Culture & History in Dominican Republic
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Educational Travel Experience Designed Especially for Hill School Culture & History in Dominican Republic - 182986 March 7 - March 16, 2020 ITINERARY OVERVIEW DAY 1 DEPARTURE FROM NEWARK - ARRIVE SANTO DOMINGO (3 NIGHTS) - ORIENTATION DAY 2 SANTO DOMINGO (EXPLORING COLONIAL SANTO DOMINGO) DAY 3 SANTO DOMINGO (UNDERSTANDING EDUCATIONAL DIFFERENCES) DAY 4 SANTO DOMINGO - LAS TERRENAS - SAMANA (3 NIGHTS) DAY 5 SAMANA (DAY TRIP TO CAYO LEVANTADO) DAY 6 SAMANA (LOS HAITISES NATIONAL PARK) DAY 7 SAMANA - LAS MATAS DE FARFAN (3 NIGHTS) DAY 8 LAS MATAS DE FARFAN (DAY AT LOCAL SCHOOL) DAY 9 LAS MATAS DE FARFAN (DAY AT LOCAL SCHOOL) DAY 10 DEPARTURE SANTO DOMINGO ITINERARY Investigate the World: The Dominican Republic is one of the Caribbean's most geographically diverse countries, with stunning mountain scenery, desert scrublands, colonial architecture and beaches galore. The country's past is writ large in the physical design of its towns and cities, with cobblestone streets where conquistadors once roamed contrast with the scars from decades of misrule. Dominicans appreciate their down time; the social glue of the DR is the all-night merengue that blasts from modest corner stores which are great windows into the culture, so take the chance to join the fun! Educational Tour/Visit Cultural Experience Festival/Performance/Workshop Tour Services Recreational Activity LEAP Enrichment Match/Training Session DAY 0 Friday, 06 March 2020 Our International Studies Abroad (ISA) Resident Director will meet us at the airport to escort us to our hotel and will be available to the group throughout the tour. Our private coach will be waiting to transfer us to our hotel. Our accommodation for the next three nights will be in Santo Domingo. While here, we will enjoy breakfast at the hotel. As the first city in the New World established by European explorers, Santo Domingo retains a historical and cultural allure most evident in its lively and timeless Colonial District. Points of interest in Santo Domingo include Columbus Park, the Catedral Basilica Menor de Santa Maria (the oldest church in the Americas), Fortress of Santo Domingo, Museum of the Royal Houses, and the Castle of Columbus. Despite its population of two million people, this bustling capital city is full of pleasant parks, exhilarating seaside vistas, and neighborhoods ideal for shopping. We will enjoy dinner in a local restaurant. There will be an orientation meeting to provide students with relevant information and useful tools to familiarize them with their host country and the program ahead. Daily Reflection and Group Discussion "We do not learn from experience, we learn from reflecting on experience" - John Dewey On every evening of the program, we will set time aside to update our Reflection Journal and share thoughts and impressions that have come to the fore in the course of the day. DAY 1 Saturday, 07 March 2020 Relax and enjoy our scheduled flight from Newark to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic We will have use of a private coach and driver, while touring for the next eight days. Explore the Ciudad Colonial area of Santo Domingo. It is the oldest permanent European settlement of the Americas. Santo Domingo became the site of the first cathedral, hospital, customs house and university in the Americas. This colonial town, founded in 1498, was laid out on a grid pattern that became the model for almost all town planners in the New World. Visit the Casa de Teatro, which was opened in 1974 by the well-known Dominican writer Freddy Ginebra. The cultural center is home to many new national artists. It is a space for artists to be able to express themselves and showcase their art. While here, there will be an opportunity to hear from representatives of the company. We will enjoy dinner in a local restaurant. 1 DAY 2 Sunday, 08 March 2020 Visit the Pedro Henriquez Urena University, where we will hear from the editor, writer and assistant to the president of the university. Our guest speaker will discuss differences betweeen the Dominican Education System in contrast to United States. Spend time at the Plaza de la Cultura. This large, centrally located park has three museums (two of which are worth visiting), the national theater and the national library. Los Tres Ojos (The Three Eyes in English) is the name given to a 50-yard open-air limestone cave located in the Mirador del Este park in Santo Domingo. The caves contain a series of three lakes, or "ojos". We will enjoy dinner in a local restaurant. DAY 3 Monday, 09 March 2020 Today we will travel from Santo Domingo to Samana. Visit the town of Las Terrenas, just outside of Samana. It is a small and colorful town filled with people that moved from