mentor

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Thanks for the checking out the blog for this Global Leadership Adventures program!

Here are a few things to know and expect:

1. Blog posts are written by onsite program staff and/or students and sent to our Headquarters team who will post the blog on this page.
2. We typically receive 2-3 blog updates per week from each program, so please don’t be alarmed if you don’t see a blog post every day – that’s totally normal.
3. Blog updates received late in the evening or overnight will be posted the following day.
4. Blog updates received on weekends may not be posted until Monday.
5. Due to many factors such as internet accessibility, program staff aren’t always able to send photos, so some blog posts may contain text only.

Thank you for your patience and understanding, and we hope you enjoy following along on these unforgettable adventures.

For frequently asked questions about the blogs, please visit our Program Blog FAQ page.

-The Global Leadership Adventures HQ Team

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Click here to jump down to the most recent post!

BLOG POST FOR JUNE 14

¡Bienvenidos a República Dominicana!

We welcomed our young leaders willing to take on the challenge of new experiences that demonstrate what true leadership is. We picked up our group of students throughout all the day at the Las Américas airport, the first group arrived on time and was able to head to the hotel, see the surroundings and have dinner before going to sleep. The second group arrived during the night, we had time to eat and headed to the hotel to rest.

Today, the second day, we will meet with the last two students, Kate Wegis and Tajem Fraihat, due the weather and flight delays from their boarding port, they were unable to be present, but don’t worry, they are fine! Despite the extra hours, everyone came excited and full of anticipation for the next 10 incredible days.

Ready to start!, today after breakfast we will go to the “Los Tres Ojos” national park and then return together to our home base located in Bayahibe. We can’t wait to see these young people in action in the coming days! They have already demonstrated resilience in the face of unforeseen events and climate phenomena when beginning this experience. So, dear parents, guardians and friends, please continue to support our leaders on this journey by checking out our daily blogs and showing your love by commenting below.

– GLA team

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 15

Written by Myra M. And Isabella T.

Hi everyone,

Today was the first day of the GLA trip, during the morning we visited a national park called “tres ojos” as well as the super market. The cave was so cool and unique it was a very exciting experience! We got to learn unique things about the Dominican culture and practice Spanish with the locals. The drive to the Hotel was beautiful even though most of us fell asleep. Also, we were happy when Tajeem and Kate finally arrive to our home base. By the afternoon we had orientation to cover the basics and got to meet everybody and get to know them better, after dinner we had an a cultural night and we learned interesting things about this country and how to dance merengue! Everyone is so nice and sweet we’re very excited to get to know them more.

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 16

Written by Luke P. And Tayeem T.

Bienvenidos!

Today at the GLA program in the Dominican Republic, our group did community service with padre Nuestro at Parque Nacional Cotubamana. We were very fortunate to get the opportunity to see the lush landscape around us, but most importantly, it was a good feeling to pick up the trash surrounding the place. This gave us the feeling that we really made a difference in benefiting this country. One step at a time, we realize that we can work to putting a stop to the pollution that humans our doing to our planet, even if it is only in one limited place at a time. In addition, we also got the opportunity to repaint a little house for the people of padre nuestro. We put in a lot of time in effort to making sure that the work we put in was meaningful to the people.

We later went back to the Bayahibe hotel and participated in a debate activity. This brought us even closer together as a group, giving us the opportunity to know each other’s opinions and selves even better. Tomorrow and the next days that follow, we strive to continue the hard work that comes our way. This is a group effort, as at GLA, working together is better than working alone.

Muchas gracias!

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 17

Written by Valeria I. And Isabo I.

Hola a todos! Today we opened our day with breakfast, per usual, and then went straight to service at Padre Nuestro. When we arrived, we got to work on painting some signs for the tourists that want to visit the underwater cave and some of us finished up the gazebo. As we were waiting for the paint to dry, we were separated into different groups representing a different perspective and started preparing our arguments for our mock debate that was to take place after dinner. Once we finished our service, we took a moderately challenging hike to the underwater cave in which we all got in. I’m confident in saying that we all enjoyed ourselves while there. Once we were done, we took a path back and returned to the home base.

After, most of us got ready to visit the town. We took a walk around it in which we took touristic photos, played a bit of pickup basketball with some of the locals, visited the market nearby, and got some empanadas from a local shop on the side of the road. When we got back, we ate some pizza for dinner, and then did some final preparations for our mock debate. Some funny moments and well prepared arguments took place and in the final moments, a decision was made as to who had the best intentions for the topic of our debate. After that, it was lights out, so we went to bed. Overall, it was a very nice and fun day. Thanks for reading about us!

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 18

Written by Lidia S. And Kate W.

Hi everyone,

Today with our team we visited the community of Benerito as part of our service, there we share and worked with kids teaching english words such as colors and numbers! We enjoyed playing games together, improving our spanish, and dancing to music together. The bond we built was truly special and will forever be an amazing memory. There was nothing but joy and laughter filled throughout all the kids. The service we provided was so impactful to the kids but also to us.

After we finished our long goodbyes with the kids, we visited the local jewelry shop owned by teachers of the kids day camp to provide an income of their own where most of the group purchased many beautiful bracelets and necklaces. We then took a bus ride home where we celebrated Nachos birthday by singing and suprising him with a dominican ice cream cake. Before dinner we debriefed our debate from yesterday, that activity let us understand more about our context here, as a team. Lastly, we wrapped up our lovely day with some delicious beef, rice, and veggies!

Adios!!!

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 19

Hello all!

After yet another great breakfast on the roof, today on our wonderful DR GLA program we took a bus to Hoyo Claro. We hiked all the way on a scenic trail and swam in bright blue, clear water. We ate lunch there before hiking back and hopping on the bus back to our home base.

Once we returned, we walked through the beautiful town of Bayahibe towards the Magallanes beach. We swam and hung out there, enjoying the weather and water, the staff team surprised us with an gelato for us after our days of service.

Upon return to the home base we had our dinner and we split into our mentor groups where we did an activity based upon culture, it was really interesting work as a team and talk about the different features of it and how they can impact on our vision and concept of a new place. We’re so excited for the island tomorrow.

Goodnight!

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 20

Written by Charlotte P. And Marcell C.

Hola a todos !

Today we woke up at our home base, had breakfast and walked to the port to take a boat ride to Saona Island, on the way we stopped and swam in a natural pool. We had a beach day lunch at 12:00. We were very surprised by the beauty and tranquility of this place, with very friendly local people.

On the island we went to an orientation on turtle conservation and how to hatch turtle eggs, there we learned how we should take care of our world so that animals like turtles are safe in our world, and how our actions can impact in the environment. After dinner we did a leadership activity, which brought our group together and showed us how much we appreciate each other and our work as a team. After the activity we play and then turn off the lights!

Buenas noches a todos!

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 21

Written by Lucian I. and Scarlett W.

Hola hola chicos!

Today, we woke up bright and early at 4:30 am for a turtle walk on Isla Saona. Unfortunately, we did not end up seeing turtles, although we did have a nice walk alongside the beach and watched the beautiful sunrise!

Afterwards, we had a great breakfast with fresh fruit, eggs, and cake (our group’s favorite!), We then had a discussion about the impact of people on the beaches and what the specific characteristics of turtles and their nests are. We learned as a group the importance and passion of people like “Negro” who dedicate their lives to caring for an important part of our ecosystem, without expecting anything in return. (During the nesting season, he goes every night in search of endangered eggs and keeps track of nests in good condition!!)
After we played volleyball on the beach.

Finally it was time to come back to Bayahibe! We boarded the boat and had a choppy boat ride that put everyone to sleep. Hannah lost (and retrieved
) her hat from the ocean! Once in Bayahibe, we got gelato and went home to pack our stuff for the journey ahead.

