Saturday, June 21, 2008
Bringing bins
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Bring a Copy of the Volunteer Handbook
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Old tennis shoes (smaller sizes) - a few groups will be doing some intense hiking and the studentsmay not have good shoes.
Bathing suits don't (for boys and girls) - youth camp will include swimming lessons, but many studentsown bathing suits. Maybe someone can visit their local thrift shops...
Film Containers - I know these are a bit out dated, but it would be really handy to have up to 175! Try asking at a local photo developing shop?
Old Magazines (English or Spanish)
Old Newspapers (English or Spanish)
Monday, May 5, 2008
Addition to Packing List
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Summer School & Camp Wish List
2008 Summer School &
IMPORTANT:
Please see what items you can collect and leave a comment on the blog post claiming the item by number and description so we can see who is bringing what. We will be updating the list once a week by removing what people have pledged to bring with them to the DR or what we have enough of.
All of these items must be hand-carried to the Dominican Republic, so keep in mind how much room you are going to have in your luggage, plus any airline restrictions. Thank you for your help!
Wishlist:
2. Chalkboard spray paint – 15 cans
4. Staplers – 1
9. Sequins - 24 packets
11. Whistles - 13
12. Calculators - 20
14. Gallon tub of White Elmer’s glue - 2
22. Feathers - 38 packages
23. Cornstarch - 10 lbs
28. Spray Bottles - 5-10
29. Extra Large White Chart Paper (Kraft Roll) – 1 package
30. Poster Paper 22" x 28" - 180 sheets
31. String – 6 rolls
38. Glass bug-viewing containers – 5
39. Clay (boneware, the non-firing kind would be ideal) – 50lbs
41. Large Trash bags - 200
42. Small daily planners - 125
43. Aluminum Foil - 10 rolls
44. Plastic Wrap - 10 rolls
45. Small notebooks - 15
46. Bandanas – 250 (different colors preferably in groups of 25 of each color)
47. Athletic jerseys/pennies (in a variety of different colors at least 13 of each color) - 200 URGENTLY NEEDED
48. Sunglasses - 25
50. Small plastic bins - 12
51. Tap shoes (all sizes, used welcome!)
52. Poker chips - 3 tri-color boxes
53. Popsicle sticks - 3 boxes of at least 1000
54. Meter sticks (wooden or rubber) – 3
55. Sets of base ten blocks - 5
56. Decks of UNO cards - 7
57. Dry-erase slates - 14
62. Rolls of 2in gauze - 100
63. Gauze squares, 2x2 inches (sterile in a perfect world, but not really necessary) - 100
64. Gauze squares, 4x4 inches (sterile in a perfect world, but not really necessary) - 50
65. 1.5oz bottles of iodine, 10%....or however they give it to you - 40
66. Band aids of various sizes or all large (can be cut down) - 300
67. Elastic bandage (Ace), 2 inches - 50
68. Tweezers - 50
70. Diphenhydramine 25 mg pill - 50
71. Sets of beginning chapter books in Spanish
72. Paraffin Wax – 10 lbs
73. Colored Powder for coloring wax
74. Plaster of Paris
76. Screen printing frame
77. Screen
79. Inks
82. Magnets – 5 sets
84. Red/White/Blue Beads (Largish plastic ones) – 7,500
85. 125 Toothbrushes
Used Materials to Collect
1. Old Magazines and Photos
2. Large Paper Grocery Bags
3. Empty coffee cans with plastic lids
4. Shoe boxes
5. Variety of Candle Molds
6. Film containers
Video/Photography/Media
2. 1 or 2 digital SLR cameras (Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT, about $550, or Nikon 6.1 MP, about $500)
3. 1 or 2 digital video cameras (Sony MiniDV Handycam or Canon ZR900, both about $250)
4. Camcorder bag(s)
5. A Projector
8. Dictaphones or mini-recorders (5)
9. Mini recorder tapes
10. MiniDV tapes, 20-25
12. Film software (Final Cut Express, about $200)
13. 18 digital cameras (Canon Powershot 7.1 MP Digital ELPH, about $200, or Nikon Coolpix 8.0 MP, about $180)
14. 18 digital camera cases
15. 7 camera memory cards