Germany, Spain, France and Canada. Las Terrenas is a great place to find a variety of typical Dominican food. Our accommodation for the next three nights will be in Samana. While here, we will enjoy breakfast at the hotel. Samaná (Santa Bárbara de Samaná) is a town on the Samaná Peninsula, in the Dominican Republic. It overlooks Samaná Bay, which plays host to thousands of humpback whales during winter's mating season. In the bay, Cayo Levantado is a tiny island known for its palm- lined beaches. Take a walking tour of Samana. During our tour, we will be able to learn about how, in the 19th century, African-Americans moved from Louisiana and influenced the culture, religious practices, architecture, and the culinary arts. We will enjoy dinner in a local restaurant. DAY 4 Tuesday, 10 March 2020 Take a boat ride to Cayo Levantado from Samana. This small island off of the coast is a great place for whale watching in the winter and is surrounded by crystal clear water. We will attend a discussion to learn more about the Cocolo heritage and the meaning of the term. Cocolo is a term used in the Spanish-speaking Caribbean to refer to non-Hispanic African descendants. The term originated in the Dominican Republic and is historically used to refer to Anglophone Caribbean immigrants and their descendants. The term can also be used to refer to those who identify with the Afro-Latino culture and music, such as palos, salsa and other Spanish Afro-Caribbean musical genres. We will enjoy dinner in a local restaurant. DAY 5 Wednesday, 11 March 2020 Los Haitises National Park is a national park located on the remote northeast coast of the Dominican Republic that was established in 1976. It consists of a limestone karst plateau with conical hills, sinkholes and caverns, and there is a large area of mangrove forest on the coast. The park contains a number of different habitats and consequently has a great diversity of mammals and birds, including some rare species endemic to the island. Hike to the Salto Del Limon Waterfalls. The waterfall is about 40 meters tall and falls into a nice natural pool of cool waters below. It is crucial that the watershed of Arroyo Chico, the river which plunges 40 meters down the falls, is conserved to insure the long-term future of the falls and water supply for the communities, as well as the inherent biodiversity. While hiking to the falls, we will have the opportunity to see indigenous plant life and animals. We will enjoy dinner in a local restaurant. 2 DAY 6 Thursday, 12 March 2020 Today we will travel from Samana to Las Matas de Farfán. Las Matas de Farfán is a town in the San Juan Province. The town is one of the oldest towns in the entire southwest region. Today we will take part in service activities in the local area. Spend time at the local Haitian-Dominican Market. Our accommodation for the next three nights will be in Las Matas de Farfán. While here, we will enjoy breakfast at the hotel. San José de Ocoa, or simply Ocoa, is the capital of San José de Ocoa province in the Dominican Republic. Its perfect location makes the village particularly charming, as the the beauty of its mountainous and river landscapes are unique. Experience a walking tour of San José de Ocoa. View the various historical buildings and sites as our Resident Director shows us what makes this city unique. We will enjoy dinner in a local restaurant. DAY 7 Friday, 13 March 2020 We will spend the day at Damian David Ortiz School (arranged by the school.) We will enjoy dinner in a local restaurant. DAY 8 Saturday, 14 March 2020 We will spend the day at Damian David Ortiz School (arranged by the school.) We will enjoy dinner in a local restaurant. Final Reflection and Discussion Session This evening we make the final entries in our Reflection Journal and share some of the most significant observations and perspectives that have taken shape in the course of our travel experience and how these may be most relevant for us all as we return home. DAY 9 Sunday, 15 March 2020 Our rewarding and enjoyable tour comes to an end as our Resident Director accompanies us to the airport on our final day. Recognize Perspectives and Communicate Ideas: 3 College Preparatory Credits Through the University of California at San Diego Extension As a result of participating on this program, all high school students are eligible to take an online Global Perspectives course through a learning management system, where all the grading and assessment will be undertaken by the WorldStrides Curriculum and Academics team, led by Wendy Amato PhD. The course offers 3 college preparatory credits through the University of California at San Diego Extension, where credit will be awarded upon successful completion of the online coursework with all costs associated with the course covered by WorldStrides.