Once we finished packing, we played a quick game of Ninja at sunset circle and finished off the night with dinner and mentor groups. Ready for tomorrow at the city!

Mucha gracias.

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 22

Written by Madison G. And Kaeje F.

Hola a todos!

Today was a great last day in the Dominican Republic. We started the day with a nice last breakfast and left Bayahibe late in the morning. After a long bus ride to Santo Domingo, we dropped our stuff at our hotel and headed out for lunch. We enjoyed pizza as we waited for a heavy thunderstorm to pass over. After checking into our rooms at the hotel, we headed out again for a tour of the area near our hotel, the oldest town in the Americas. We saw many statues, cathedrals, and other pretty architecture. Some of the students bought souvenirs for themselves and others purchased gifts for their family.

We had an hour of downtime to relax and get ready for our farewell dinner in “El conuco” of Santo Domingo. We then gathered as a group for our second to last leadership activity and filled out a feedback form about our amazing experience as the first group of students to experience the Island Service Adventure in the Dominican Republic.

Then we headed out to an amazing farewell dinner. We wrote each other notes and passed them out after we ate. We ended the night back at the hotel in Santo Domingo and said our goodbyes before we leave tomorrow morning.

¡Adios!

PROGRAM PHOTO ALBUM

TIME CAPSULE LETTER

Written by Kyle & the Dominican Republic Team

Wow, it’s been so long since we were all together in the Dominican heat. We are sure missing all the fresh mangos we ate together a little extra right now, but I don’t think anyone is missing the mosquitos. It almost feels like just yesterday we were mixing concrete with the locals and playing with the kids at the medical brigades. You’re all probably back sitting in classrooms either in high school but we wanted you to know that we are all still thinking about you and the hard work and fun memories you created in the Dominican Republic.

You should all be proud of the houses you helped build! You personally helped make sure two more families will have a safe place to live. And as a team, the medicine you provided to so many communities improving people’s quality of life! You met so many individuals at the medical brigades, learned about health conditions and meds, and even practiced some Spanish as well! You also learned about the importance of infrastructure in public health, and saw how privileged we are with our standards for healthcare, housing, etc. Furthermore as volunteers you helped show these communities that others care about them and made them feel seen (especially with all the toys and bracelets you bought and made for them).

Another thing we can’t forget is how much fun we all had together. You guys did an amazing job coming together as a group and learning how to coexist in spaces with people from a variety of backgrounds and with a variety of personalities. From the bus rides to teaching each other how to make friendship (and “cool dude”) bracelets to the many beachside soccer games and chill time in the pool, you guys sure knew how to have fun together. We can’t forget about our trip to Damajagua where we all jumped from the waterfalls, some of us conquering our fears. Or our night out dancing with the locals where we celebrated Anna’s birthday a little early. And snorkeling on our last day, even with the rain it was so cool to see all those fish and to jump off the boat! Even with facing challenges such as the heat and mosquitos you all powered through and made this trip and unforgettable experience. Thank you all for being you!

While reminiscing on the good times we had together in the Dominican we hope you reflect on the OMG (one meaningful goal) you set as a group: Continue to do service work (i.e. volunteer and donate). Have started thinking of ways to volunteer or contribute in your community? We also hope you reflect on any progress you have made on your individual meaningful goals.

During our two weeks together got a taste of a new culture, made new friends, saw how others live, tried new foods, endured the heat and bugs, and lastly, YOU ALL learned so much about yourselves and how you can best be leaders in your own communities and promote public health.

We wish all the best for you as you continue on your journeys as young adults. We hope that you will carry with you in life some of the things you learned and perspectives gained during this program. We can’t wait to see how you will continue to learn and grow and eventually one day even “Be the change!” in your own communities.

Sincerely,

Grace Christopher, Mentor
Kyle Thomas, International Director
Wilson Fortuna, Local Director

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Thanks for the checking out the blog for this Global Leadership Adventures program!

Here are a few things to know and expect:

1. Blog posts are written by onsite program staff and/or students and sent to our Headquarters team who will post the blog on this page.
2. We typically receive 2-3 blog posts per week from each program, so please don’t be alarmed if you don’t see a blog post every day – that’s totally normal.
3. Blog updates received on weekends may not be posted until Monday.
4. Due to many factors such as internet accessibility, program staff aren’t always able to send photos, so some blog posts may contain text only.

Thank you for your patience and understanding, and we hope you enjoy following along on these unforgettable adventures.

For frequently asked questions about the blogs, please visit our Program Blog FAQ page.

-The Global Leadership Adventures HQ Team

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Click here to jump down to the most recent post!

BLOG POST FOR JULY 7 & 8

The day had finally come for the start of our two week adventure in the Dominican Republic! On Sunday students were picked up by Kyle, Grace, and Wilson in three waves. We spent the first evening unpacking, playing some games to get to know each other, and exploring the Home Base and beach across the street. We had a traditional home cooked Dominican dinner including chicken, rice, eggplant, beans, and fresh fruit. After a long day of travel the students were ready for lights out.

Monday was our first full day. We “slept in” for breakfast at 8am and then had our orientation to go over rules and expectations of the program. Afterwards, we all took our swim tests and passed with flying colors. Then we had a pool party and played games. Once lunch was ready, we all reluctantly got out of the water and got ready to enjoy some delicious food including ham, rice, and beans. After lunch, we went to the “bottle house” and worked on cementing the structure for our service project. It was hard work mixing and applying cement in the Dominican heat, but fun as well. We were met by Oliver, our final arriving member of our group of fifteen students!

Later during our free time we went to the beach to enjoy some soccer and dipped our legs in the water. In the evening, we had a delicious dinner of chicken, pasta, and fruit. In the evening, we did a goal-setting activity and wrote letters to ourselves about what we hope to gain these next two weeks. Finally we got our cell phones back after our first full day of “digital detox”. It was a nice start to our new adventures.

– Kyle, International Director / Nathan & Evan

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 9

On Tuesday everyone was woken up by loud thunder and screeching cows (😂) . We met up for breakfast at the normal time, 7am, and the amazing cooks made eggs, potatoes, and prepared delicious fruit to fuel our bodies for our long day of house-building and making cement. Today was a long day of service work but we got a lot done. We listened to music as we worked on the structure of the house, with a break midway for delicious fried rice with chicken and vegetables.

After this massive work, some of us decided to take a nice ice cream to cool down on the way back to the lodge. During free time some of our “football” fans watched the Euro semifinal, France vs Spain streaming on Kyle’s computer. Unfortunately for our three French students, France lost…. By dinner time we had quite an appetite and ate fresh local fish and potatoes. The sauce was absolutely amazing!

To finish the day, Doctor Caho explained us our mission for tomorrow during the medical brigade training (in Spanish, with translation). He taught us how to measure blood pressure, oxygen in blood, about some different medicines and conditions, and some things to expect for tomorrow.

-Tristan & Samuel

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 10

On Wednesday we started the day by leaving home base and heading to our first medical brigade where we helped 30 members of the local community gain access to the healthcare and medications that they needed. As we worked with the locals we had the opportunity to practice our Spanish/Creole skills.

We had a blast working with the doctor and playing with all of the local kids. During the medical brigade we rotated through five stations where we learned about different aspects of the healthcare system such as registering patients, taking vitals, asking about their health history, seeing the doctor, and getting them the medications that they needed. We are all so excited for the opportunity to learn more and meet the locals at our next medical brigade which is on July 15th.

After we got back to home base and cleaned up, we headed over to the beach to play a group game of capture the flag, after that everyone took a little dip in the ocean, then many played beach volleyball followed by a soccer game with some local friends.