16. 47 packs of photo paper
17. Batteries for digital cameras (10 packs)
18. Photoshop Software (Aperture ($200) and Adobe Flash)
19. Microsoft Encarta en Español 2008
20. PageMaker Software or any specialized Newspaper Software (Quark XPress, InDesign 1.5)
21. Photo printer (Canon PIXMA Portable Photo Printer, about $250)
22. Extra ink for printer
23. 8x10 frames, 15-20
24. Framing mats, 15-20
25. 1 Apple -Computer -laptop or desktops with at least a 250 GB hard drive
26. Tape recorders, 3-5
Movies/Books:
1) El Lorax, by Dr. Seuss IN SPANISH, 5 copies
2) 2004 In the Time of the Butterflies a.k.a. En el tiempo de las mariposas. Director: Mariano Barroso
3) 1997 La Vita e Bella a.k.a. Life is Beautiful. Director: Roberto Benigni
6) 1998 Balaguer: La Herencia del Tirano. Director: Rene Fortunato
Monday, April 21, 2008
Meet Your Directors!
| Julie Hunter |
| Summer Camp Directors Adolescent Program (Ages 13-18) |
| julie.c.hunter@gmail.com |
| Aislinn Doyle |
| Summer Camp Directors Adolescent Program (Ages 13-18) |
| aislinn.doyle@gmail.com |
| Lee Evans |
| Youth Summer Camp Directors (Ages 10-12) |
| evans.lee.a@gmail.com |
| Jessica Schindler |
| Youth Summer Camp Directors (Ages 10-12) |
| schindler.jessica@gmail.com |
| Jessica Lawson |
| Youth Summer Camp Directors (Ages 10-12) |
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Summer Camp Overview
Project Specifics:
• Name of Project: Guzman Ariza Summer Camp & Summer School
• Location: Cabarete, North Coast, Dominican Republic
• Type of Facility: Summer Educational Program
• Ownership: The DREAM Project
• DREAM Start date at Project: July, 2004
• Current DREAM Volunteer: In the process of soliciting new volunteers for June 2008
• Special Donors: USAID, Guzman Ariza and Associates, Ocean World, Rochester Community
Schools, and all of our DREAM Partners
Project Overview:
In the tourist town of Cabarete, home to Colonial Nueva and Puerto Cabarete public elementary/middle schools, the drop out rate is higher than the national average. An estimated 85% of high-school age youth are not attending high school. Out of the 472 children who studied at the Cabarete Colonial Nueva School, 50 students were enrolled in the sixth grade, and only 22 in the seventh grade for the 2006 – 2007 school year. These records indicate that out of the 134 students entering Colonial Nueva School, 37% made it to the sixth grade and only 12% continued to the seventh grade. It was not until the 2007-2008 academic year that an eighth grade class was offered at this school. At the Puerto Cabarete School, eighth grade graduation rates did not top 40%. The Guzman Ariza DREAM Summer Camp was founded in 2004 with the goal of providing a first quality camp experience for the underprivileged children of Cabarete. However, as both the need and success of the program grew, and waiting lists soared to over 150 youth, “summer camp” soon turned into a school of its own.
In 2008, the DREAM Project will establish two unique summer camp programs: one for 10-12 year olds and another for 13-18 year olds, serving 250 at-risk youth and indirectly impacting over 1,000 community members. At-risk youth are more than just statistics – they are children with specific needs. Over the past four years, the DREAM Project observed and identified the needs of this population. The Guzman Ariza DREAM Summer Camp can provide specialized educational support to reverse the trend of increasing dropout rates and risky behaviors. Youth once labeled “at-risk” will be introduced to the community as responsible and productive members of society. Adolescents will not only gain a skill and develop a trade, but also gain a sense of self-accomplishment. The summer school program builds on our adolescents’ unique strengths and provides the educational intervention that they so desperately need and opportunities that would otherwise be withheld.
