Thanks for the checking out the blog for this Global Leadership Adventures program!
Here are a few things to know and expect:
- 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.
- 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.
- Blog updates received late in the evening or overnight will be posted the following day.
- Blog updates received on weekends may not be posted until Monday.
- 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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JULY 6
Greetings from Santo Domingo!
Today marked the exciting kickoff of our Dominican Republic Island Service Adventure Session 1! Our students finally touched down in the vibrant capital of the DR, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome them.
Most of the day was spent greeting students at the airport, helping them settle in, and getting to know one another. From the very beginning, we could feel the positive energy—there were lots of smiles, introductions, and even some friendly games as we waited for the full group to arrive.
In the evening, we headed into the Colonial City, the historic heart of Santo Domingo, for dinner. Surrounded by centuries-old buildings and the warm Caribbean evening air, it was the perfect setting to launch our journey. We shared a delicious meal, talked about our hopes for the week ahead, and reflected on how lucky we are to be here together. We are excited to have an international crew spanning the US, UK and France.
Tonight we rest up—tomorrow we head east to the beautiful coastal town of Bayahibe, where our adventure truly begins. From service projects to snorkeling and cultural exchange, the week ahead is packed with meaningful experiences, and we can’t wait to dive in.
Stay tuned for more updates—and thank you for sharing your amazing kids with us!
Warmly,
The DR Island Service Adventure Team 🌴🇩🇴
JULY 7
Hello friends and family, we have just completed our first full day in the Dominican Republic. We started it off the day by leaving our hotel in Santo Domingo to go to Bayahibe.
On our way to the hotel we went to a national park called Tres Ojos, Three Eyes. It was a system of caves with several cenotes, large freshwater lagoons, where we saw some breathtaking views and beautiful nature. It was very exciting to learn about the history behind the Cenote and see why it is so important for them to be preserved, especially the crystal clear water.
We then went to a grocery store where we bought a football and lots of snacks and after this we finished our drive to the home base in Bayahibe. We had a delicious meal consisting of rice, beans, chicken, and vegetables.
After lunch, we completed our swim tests to ensure we could enjoy the day tomorrow. We used our football to play a fun game of pool volleyball. This was then followed by a game of Marco Polo. We finished the night with dinner and then got to know our new friends better. After dinner we had a history lesson covering DR history by our local director Jackson, followed by a dance lesson. Our directors Jackson and Ariel taught us merengue and bachata, which soon turned into a dance party with dembow.
We are excited for our first day of service tomorrow with our new friends and new adventures!!
Stay tuned for more!
Abby and Max
on behalf of the Dominican Republic Island Service team
JULY 8
We have had the most exciting experience yet on our third day in the Dominican Republic! We started with an early 7:30 breakfast call, where we enjoyed a bowl of fresh fruits and ham sandwiches. This was then followed by our brief safety meeting where the team provided instructions and safety guidelines.
Soon after, we were met with a stunning coastline where we prepared ourselves to tackle our first community work experience. We split ourselves into two different groups, whereby each group took turns collecting litter on the beach and planting a series of 4 different plant species: brown mangroves, beach grapes, guayacanes and flor de Bayahibe, the DR’s national flower. After finishing our hard work, we all swam in the crystal clear bay where we played volleyball, held chicken fights and went snorkelling. We held a quick lunch of rice and chicken which was followed by another dip into the sea. We took many photos together making long-lasting memories.
Then we took a quick trip to explore another part of one of the beautiful national parks, Padre Nuestro. While there, we hiked up and down, exploring the native plants and the interesting limestone structures. We then arrived at a freshwater underground cenote where we took a dip before climbing out and hiking back to the bus for our trip back to home base. We cleaned up then together played cards and games before heading to dinner. After dinner we wrote letters to ourselves as a goal-setting activity. Finally it was time to hit the hay!
Stay tuned tomorrow for another full day of service in the beautiful national park!
We’ll keep the updates coming!
Michael and Riley
on behalf of the Dominican Republic Island Service team