Once everyone got home from the beach we had a delicious dinner of burgers and hotdogs which was well deserved. After dinner Wilson, our Local Director, gave us a talk on global health. With his insight on the Dominican Republic we were able to get a better understanding of how health is perceived in places other than where we are from. After that we broke off into our smaller “mentor groups”, which gives us the opportunity to open up and reflect more. We talked about what we learned at the medical brigade and what our values are and how they are similar and different to other cultures. We all had a great time today and are so excited to see what tomorrow holds!

—With love Myra and Anna <3

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 11

Thursday was our first excursion day, and we went to the beautiful Laguna Dudu. All of us had a great time swimming in the fresh water, taking pictures with the caves over head, and doing some jumps. We enjoyed some (virgin) piña coladas and then headed to Playa Grande.

We first enjoyed some lunch on the beach which was very delicious! After, we all headed down to the beach, and decided to do some different activities. Some of us played soccer, some swam, and others of us tanned! It was a very hot day which made us appreciate the ocean much more!

After a long day, we headed back to home base to enjoy dinner and continue some of our group and mentor activities!

-Faith & Beni

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 12

Goooooodmorning! 🌅😊

On Friday we got to sleep in until 8am and had a delicious breakfast! After that we got ready for the day and headed to the bus for the drive to the Women’s Chocolate Collective! We got to try dark chocolate, milk chocolate, and white chocolate. We were given a tour of all the different machines used to make chocolate using the cacao grown on-site. Then we were able to buy some of their goods and started the drive back for lunch.

Before lunch we have a little bit of rest time and then had another amazing meal! We then took a short drive to go build bee-boxes. We put in lots of hard work hammering and cutting the wood to assemble the boxes. These boxes will be given to locals in need along with training to help them produce their own honey and other products. The girls also got their hair done by some of the young locals! After a long day of work we headed back for rest time.

For a few hours we had time to relax, listen to music, swim in the pool, and make friendship bracelets. We then had dinner where we all got to try Sancocho! Lastly we had a malnutrition talk with the doctor and took the rest of the night to rest.

Gooodnighttttt 😴🌌

-With love, Maya and Naomi

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 13

To start off the day, we visited a historic fort adorned with cannons and history. We then went to an amber museum and learned about various minerals found in the Dominican Republic. Wanting to stock up on souvenirs, snacks, and clothing from the DR, we went shopping and touring around Puerto Plata followed by a fulfilling lunch. Afterwards we shopped at Jumbo center for some familiar snacks and items. Then a cooldown was called for at home base. Dinner flew by, and the day ended with a critical discussion about self-care with Grace.

-Max & Izak

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 14

This morning we woke up and ate a delicious breakfast with eggs and pork. We then went to the “bottle houses” and finished concreting a bathroom. Then we ate lunch which was rice 🍚 and chicken 🍗 and beans 🫘 and it was so yummy 😋.

After lunch at the work site, we finished up our work by setting up the floors in one of the houses with dirt we dug from a hole outside 🕳️. We also got to interact with locals including the family who will live there, and played with some local kids.

We headed back to home base at 3:00 and spent some time cooling off in the pool before a small group of us went to watch the Euro Cup Finals on a laptop ⚽️. We decided to leave in the middle of the match for a trip to the beach where we played a quick game of our own of soccer on the sand🏝️.

At 5:00pm we returned and got ready for a delicious dinner of rice, pork, and plantains 🍽️. With a full belly, we spent the evening with a healthcare talk from Wilson, then he taught us how to dance Bachata 💃🕺. Finally, we wrapped up our day with some free time to relax before we hit the hay and got ready for the next day 😴.

-Nate & Oliver

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 15

On Monday went to the medical brigade to help the locals by giving them a health screening and medicine. This one was nearby in Las Canas so we were able to walk there. About seeing about 40 local patients, we had a lunch there of local fish, pasta salad, potatoes, a d veggies. We brought lots of food today so we’re able to share with the locals as well!

We got back to camp early and had extra free time where everyone had their choice of beach, pool, or just relaxing. Those who went to the beach took a dip in the sea and played football (soccer). Then we had dinner and ended the day with a video on the projector about the history of Hispaniola, which the DR shares with Haiti. Then we had a movie night and watched a horror film.

-Adrien & Jules

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 16

We started the day with another amazing breakfast 🍳 at homebase, then packed up and prepared for a 2ish hour bus ride 🚌 to Damajagua! There we put on our life jackets and helmets, and started our treck up the hill 🏔️. After our wait, we got to experience natural Dominican water slides and jumped from a few waterfalls 💧!

On our way back we stopped at the supermarket 🛒 and stocked up on a bit (a lot) of snacks for the remainder of our trip. Then we had a very classic Dominican lunch, McDonalds!! 🍟

At “chow circle” we reflected on our highs, lows, and mids of the day, and then enjoyed dinner 🍲. After dinner our local director, Wilson, gave a talk on human security, where he explained the different types of security such as economic, personal, and environmental 🌎. At night we set up the projector and finished our chosen (scary) movie, which may or may not have scarred us for life 🍼(iykyk). We are looking forward to our last day of service at the “bottle houses” tomorrow! 😻

-(The best group leaders,) Myra & Anna! 😘

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 17

On Wednesday we had a great start to the morning by our wonderful cooks making us pancakes! It gave us enough fuel to get through our last day of cementing. We made four batches of concrete and helped make the floors of one of the houses. We also enjoyed our time interacting with the locals and playing with the kids.

Our afternoon activity was the debate. We split into groups and debated a hypothetical, but very relevant situation of the Dominican government building a sports stadium in a low-income Haitian community. Though it was an activity we might have dreaded, we got very into it and had a great debate.

After some pool and chill time, we finished off the night with dinner and mentor groups, with a nice beach sunset walk in between.

-Beni & Faith

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 18

On Thursday we started off with another amazing breakfast and then packed up to head to our last medical brigade. It was about a two hour drive and then we got to work. It ended up being very slow with only about 10 patients, but still it was important we were there as a resource for the community. Since we had more time we all did friendship bracelets, or as the guys like to call them, “cool-guy bracelets”.

After we had packed up all the things from the medical brigade we walked into a “bateye” community in La Grúa. “Bateyes” are settlements where former sugar mill workers are housed. These people would do very hard labor for little pay, and lived/live in very poor conditions without running water or other services. This one has a very large Haitian population, who have left their home country, but remain without Dominican citizenship or rights.

We walked through this community and spent time with the local children. We played hand games, gave piggy back rides, and played soccer. They were excited to receive some candy and little items we passed out.

Once we were back at home base we started getting ready for dinner and our “night out with the locals”. With the locals we danced for hours on end and learned how to bachata. Everyone had an incredible time.

We finished off the day with a night swim in our clothes and then headed to bed! 😊😊

-Maya and Naomi

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 19 & 20

Friday was our last full day of our program! We started the day with breakfast and headed to Playa Sosua. There we boarded a boat and took a ride out on the water. They took us to some coral reefs for snorkeling! We enjoyed seeing the many varieties of colorful fish then some jumped off the boat into the water. Unfortunately, the weather was a little gray with some rain… But we were getting wet anyways! Afterwards, we returned to Sosua Beach for some (long-awaited) pizza, souvenir shopping, swimming, and relaxing for a few hours.

Then back Home Base the students completed another goal-setting exercise and reflected on the past two weeks. After some time for packing and dinner, we did an “appreciation circle” where the students highlighted each other for different things. After, we walked over to the beach for a bonfire! Some students wrote and “threw their fears” into the fire. We enjoyed until some heavy rain came down and we had to run for shelter nearby to wait out the storm.

The next morning, Saturday, the day had finally come to say goodbye (for now). Students had breakfast and headed off in several airport trips to Puerto Plata and Santiago with our final two students returning to France that night.