The Guzman Ariza DREAM Summer Camp incorporates a unique student-centered, project-based curriculum. Students learn through educational excursions developed to give youth practical, engaging and memorable experiences. Upon entering summer camp, many campers report never having left their immediate neighborhood. In summer camp, youth are able to explore and benefit from the surrounding natural environment. Students learn about Dominican art history and anthropology at the Centro de Leon Museum in Santiago, receive swimming lessons and water safety instructions at water parks, observe marine life at Ocean World in Puerto Plata, paint their own canvases at Motif Art Gallery in Sosua, learn about airplanes at the Puerto Plata airport, tour the Jewish Heritage Museum in Sosua, experience another way of life at a Haitian Batey (sugar cane field) in Caraballo and listen to a critical tale from their own history on the Mirabal Tour in Salcedo. Furthermore, all field trips are supported by local businesses that are now partners with the DREAM Project. DREAM Partners offer their support by providing free and discounted admissions for educational filed trips, improving the quality of education for these youth and furthering the sustainability of the summer program.
Equality and appreciation for diversity are themes taught and modeled throughout the duration of camp. These themes were founded and adapted from the principle of Peace Education championed by the Montessori teaching method. On the first day of camp, students and counselors work in groups using positive language to develop a charter of rules, which each student signs, committing to a clearly outlined standard of behavior. The camp itself is organized thematically into four different weeks:
(1) Who am I? Celebrating Individuals
(2) Who Makes up My Community? A Celebration of Dominican Culture Week
(3) Who is my Neighbor? A Celebration of Haitian Culture Week
(4) Who are these Visitors? A Celebration of International Cultures
Activities and field trips are subsequently designed to coincide with the theme of the week. Camp begins with Parade Week, designed to build individual pride and self-esteem among the campers before putting that pride on display in a banner and song-filled parade through downtown Cabarete. The following weeks focus on strengthening personal identities as well as enhancing understanding and respect for other identities within the community. By providing personalized attention through foreign and local mentors, summer camp provides a safe environment that encourages youth to build on their own strengths and develop their self-esteem. The Guzman Ariza DREAM Summer Camp is more than just a camp, it is a crucial educational program that provides youth with guidance and redirects the relationship tourism plays on this small community. Youth enjoy basic hygienic lessons on hand washing and tooth brushing in health class and are also introduced to more complex concepts, such as racism, by going on educational excursions, witnessing its consequences and speaking with those who have experienced it firsthand.
Programs:
Adolescent Program
The DREAM Project is currently Seeking Volunteers!
The DREAM Project is currently accepting volunteer applications for our Summer Camp in 2008. Training will start on June 29th and camp will end on August 2nd. We are in need of certified teachers and college interns. All applications for the 2008 program must be received no later than April 25th, 2008. Please email:volunteer@dominicandream.org to request more information.
Project Timeline:
2008
• The DREAM Guzman Ariza DREAM Summer Program celebrates its 5th anniversary by expanding to
operate two camps serving 250 youth and adolescents.
2007
• The DREAM Project hosts a summer program at the DREAM Center for the first time.
• Swimming lessons are incorporated into the progam.