I think I can speak for everyone (and so can the survey results) in saying that an amazing time was had by all! The students experienced a new culture through the lenses of service and adventure. They got a glimpse into the lives of locals in the Dominican Republic, learned about healthcare in a developing country, enjoyed various excursions, practiced some Spanish, and made many new friendships while stepping out of their comfort zones.

Wilson, Grace, and I wish the best for all students and hope that they can carry these experiences and what they learned with them in the future, and can one day “be the change” in their own communities! ¡Nos vemos en el futuro!

-Kyle, International Director

PROGRAM PHOTO ALBUM

TIME CAPSULE LETTER

Written by Kyle & the Dominican Republic Team

Wow, it’s been so long since we were all together in the Dominican heat. We are sure missing all the fresh mangos we ate together a little extra right now, but I don’t think anyone is missing the mosquitos. It almost feels like just yesterday we were mixing concrete with the locals and playing with the kids at the medical brigades. You’re all probably back sitting in classrooms either in high school or college (Joel) but we wanted you to know that we are all still thinking about you and the hard work and fun memories you created in the Dominican Republic.

You should all be proud of the houses you helped build! You personally helped make sure two more families will have a safe place to live. And as a team, the medicine you provided to so many communities improving people’s quality of life! You met so many individuals at the medical brigades, learned about health conditions and meds, and even practiced some Spanish as well! You also learned about the importance of infrastructure in public health, and saw how privileged we are with our standards for healthcare, housing, etc. Furthermore, as volunteers you helped show these communities that others care about them and made them feel seen.

Another thing we can’t forget is how much fun we all had together. You guys did an amazing job coming together as a group and ultimately made the vibe of this trip fun and inclusive. The staff throughout the home base commented on what a lovely group you were! From the bus ride concerts to late night card games, you guys sure knew how to have fun together. We can’t forget about our trip to Damajagua where we all jumped from the waterfalls, some of us conquering fears or our night out dancing with the locals, which turned out to be our last night all together.

Even with the many last-minute departures due to weather, you all kept positive and focused on all of the great parts of the camp you did get to experience. You made this group one we will never forget. So, thank you for being you!!

With the sudden departures we weren’t able to set a group OMG (One Meaningful Goal) but we hope everyone will take some time to reflect on our own personal goals we made and goals of how we can make an impact on our own communities. Take some time to write out the steps to achieve that goal and don’t forget to make them S.M.A.R.T.!

During our two weeks together got a taste of a new culture, made new friends, saw how others live, tried new foods, endured the heat and bugs, and lastly, YOU ALL learned so much about yourselves and how you can best be leaders in your own communities and promote public health.

We wish all the best for you as you continue your journeys as young adults. We hope that you will carry with you in life some of the things you learned, and perspectives gained during this program. We can’t wait to see how you will continue to learn and grow and eventually one day even “Be the change!” in your own communities.

Sincerely,

Grace Christopher, Mentor
Kyle Thomas, International Director
Wilson Fortuna, Local Director

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Thanks for the checking out the blog for this Global Leadership Adventures program!

Here are a few things to know and expect:

1. Blog posts are written by onsite program staff and/or students and sent to our Headquarters team who will post the blog on this page.
2. We typically receive 2-3 blog updates per week from each program, so please don’t be alarmed if you don’t see a blog post every day – that’s totally normal.
3. Blog updates received late in the evening or overnight will be posted the following day.
4. Blog updates received on weekends may not be posted until Monday.
5. Due to many factors such as internet accessibility, program staff aren’t always able to send photos, so some blog posts may contain text only.

Thank you for your patience and understanding, and we hope you enjoy following along on these unforgettable adventures.

For frequently asked questions about the blogs, please visit our Program Blog FAQ page.

-The Global Leadership Adventures HQ Team

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Click here to jump down to the most recent post!

BLOG POST FOR JUNE 20 & 21

Our long awaited arrival day has come! GLA staff welcomed our first 11 students to the D.R. arriving at Puerto Plata and Santo Domingo airports. The first evening, students settled in at the very tropical Home Base and checked out the beach just minutes away. We enjoyed a home-cooked local dinner and played some ice-breaker games to get to know each other and start making new friends. Some flight changes and travel hiccups caused delays for our last three students, but by Friday morning, we had our complete group of 14 united!

Friday was our first full day on this new adventure. We started our morning with a delightful breakfast consisting of fresh fruit, eggs, and mangú (a traditional Dominican dish made of mashed plantains) . After breakfast we competed during our scavenger hunt around home-base, working together with our new peers in teams. Then we had our orientation where we reviewed some basic rules and went over the code of conduct. We then strolled over to our work-site for our first day of service. We are helping construct a house which will benefit local community members. We mixed concrete and spread it on the walls, with the help of some new local friends.

We enjoyed our pool time after taking swim tests following our return from service. We relaxed with many pool games before some free time until meeting up for dinner. During “chow circle” we reflected on our day and highlighted some students. Dinner tonight was pasta, chicken, and fruit. After dinner activities consisted of expanding our knowledge during our Dominican healthcare talk, and then breaking into mentor groups where we practiced making SMART goals. Each individual made their own goals and wrote a letter to themselves for the end of the trip with accomplishments/goals they hope to have achieved. After our first full day, we were ready for bed.

-Kyle, International Director / Ayla & Carolyn

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 22 & 23

On Saturday we returned to worksite to continue construction on the house. We ended up finishing 90% of the walls and made a lot of progress. We had lunch at the worksite, after eating we danced bachata with the locals and had a LOT of fun! After lunch we went back to work for a couple more hours, then walked back to home base stopping for ice cream on the way. It was very refreshing after a long day in the heat.

We relaxed for a while, then went to the beach, where we played beach volleyball and enjoyed the beautiful landscape. The group came back to our rooms and got ready for “chow circle”, where we reviewed the highlights of our day and gave shoutouts to the people that stood out during our service today. After eating fish, potatoes, salad, and fruit for dinner, we had medical brigade training in preparation tomorrow with Dr Caho. We learned about how to take vitals, the different kinds of medications for diseases, infections, and sicknesses. Today was filled with lots of productive service, interaction with locals, and fun in the sun!

On Sunday we drove to local church in La Hermita to volunteer and help families at a medical brigade. We had five different stations which consisted of registration, vitals, clinical history, doctor station, and the pharmacy. The students rotated through stations experiencing each station with an open mind and an open heart. We stepped out of our comfort zone by practicing some Spanish and interacting with the patients! Through our experience we learned not only a lot of medical diagnoses but we also interacted with the locals.

We learned through this experience that people in the Dominican Republic have very limited recourses compared to the people living in the US. This medical brigade helped put things into perspective including going to the doctor’s office, being prescribe medication and more. On the way back we stopped at a supermarket, to try some local snacks. Later that night we split up into two mentor groups to discuss our experiences from today and identify and discuss some of our principle values.

– Kendall & Lara / Stella & Reilly

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 24 & 25

Monday was a very relaxing/chill day. We started off with delicious pancakes and hot chocolate. Then we took a bus ride for a morning at Laguna Dudu. At the lagoon we enjoyed the cool water and faced our fears jumping off a small cliff into the blue water. After that we went to beautiful beach, Playa Grande where were ate lunch on the beach.

Once we got back to the Home Base we had free time, chilled and took showers. Before dinner we shared the highlights of the day. Then we ate a fulfilling dinner with quesadillas. After that we had a talk about malnutrition with Dr. Caho. Finally we went to bed after a long day.

-Mia & Jahanna

On Tuesday we traveled to a female founded chocolate factory called Chocojoba. We taste-tested multiple products made out of the locally grown cocoa pods. Then we received a tour of the machinery used in the process of making chocolate. Ending with the opportunity to purchase all the products.

After returning to Home Base for lunch and a quick break, we headed back out to construct bee boxes at the home of a local Dominican. He provided the boxes and training to members of the community in need as a source of profit for them. In the process of creating the bee boxes, we sawed wood, nailed together the pieces, and painted them a bright yellow. We enjoyed some fresh starfruit and honeycomb after a long day’s work.

With a bus ride filled with music and group games, we arrived back at Home Base to enjoy some free time consisting of pool games and cards. To finish off our day we had a delicious dinner then watch a Ted Talk about stereotypes and had thoughtful conversations with our mentor groups. Overall it was an absolutely FANTASTIC and successful day.

-Reilley & Sophie

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 26 & 27

On Wednesday students took a road trip to visit many must-see attractions in Puerto Plata. They began the day with an hour-long bus ride filled with games and music and arrived at the fortress. At San Felipe fort they had the opportunity to take pictures of the fort with the ocean, monkeys, and parrots and did a guided audio tour where they learned the history of the fortress. Then, the students traveled to Amber museum where they had a brief tour and learned the rich history of Dominican amber, saw many different variations, and had the opportunity to purchase some souvenirs. To beat the heat students cooled off with piña coladas (non-alcoholic 😉) and empañadas at a local shop.

After stopping at two historical sights students spent time walking around and exploring Puerto Playa. They saw an all pink street and another fun street filled with rainbow umbrellas. They stopped for lunch at a local restaurant, where students chose their food from a buffet of various Dominican foods. Finally, students spent down time at Sosua Beach where they swam in the ocean, laid in the sun, and got their hair braided. To end the night,students had chow circle, dinner and group leadership activity. Tonight they focused on self-care and how to find and implement self-care practices into daily routines and then watched a video on the history of Haiti and Dominican Republic to prepare for tomorrow’s medical brigade.

– Jada & Supriya

On Thursday woke up to a beautiful sunrise. Had a lovely breakfast before heading off to our second medical brigade. The two hour car ride there had many sleepy eyes. Arrived to our location and had a productive day taking vitals and checking in patients for the doctor to see. We had two doctors today that loved to teach us about their inspiring work. Then we had tacos for lunch at a nearby home. Then finished up the day by visiting a local Haitian refugee community. The kids were so happy to see us and laugh with us.

Started the trek home with some hype music. Stopped and a large “American style” supermarket for some snacks to remind us of home and cool us down. Once we arrived at Home Base we had a yummy dinner. After some stories and laughs, our amazing local director Wilson taught us some local dances including Bachata to end the night. And that’s a wrap of another beautiful day in the Dominican Republic.

– Elliotte and Joel

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 28 & 29

On Friday morning a group of us got up at around 5:30am to venture to the beach and experience an otherworldly phenomenon: a Dominican sunrise! As we strolled along the sandy shores, the waves washed over our feet, and the sun peaked behind the monumental clouds. When we returned to our beloved homebase, we ate our delectable morning meal. Then, our group returned to the “bottle houses” and continued our taxing physical labor working construction on the home (doing touch-ups from previous groups). After a long hard day under the same sun we had watched rise that morning, we refreshed our palate with delightful ice cream.

Once arriving at our homebase, we rejuvenated with afternoon naps, card games, and cleansing showers. After dinner we had an informative healthcare systems talk with the one and only Wilson Fortune (Dominican local director). We then continued onward to our Mentor Groups to reflect on some of the life-changing experiences of the past few days. We are having an absolute blast and learning colossal amounts of knowledge about healthcare.

-Carolyn & Kendal

We started off our day Saturday with a nice warm breakfast. A few early-risers went for a run with Kyle on the beach before breakfast. That morning we took a long bus ride to Damajagua waterfalls. We hiked up the mountain and began our journey passing through a series of waterfalls, caverns, natural water slides and even braved a few jumps. Then after a buffet-style lunch we headed back to home base. We enjoyed some music on the bus and each others’ company, until most fell asleep.

We enjoyed some free time playing cards, had dinner and then Wilson gave us talk about human security in the DR. Then we all gathered to watch a movie on the small projector. We finished off the night getting tucked into our cozy beds covered with nets.

-Mia & Elliotte

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 30 & JULY 1

On Sunday after breakfast we headed to our third and final medical brigade in nearby Gaspar Hernández. The site was a local church in a neighborhood with a very large Haitian population. It was small and LOTS of patients waiting to be helped. Today was perhaps the most challenging of the brigades due to the small space, heat, and many patients spoke only Creole and very little Spanish! Our local director Wilson was really put to work helping translate between Creole, Spanish, and English.

After returning to home base, free time, and dinner the group got dressed up for a “night out with the locals”. We walked down the road to the house of Diosi, our lead chef at Home Base. We brought cartons of ice cream, soda, and lots of smiles. We danced to bachata, merengue, and raggaeton along with our new Dominican friends, young and old and had a blast! The Dominicans really know how to have fun!

Monday was a combination of mixed emotions and sudden farewells for some students. We woke up confronting the prospect of Hurricane Beryl making its way through the Caribbean south of the DR. While we had been monitoring the storm closely and were confident of our preparedness and the safety here on the north of the island, many parents understandably made the tough decision to fly their students out as soon as possible. Our group of 13 was down to 11, then 10, then seven with three more leaving early tomorrow. Despite the sudden and unexpected end of the program for many, the group kept their spirits high and were smiling and laughing until their departures!

That evening, our remaining group completed a few leadership exercises before dinner. Then we headed to the beach for an appreciation circle, bonfire, and soccer with some local friends. We were missing our departed friends but really soaking up all of the final experiences we could!

-Kyle, International Director

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 2 & 3

We started the day on Tuesday at the crack of dawn with a “silent sunrise” at the beach. We took some time to be mindful, listening to the waves and reflecting on the past two weeks. After breakfast we said farewell to three more friends, Kendall, Sophie, and Reilley. We were down to four remaining students.

With the storm situation looking safe (for our location in the Caribbean at least), we headed for one final adventure – kayaking! The ride there/back was half of the fun! We piled into the back of an open air jeep, where it started to rain on us. But we were dressed for the water so we laughed and had a blast “off-roading” all the way to the launch site. Along with our tour guides, we set off down the river, stopping along the way for snacks. Once we finished, we trekked and sloshed through the muddy paths to finish with a nice home cooked meal and delicious coffee. It was certainly an adventure with lots of laughs. That evening we packed, relaxed, and watched a movie on the projector.

On Wednesday we slept-in for a later breakfast and enjoyed our last moments at Home Base. We made final preparations for departure, packing and cleaning. Then the time had come to say our farewells! Our initial group of fourteen had little by little dropped down to only 4 leaving at their originally scheduled departures.

Despite the unpredicted circumstances in our final days, I think I can speak for everyone in saying it was an amazing two weeks! The group dynamic was fantastic, lively, and inclusive. Students stepped out of their comfort zones, practiced their Spanish, learned about medicine and healthcare, and saw how different lives can be for people here in the Dominican Republic. Not to mention really making a difference for people in need through our service work and medical brigades!! Many great friends and memories were made by all.

Best of luck to everyone and we look forward to seeing how you will “Be the change.” as you all continue on your journeys and become leaders in your own communities! ❤️

-Kyle, International Director

PROGRAM PHOTO ALBUM

TIME CAPSULE LETTER

Written by Amelia & the Dominican Republic Team

Hello my beatiful and feirce pirates and mermaids!

It seems like just the other day we were asking who would be joining for a sunrise run/walk! We hope that since departing the Dominican Republic you have all settled back into your lives. You may have experienced some culture shock and although this is often accompanied by missing different aspects of your travels, we hope you have been able to come through it with a sense of joy and groundedness.