2006
• A volunteer staff of 54 lead a five-week summer program for 185 children
• DREAM partners with Batey Libertad and Grassroots Soccer to bring HIV/AIDs and sexual awareness education to at-risk adolescents
2005
• DREAM celebrated second annual Guzman Ariza Summer Camp
• A volunteer staff of 22 lead a summer program for 120 campers
• DREAM leads first educational excursions taking children everywhere from Sosua to Ocean World in
Puerto Plata
• DREAM conducts its first successful Apprenticeship Program, placing 30 children in the local businesses
for ½ workdays
2004
• DREAM celebrated first annual Guzman Ariza Summer Camp
• A volunteer staff of 10 leads the first annual summer program for 90 children
Program Goals:
The objectives of the Guzman Ariza DREAM Summer Camp Program were developed with the purpose of creating a model support program that would help keep children in school, instill life and job skills and, most importantly, the confidence they need to develop to their full potential. The camp creates a framework of structure that provides guidance and academic enrichment to our participants, providing them with the opportunity to succeed. Implementing quality academic tutoring programs that target students’ literacy, math, writing and ESL skills increases student achievement. Students who are behind become engaged in academics, which in turn, affect their performance and attendance in the academic school year. Offering education on socially prevalent issues such as racism, HIV/ AIDS and basic health, exposes adolescents to global issues that affect their community and life. Establishing a safe environment that encourages youth to build on their strengths ultimately develops self-esteem for future generations.
The outlined goals of the 2008 Guzman Ariza DREAM Summer Camp Program are:
• To create a safe environment, where youth can build on their strengths and interests, ultimately
developing their self-esteem.
• To develop and implement quality academic tutoring programs that support the development of
students’ literacy, math, writing and ESL skills.
• To provide education on socially prevalent issues including racism, HIV/ AIDS and basic health.
• To train Dominican teachers and parents who can utilize what we teach them year round.
• To create more public awareness to leverage the costs of this program.
• To increase business involvement in establishing internships for adolescents.
• To solicit skilled volunteers, who will run and ultimately generate the funds needed to sustain the
• To obtain quantifiable results so as to create a model to be replicated in other communities.summer camp program on an annual basis.
Program Needs:
Certified Bilingual Teachers:
DREAM is currently recruiting bilingual experienced teachers for our Academic Tutoring Component. Teachers will have a hands-on role in developing and implementing specialized curriculum for an intensive four-week program. Interested teachers should submit their CV to jen@dominicandream.org.
- Educational Materials:
The DREAM Project relies on in-kind donations to provide the educational materials needed for this program. Please refer to the Summer Camp Wish List for more information on how you can help to support this program.
Adolescent Program
Adolescent Program:
Ages 13-18
The second camp targets youth aged 13 to 18 by providing them with the opportunity to develop a specific, employable skill. This pilot program will build on their skills and interests that they experienced in previous summer camps. The DREAM Project would like to expand the 2008 Guzman Ariza Summer Camp Program by augmenting the adolescent program with mini-courses, including an intensified and tailored academic curriculum to better support our adolescents. The pioneering courses would focus on a particular job skill that will prepare them for socially and environmentally responsible careers and integrate them into the local tourism-driven economy.
All older adolescents will receive more intensive basic academic tutoring and instruction in an English language program that is tailored to their specific internship. Each camper in the adolescent program will receive eight hours of academic tutoring per week with professional Canadian and American volunteer teachers who work alongside the Dominican teachers. The idea behind the adolescent program will be employability and sustainability. After the intensive one-month program, dedicated students will continue to develop their attained skills.
The DREAM Project will continue to offer support and guidance for youth wishing to continue mini-courses through our year-round volunteer program. Responsible adolescents could then work part-time with DREAM Partners. By building up these pilot programs, the DREAM Project will be able to evaluate the programs and build upon successes in the second year. In the process, adolescents will make valuable contacts within their local community. Over time, each group will develop a marketable trade, whether it is marketing a cookbook, selling advertisement space to local businesses in a community newspaper or leading tours to the caves in their own backyards. The idea is that adolescents will eventually have forums to become gainfully employed within their community. Thus, the purpose of the summer program will be multifaceted.