You are missed here too – the morning after you all left Johnny (the dog) came over and tried to go in all the rooms since it was so quiet with no one in the common area! There is also a great sense of gratitude from the impact of your service. Now that you finished the floors in both houses, the families are able to put the finishing touches in painting the walls and moving in. Your energy, your songs, and all of your positivity are literally supporting them every day.

We hope you are enjoying your cacao products and honey even if its just a memory of the deliscious taste we received after making bee boxes. How wild that Jhonny and his wife came to rescue the bee colony in the girls room and a few days later we were able to help him and them out with our capentry skills!

We want to remind you to be proud of yourselves for the growth you went through here stepping out of your comfort zones to make meaningful connections and take on leadership roles. From speaking with Paula and Jhon to get ice cream and candies, to shadowing Dr Caho and Luisa the pharmasist in our medical brigades. You were able to welcome patients, take their vitals, listen to what each person was experiencing in medical history and help get the medication they need. We experienced many leves of language barriers and yet your care was understood loud and clear.

Shout out to all of our relaxing routines that we developed in between as well. The bananagrams, the card games (esp kill the land lord), hammock time, friendship bracelets, reading, pool time and beach days in sosua, playa grande, the laguna dudu, and right in front of home base – oh and the beach Olympics! I hope you’re all still styling your bachata, merengue, and llama dances – and lets not for get our coreo from both Nart and Ava! These moments were invaluable, and added to our perspectives, connections with each other, and joy in the little things.

Do you remember your One Meaningful Goal that you created in your mentor group? In RJ’s group you commited to becoming more appreciative of the things you have and take note each day of what you are grateful for. In Amelia’s group you commited to spread awareness about single stories by asking questions, staying curious, and continuing to learn about new perspectives. These are both commitments you can use to inspire change and continue to be leaders!

Thank you so much for your consistant efforts while you were here and we hope that you hold your experiences close as you move through your lives. We hope you remember the joy, that you remember each other, and the positive influence that you can bring with you no matter where you are in this world.

Un gran abrazo
Amelia, RJ, Beca, and Nilsa

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Thanks for the checking out the blog for this Global Leadership Adventures program!

Here are a few things to know and expect:

1. Blog posts are written by onsite program staff and/or students and sent to our Headquarters team who will post the blog on this page.
2. We typically receive 2-3 blog updates per week from each program, so please don’t be alarmed if you don’t see a blog post every day – that’s totally normal.
3. Blog updates received late in the evening or overnight will be posted the following day.
4. Blog updates received on weekends may not be posted until Monday.
5. Due to many factors such as internet accessibility, program staff aren’t always able to send photos, so some blog posts may contain text only.

Thank you for your patience and understanding, and we hope you enjoy following along on these unforgettable adventures.

For frequently asked questions about the blogs, please visit our Program Blog FAQ page.

-The Global Leadership Adventures HQ Team

---

Click here to jump down to the most recent post!

BLOG POST FOR JULY 17

Saludos all the way from the Dominican Republic! We are excited to be here with all of your students on this gorgeous sunny day (only inturrupted by a short 10 munite rain shower)! After two seamless airport pick ups from puerto plata, all 13 are here at home base and we are looking forward to a couple of weeks together full of growth, learning, and leadership.

The first 5 students to arrive spent the afternoon with mentors RJ and Amelia settling into home base and playing card games while awaiting the other 8 students. Once everyone had arrived we officially launched into getting to know each other and of course food! Our local team welcomed us with a traditional Dominican dinner and some amazing passion fruit juice – so refreshing!

After dinner we got to continue learning about eachother through some games and a presention to highlight what we are here for and expectations while we are together. We saved the best part of orientation for tomorrow after breakfast so that we could all finish settling in and get some rest after our travels.

The students were warmly welcomed by the DR with a brief power outage which they all handled like true leaders – coming together with flashlights and snacks until the lights came back on and it was time for bed.

We are so happy to be here to guide your students through this experience and cant wait to see how they continue to bond as a group and grow as individuals. Thanks for all of your support and following along with their journey here! Feel free to comment and show love below and stay tuned for our next blog in the days to come.

Best,

Amelia, Mentor

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 18

Hola! Day 2 is complete and we just wanted to summarize our day for everybody back at home. We started our day with a delicious breakfast. We had pancakes, fresh fruit, oatmeal, eggs, and lots of yummy stuff and then we finished our last bit of orientation. We talked about culture and community service, and comfort zones and how we will be able to help out the local communities.

Then we started heading out at 1pm to go help mix and put concrete on a house that will be utilized by a member of the community. It was a lot of hard work and lots and lots of sweat but it made it all worth it when we got to see the progress on the house and know the impact its gonna have the people living in it.

After, we headed back home and got in the swimming pool and enjoyed that relaxing break from the super super bright sun and then ended the night with our mentor group discussions, and lots of fun board and card games. We hope you feel like you were right here with us (minus the sweat, blood and tears), and we will be back tomorrow night to share the rest of our experiences!

Ibk and Ava

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 19

Hola Amigos y Familia,

Today we started the day with a great nutritious breakfast which consisted of fried cheese, smashed plantains, fried eggs, fruit and a smoothie. Yum!

Afterwards we had a nice walk over to the same community where we helped yesterday. We mixed concrete and helped to bring it into the house we were building while being guided by Luis, the local builder.

We were suddenly surprised by strong rain and got absolutely soaked, which was refreshing after sweating ourselves for a few hours.

We fortunately had lunch which was chicken fried rice, fried plantain, and salad at the construction site. Being able to have hot lunch really helped us recharge and also was delicious.

We were able to finish filling the front porch with concrete an hour earlier. We were all proud and felt good about the awarding result which also gave us an hour more of free time.

We had ice cream and soaked in the pool as a reward for our hard works.

At night we were able to have a detailed training session to prepare ourselves for our first medical brigade tomorrow.

All in all today was fulfilling and fun with everyone participating and witnessing how the flooring was done and enjoying our sunny Dominican afternoon with ice cream and pool time!

– Pato and Daniel

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 20

Today in the morning the group had a great breakfast of french toast and several fruits. At 8 we had a eventful two hour bus right to our first Medical Brigade. There were five stations all doing different work, including registration, vitals, clinical history, doctor assistance, and pharmacy. We worked with a professional doctor and pharmacist who assisted us.

At the end of the service, we had a lot of fun dancing with all the little kids and listening to fun music. We went back to the homebase and had a chow circle and a great dinner. After that, we split into mentor groups and had a very deep conversation about stereotypes. By the end of the night, we were playing a bunch of fun board and card games!

Lexi and Satya

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 21

Hello friends and family, we started the day today with a breakfast at 7am. After breakfast around 7:30 most students departed to their room to get ready for the day. At 8am we left for our first excursion at Laguna Dudu. We arrived at about 9:30am and went straight to enjoying swimming in both the large and small lagoons along with playing volleyball with locals. At about noon we departed from Laguna Dudu to our next excursion located in Rio San Juan, which is a beach called Playa Grande. We had a delicious lunch there and after we were all finished we headed down to the beach. We all spent time swimming in the ocean, playing games in the water, hanging out with locals and all around having a great time.

At around 3 we left from Playa Grande and headed back towards base camp. Once arrived back at home we had about an hour of free time to play cards and walk to the store. At around 5:50 we had our chow circle where we shared announcements, highlights of our day, shoutouts and played a card game to introduce our new leaders of the day for tomorrow! At 6 we had a lovely dinner together and around 7 we started our Malnutrition talk with Dr. Caho, which lasted until around 9.

Mya and Izzy

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 22

Hola amigos!

Today, we visited Chocojoba- a women’s chocolate cooperative. We got to tour their process from cacao plant to all kinds of cocoa products, like white, milk and dark chocolate, cocoa oil and butter, and the different cacao products they make. We got to sample and purchase them.