Descriptions of Mini-Courses:
Cookbook Club: Reflections of Cabarete
Description:
Students will explore the diverse, unique culinary cuisines of their international community and will develop a cookbook to market them. Students will attend a wide variety of lessons that include simple lessons on the importance of measurements in recipes, as well as more complex lessons on plotting expenses and projected income. Adolescents will gather local recipes, write reviews, learn about different cultural cuisines and sell advertisement space to local restaurants. The finished product will reflect the wonderfully rich demographics of their community.
Students’ strengths will be assessed during the first week of camp and subsequent lessons will focus on their interests and abilities in areas such as: computer graphics, layout design, English translation, photography and marketing. Each adolescent will ultimately be able to feel a sense of accomplishment as they contribute a specific skill and learn the importance of group collaboration.
Goal: In the summer of 2008, the students’ skills will be assessed and roles will be assigned to match these abilities. This team will then work to compile the cookbook to be marketed. Once a strong team is established, DREAM volunteers will continue to work with this group throughout the 2008-2009 academic year to continue to refine skills, enhance the product and begin small-scale distribution. In 2009, the group will be able to develop a marketing and distribution plan for their finished product that will generate a self-sustaining income that can be used for continued annual production.
Academic Highlights:
• ESL: Students will participate in an intensive 4-week English course geared towards the culinary industry so that the finished product will be a bilingual publication.
• Literacy: Academically advanced students will learn different literary mediums as they compile recipe descriptions, research cultural origins of food, write food reviews for the Cabarete newspaper and edit the final product.
• Math: Students excelling in math will be identified as the marketers and will learn the basics of financial analysis by developing business and marketing plans with expense and income charts.
• Advanced Photography/Computer Design: Artistically inclined students will receive intensive courses in advanced photography, graphic design and computer skills to help design the finished product.
“Guias Scout” (Dominican Girl Scouts) Program: Respecting Myself, My Environment and My Community
Description: A recently published World Bank statistic notes that the child of a mother with no education has only a 28% likelihood of attending school, but that rises to 71% if the mother has completed high school or better. The DREAM Project has noted that the presence of a culturally institutionalized gender gap minimizes opportunities to females outside the home environment. By creating an all-female group, the DREAM Project hopes to narrow this gap.
In a course modeled on the basic tenets of the Girl Scouts program on environmental appreciation, teenage girls will become empowered through a series of self-esteem and community-building activities. As young leaders, they will learn more about the extensive national park behind their neighborhood and the role nature can play in developing sustainable tourism. These girls will then be partnered with local eco-tourism businesses to start mini-business projects aimed at improving their community. Potential projects to be carried out over two years include educating and providing both foreigners and local community members with an eco-friendly trash disposal service, selling affordable solar panels to local community members and leading cave tours in the national park. Most importantly, the course will keep adolescent girls engaged in their education as they take pride in themselves and their community.
Goal: In the summer of 2008, strong female leaders will be identified and empowered as community leaders. Instilling pride in these girls will allow them to transfer this new sense of respect to their community. Engaging this group in environmental issues and forming plans for community projects will be the first goal for the summer of 2008. DREAM volunteers will continue to work with this group of teenage girls running projects and mini-businesses, and providing invaluable services such as a trash collection and affordable solar panel installations to their community. In 2009, the group will be able to develop a marketing plan, as their reputation grows through public service announcements and community betterment, that will enable them to generate a self-sustaining income by promoting eco-tourism and serving as the ambassadors for both the local and foreign populations of Cabarete.
Academic Highlights:
• ESL: Students will participate in an intensive 4-week English course geared towards the ecotourism industry so that they produce public service announcements and provide services that reach the whole community.
• Environmental Science: Youth will learn about waste management, energy production, the detrimental costs of electricity (both monetary and environmental), and the benefits of eco-tourism. These young women will become experts in the natural assets their community has to offer and serve as ambassadors to the community by providing much needed education and services to both local and foreign community members alike.
• Public Health: This course will include special emphasis on public health education and risks. Teenage girls will learn about healthy practices first-hand by participating in an exercise program and learning about the importance of good nutrition and the dangers of water contamination. The group will then disseminate the knowledge throughout the community by providing public service announcements and realistic solutions.