Next, after a delicious Dominican lunch, we visited a local beekeeper. We helped build and paint beeboxes, and we also got to try some fresh honeycomb! Connecting and interacting with the local community was so much fun!

After returning to Home Base, some of us bought some snacks like empanadas, ice cream, and candy. We got to relax in the pool and play games together. After dinner, we had a group activity where we reflected on the things each of us value, as well as our first week in the Dominican Republic. Buenas Noches!

Grant and Maya K.

BLOG POST FOR JULY 24

Written by: The Natalies

Hey everyone, Natalie^2 here today and we had so much fun! We woke up and had some eggs breakfast rolls and some juice. Then we headed onto the bus to Puerto Plata and went to the Fortaleza de San Felipe and then the Amber museum. Later we went shopping at the umbrella street and the infamous pink street. Next we headed to an amazing lunch spot.

After that we stopped at Jumbo and got snacks and some froyo. We then headed back just in time for FREE TIME and took a dip in the pool. We then indulged in a scrumptious dinner including some chicken burgers and papaya. For our evening activity we learned Bachata dance with Beca and had a great time. Before bed we played some cards and then headed to sleep.

Good night!

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 25

Hola chicos!

We started off the day with a delicious breakfast, and then we walked over to our service site. We worked on finishing the cement floor of the house we were working on. We even got to inscribe our initials on the front of the house!

After we finished service, we all celebrated with some ice cream. We then went to the pool and to the beach. When we got back, we had a lot of time to read, relax, and play games.

We had dinner, and we had a talk about Human Security. This taught us about the seven elements of human security and prepared us for the medical brigade we will have tomorrow.

Goodnight!

Collin and Maya

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 25

Hola! Today we enjoyed a delicious breakfast in the very early morning at 6:00am as we had to leave for a medical brigade located in Haitian populated town called “La Grua.”

At the medical brigade we were stationed in different sections consisting of different responsibilities (registration, taking vitals, clinical history, doctor’s table, and pharmacy). We were hosted by the town pastor in an unfinished church, which GLA and 7Elements are helping to build. We provided the residents of La Grua with medication and also vitamins. We also all engaged in playful interactions with all the children there including colouring with them, dancing, bubbles and much more that we very much enjoyed!

At around 12:30 we had a yummy lunch consisting of beef burritos and tortilla chips. After we finished with our lunch, we had a walk around the community and heard the backstory of the Haitian community in Dominican Republic. That gave us a lot of insight into the history and life the Haitian people lives. Once we were done with the walk, we loaded onto the bus and headed back to home base.

Once we arrived home we played some card games and other activities before we had our chow circle and ate our delicious dinner. We ended off the night with a debate which in the end we came to an agreeable compromise which left us with life lessons that we will apply to our own lives outside of GLA.

– Daniel and Mya F.

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 26

Hey everyone,

Today we went kayaking in the Jamao river! First we woke up and had a nutritious breakfast before leaving for the river. Jaime, our beloved bus driver, took us part of the way before we switched to a safari vehicle for the more rough and bumpy parts of the road. The safari bus came equipped with a giant speaker and we were listening to Latin party music for the entirety of our 45 minute drive. Lots of fun!

We finally arrived at our destination further up the river and were ready to start paddling. We stopped a few times for snacks and refreshing swims and jumps. After reaching the end of the kayak tour we had a delicious lunch at the top of a small mountain overlooking the river before heading back to the homebase.

This was followed by a quick trip to buy ice cream and other snacks, as well as a talk on global health and our mentor group activities.

Overall it was a very sporty and enjoyable day!

Pato and Ibk

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PROGRAM PHOTO ALBUM

TIME CAPSULE LETTER

Written by RJ & the Dominican Republic Team

Months passed but I can still remember the summer breeze, the sunset glow, and the morning tranquility of Las Canas.

From the fresh fruits— mangoes, watermelon, papaya, melon for breakfast, the chicken, rice, and beans for lunch and the nicest lemonade and passionfruit juice we ever had. I know it’s all food; but wait, that karambola we harvested from Johnny the beekeeper’s place and that coconut water too plus the honeycomb. The dulce de leche icecream from Paula? I will never forget that.

I will never forget the sunrise walks and runs, the jumps in Laguna Dudu, I will never forget the heartwarming heat of the bonfire by the beach. Will never forget the smiles and laughter of the kids during our medical brigades, will never forget the blood pressure machine, the thermometer, the amoxicillin, the 20 tablets of vitaminas. Never forget the songs during the bus rides, never forget the late night talks and snack runs for empanadas. I will never forget that because I will always remember.

I will always remember how good the day was during the snorkelling and beach days, I will always remember how Dr. Caho shared his knowledge and helped us when we are not feeling well. I will always remember Johnny and Toussaint, and I will always remember our 43 hits of volleyball.

And one more thing that I will never forget and will always remember, is that last summer, I was brave enough to travel on my own and challenge myself to be the positive change that I hope, and I wish, and I pray, to see in this world.

RJ

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Thanks for the checking out the blog for this Global Leadership Adventures program!

Here are a few things to know and expect:

1. Blog posts are written by onsite program staff and/or students and sent to our Headquarters team who will post the blog on this page.
2. We typically receive 2-3 blog updates per week from each program, so please don’t be alarmed if you don’t see a blog post every day – that’s totally normal.
3. Blog updates received late in the evening or overnight will be posted the following day.
4. Blog updates received on weekends may not be posted until Monday.
5. Due to many factors such as internet accessibility, program staff aren’t always able to send photos, so some blog posts may contain text only.

Thank you for your patience and understanding, and we hope you enjoy following along on these unforgettable adventures.

For frequently asked questions about the blogs, please visit our Program Blog FAQ page.

-The Global Leadership Adventures HQ Team

---

Click here to jump down to the most recent post!

BLOG POST FOR JUNE 30

Bienvenidos a Republica Dominicana!
Today we welcomed our 13 young leaders ready to take the challenge of new environment, new culture, and demonstrating what true leadership is.

We picked up our 12 students all through out the afternoon at the Puerto Plata airport. While our student Lola was dropped off by her family at the home base. Everyone came excited and filled with so much anticipation for the next 14 days.

Before dinner, everyone had a chance to gather on our first chow circle and get to know Johnny and Toussaint, our very friendly fur-mentors! It was then followed by a traditional Plato Dominicana cuisine for dinner, which compose of rice, beans, chicken, salad, and fruits.

After dinner, we went back to the “comedor” and started our night with a group activity that’s all about sharing what we like and our similarities, which is then followed by our GLA orientation.

We just cant wait to see these leaders in action in the coming days! So dear parents, family, and friends, please keep supporting our leaders in this journey by checking our daily blogs and showing your love by commenting below!

Gracias!

RJ, Mentor

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 1

Today was our first full day in the Dominican Republic. We started the day with a full healthy breakfast at 8 am with eggs, toast, and delicious oatmeal. After that great breakfast we finished orientation and had a fun game of volleyball. Once we were done with that we headed out on a 1 kilometer walk to our service site.

After a long and tiring, yet fulfilling, task of mixing cement and smoothing the walls of concrete, we started our walk back and got some ice cream and made a pit stop at the beach.

Once we got back to the homebase, it was time for our swim test, we all passed! When our dip in the pool was over we got ready for chow circle and dinner. Finally to end the day we had our medical training with Dr. Caho.

Josh and Nathan

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 2

Today we woke up at 7:00am for breakfast and had pancakes and eggs. After breakfast we returned back to help build the family’s house by making concrete and then applying it to the house. At 12:00 we walked to the beach nearby the house to rest then had lunch at the family’s house. They made us rice and chicken.