• Literacy: Academically advanced students will develop their skills by designing and creating public service announcements and writing public health articles for the Cabarete newspaper.
• Math: Students excelling in math will be identified as the marketers and will learn the basics of financial analysis by developing business and marketing plans with expense and income charts for projects such as trash collection and solar panel sales.
Hospitality and Restaurant Course:
Description: Students will run a mini restaurant at summer camp and complete a job training certification course in a food service specialty. Local restaurants will serve as sponsors for the program and provide guidance, demonstrations and seminars in the first year. DREAM volunteers will collaborate effectively to create specific qualifications, so that partnering restaurants will recognize DREAM certification as an official training program and agree to hire successful graduates of the program. Students will learn lessons spanning from sanitary cooking conditions to customer service and become integrated into the workforce as skilled employees.
Goal: The goal for the 2008 program is to create an accredited training program recognized by the businesses in Cabarete that work in the food industry. By establishing qualifications and set criteria for hiring and recruiting business sponsors, adolescents can begin the necessary training needed to gain employment within one of the dominant industries of the Cabarete economy. Students' interests can be matched with an area of specialty. During the 2008-2009 academic year, DREAM volunteers can continue with the necessary training and English classes needed for job requirements.
Restaurants can offer additional training by hosting an apprentice for one day a week. In 2009, students graduating the program and earning DREAM Service Certification can then gain employment within the industry. After the success of the pilot program and as the program grows, it is DREAM’s hope to incorporate training for management positions within hotel industries for exceptional students.
Academic Highlights:
• ESL: Students will participate in an intensive 4-week English course geared towards the service industry.
• Math: There will be an intensive math component so that students will be calculate simple additions and subtractions as well as understand tax rates and quickly calculate percentages.
• Public Health: This course will include special emphasis on public health education. Adolescents will learn about a wide range of health related issues such as proper food preparation, dangers of food-related illnesses such as salmonella and the effects of second-hand smoke.
• Human Relations: Students will take basic business and managerial courses to learn not only about customer service skills, but also how a team is effectively managed. Adolescents will receive situations that allow them to think creatively and problem-solve.
Local Newspaper Course: Cabarete Dreams
Description: Youth with strong writing skills will work with volunteers to produce a community newspaper. Students will learn about the media industry and the importance of current events, locally and internationally. Students will be assigned roles based upon their interests and skill sets that instill leadership responsibilities - such as Editor in Chief, Copy Editor, Photographer, Journalist, Political Opinion Writer, Cultural Critic, etc. These students will then work together to produce a community newsletter that highlights local issues and reaches out to all of the members of its diverse international population.
Students will sell advertisement space, job listings, and event announcements for the entire community - including everything from the Guzman Ariza Summer Girls Groups’ Public Service Announcements to a job posting for a kite surfing school.
Goal: For the 2008 program, the goal is to identify and empower adolescents. By assigning different leadership roles accompanied with the necessary training, students can become motivated and engaged in the project. DREAM volunteers will work with the group throughout the 2008-2009 academic year to enhance and refine the quality of the quarterly publications. In 2009, students will develop a marketing plan to increase distribution. Income generated from advertisement postings would then serve to sustain production.
Academic Highlights:
• ESL: Students will participate in an intensive 4-week English course to produce a bilingual publication that will reach the whole community.
• Literacy: Academically advanced students will be trained in a variety of different literary mediums as they write opinion pieces, journalistic reports, conduct interviews, research current affairs, and edit the final product.
• Math: Students excelling in math will be identified as marketers and will form a finance committee. They will learn the basics of financial analysis by developing business and marketing plans with expense and income charts for printing costs and advertisement income.
• Advanced Photography/Computer Design: Artistically inclined students will receive intensive courses in advanced photography, graphic design and computer skills to assist in the production.