After lunch we continued working on building the house until 3:00. Then after we walked back we had free time and we decided to buy ice cream and empanadas at the local store. And some of us went of to the beach, leading to dinner at 6 of sancocho de pollo!

Then we had a talk about the 7 Elements of Human Security, which lead to a very insightful discussion. Then we went to our mentor groups and finish off the day!

Jake and Lola

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 3

¡Hola chicos!

We started off the day with plantains, eggs, and a cup of passion fruit juice, to wash out the melatonin of the past eventful night! Then, at eight am we went to the medical brigade where we rotated through stations varying in registration, taking vitals, medical history, shadowing a doctor, and pharmacy. Our personal favorite was pharmacy where we got to translate the doctor’s notes from English to Spanish on a paper bag. Then we collected the right prescriptions and put it in the bag, but you best believe that we didn’t pass on a good photo opportunity, check the pics out please! (Credits to Valentina’s Digital camera, Kodak Pixpro WPZ2)

At 2:30 we headed home and cooled off with some helado and beach time! The helado didn’t fill us up so you best believe we got seconds at supper. Supper consisted of fried fish (not a personal fav of Valentina but Rachel liked it), fried sweet potato, rice and beans (fue muy delicioso), and a passion fruit drink coupled with Kendrick’s passion fruit song. We finished off our night with a very reflective talk: a danger of a single story. Yes, we are still reflecting.

¡Buenas noches!

Valentina y Rachel

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 4

We had an amazing excursion day exploring a beautiful lagoon followed by swimming at the beach.

We started our day at 7 in the morning with a breakfast of French toast, sausage, fruit, scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes, and oatmeal.

After that, we departed by bus about an hour to Laguna Dudu which included rock jumping, fresh water pools to cool off, and more fun things to do. We started off by all jumping into the pools and then explored a cave they had at Laguna Dudu. Afterwards we played an intense game of beach volleyball!

Once we finished at Laguna Dudu we headed over to Playa Grande 25 minutes away to enjoy an afternoon of sunshine. We started our time there with a delicious lunch of pasta, rice, beans, fruit, fried fish and plantain, with a beach view. The rest of the afternoon was spent either swimming in the ocean bodysurfing the waves or getting braided by the locals.

At the end of our time at the beach we all went back to home base to relax and to clean up for dinner. Today for dinner we had quesadillas, bean salad, salad and fruit and it was so good!! Afterwards Dr. Caho came to home base and gave us a talk about malnutrition, how it happens, what it is, and what it causes, and what he does to help fight against it or prevent it. Today was so much fun for the whole group to spend some time together aside from our service projects!

Your Leaders of the Day,

Ella and Carmen

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 5

¡Hola!

Today we had a later start than normal! Breakfast was at 8 which gave everyone a little extra time to catch up on sleep. Much needed. Soon after, we headed out to a chocolate factory, (all women owned and operated.) we were able to sample many different types of chocolate and other products made such as cacao oil and butter for our hair and skin! We also were fortunate enough to see the production through the different machines with a woman walking us through how it worked. At the end we got to splurge on some of the fun treats we got to experience at the beginning.

After that we had a fun ride back to the lodge with top tier aux. A yummy lunch and volleyball later we were ready for more service. The group helped sawing, hammering and painting bright yellow bee boxes. We sampled some freshly harvested starfruit which also came up at dinner again. After, we were able to try fresh honeycomb straight from the hardworking bees. Once we got back to the lodge and had dinner we played games, music and read our books. We ended the day with some more activities like would you rather and answered some reflection questions for the mentors. We are now excited to sleep restfully before a big day of shopping in Puerto Plata tomorrow!

¡Adios!

Greta and Chelsea

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 6

¡Hola amigas y familia!

Today was Laundry Day! Yay! We were able to start the morning off strong with dirty clothes, begging to be washed, and a delicious breakfast at 7 am. Then we embarked on a 2 hour journey to the city of Puerto Plata, where we visited and toured Fort San Felipe and the Amber Museum. Both equally as interesting and educational! Today was an exciting “shop until you drop” day. In that pre tense, many bracelets, necklaces, and other special accessories/gifts were purchased. After getting to learn about the backstory of Puerto plata and the Amber mines, we visited the famous “Umbrella Street” as well as a well known pink street named Paseo de Doña Blanca. All of this happened before 12 pm if you can believe it!

After a delicious lunch, we drove on over to a large market called Jumbo. (A large version of Walmart!) We were allowed ample time to explore, and in essence, buy anything! After a long day of shopping, we arrived back home for a scrumptious dinner and ended the night with Bachata lessons with Beca! Everyone is a professional Bachata dancer now. We had a wonderful day exploring the streets of Puerto Plata today and buying endless souvenirs!

iAdios muchachos!

Addison and Camille

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 7

Hola,

Today we went to Las Canas and started working on a new house! We worked all day and got a lot done. We stopped for a lunch break around 11:40 and ate rice and beans along with other nutritious foods. Then we went back to work and worked until around 3:00.

We walked home and all took showers to wash off the sweat and concrete. Then we went on a stroll and got ice cream and afterwards jumped into the pool to cool off. Next we ate dinner which was chicken tenders and french fries. Then Nilsa talked to us about health care which was very interesting. Buenos Noches!

Julia and Josh

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 8

¡Hola chicos!

We started off the day early with sausage, eggs, and a cup of limeade. Then, at 7am we went to the medical brigade where we rotated through stations varying in registration, taking vitals, medical history, shadowing a doctor, and pharmacy. Today we didn’t have as many patients compared to our first brigade as it was a Monday, and most people have gone to work.

At 1:30 we headed to the “bateys” and Nilsa walked us through the village. It was really interesting and eye-opening to see the living conditions of the Haitians who settled at this area. Then at 2:30 we headed home to have some rest and eat dinner. Supper consisted of fish, rice and chickpeas (fue muy delicioso), and an apple drink (we think) We finished off our night with a very reflective debate about sports stadiums being built in low income communities like what we visited today.

¡Buenas noches!

Valentina y Rachel

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 9 (PHOTOS ADDED)

Today was excursion day! We started the day off at 7:30 am with a tasty breakfast consisting of eggs, toast, fruit and oatmeal. After that, we packed our bags and drove off to our excursion day activity, which was Kayaking! We arrived at the recreation center to hop on to a safari truck. This ride to the river ended up being extremely bumpy and full of adrenaline. After the 45 minute safari trip, we finally arrived at the river site, where we got suited in our PFDs and helmets. Then we were off to a 3 hour long kayaking journey, filled with excitement and snacks in between.

We enjoyed the rapids, cliff jumping, and the little swim breaks in between. Our guides shared local fruits fresh from the trees as well. After a tiring excursion on the water, we ended the outing with a delicious lunch at a local home. We arrived back at the home base with some free time spent getting ice cream and playing football in the common area. Dinner was a much needed break from the chaos, and we finished off the day by watching the sunset at the beach, playing the beach Olympics, and mentor groups. It was an overall wonderful excursion day!

— Jake and Nathan

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 10

Hola!

First, some people went to do sunrise yoga, which consisted of mindfulness and peace while enjoying the sunrise on the beach. After that they headed back and got ready to go and eat breakfast. Followed by service at our second Las Canas house. The last service was incredible as we built walls made out of recycled plastic bottles and covered them with chicken wire followed by cementing them. We finished all the walls in the house!

Then we walked back and jumped in the pool since the power was out, it was free time and some of us went to go get ice cream and empanada. The power came back on then we were finally able to shower and cool off in our rooms. We had dinner and followed by a group activity which consisted of writing out our most important memories, goals, material items and people. Then we had to eliminate them until we had 3 left, which showed us the most important things we cherished in our own personal lives. We followed our activity by journaling and reflections in our mentor groups.

Lola and Carmen