The best way I can describe this program is…magical. It sounds pretty cliche but, the lasting impact of true workmanship and friendships you make, it’s nothing you’ve ever experienced before. Behold the magic of SEC DR, and indulge in as many tostones as you can.
- Benay Walker, University of Maryland
Social Impact Immersion
Social Entrepreneur Corps in the Dominican Republic is the youngest of our four major programs. Doubling in interns every year since 2012, however, nobody doubts that it’s an ideal internship location. From the hills east of Santo Domingo, our program has expanded to encompass the North Coast and the rugged Southwest, where we work side-by-side with local regional coordinators and entrepreneurs to create sustainable social impact.
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Eight Week Program
Our local program manager, Lia, who resides in country, will be in contact with you in the months and weeks leading up to the program to provide you with the itinerary, a country guide, packing & preparation lists and project specific information.
After arriving in Santo Domingo, we’ll begin our orientation. During the day we’ll cover topics including safety, security, cultural context, and the basics of getting around the DR (note: this means you’ll be hopping on the back of a motorcycle!). You’ll also start intensive Spanish lessons and other specific technical training. You can also enjoy local hikes, a refreshing swimming spot, and visiting some local waterfalls in between work sessions!
To truly embed yourself in the communities, you will be matched with a homestay family that has been selected and trained by Social Entrepreneur Corps staff. Homestays are a great way to practice your language skills and get a real taste of Dominican culture. You will have two different homestay sites throughout the summer that you will travel to with your team. You’ll have lots of opportunities to play dominoes, dance merengue and take endless selfies with the kids.
Together with your intern team, you will work alongside our local team members and community partners. Through hands-on fieldwork, meetings, and work sessions with your intern team, you will create solutions, deliverables, and strategic recommendations to help advance our work. Learn more about what we do by looking at recent projects below or reading about our work.
Enjoy your last few days together as a group to share your projects with local counterparts and the rest of the intern team. Work with our team to create long-term plans for how they will implement your projects and incorporate recommendations. Engage and reflect with SEC leadership about the transition back home and how to present your experience professionally and informally.
Details
Begins/Ends: Santo Domingo
Dates: June 22 – August 15
Eligible for Columbia Business School Certificate
Social Entrepreneurship: Changemaking for Change Leaders
Three Week Program
Our local program manager, Lia, who resides in country, will be in contact with you in the months and weeks leading up to the program to provide you with the itinerary, a country guide, packing & preparation lists and project specific information.
After arriving in Santo Domingo, we’ll begin our orientation. During the day we’ll cover topics including safety, security, cultural context, and the basics of getting around the DR (note: this means you’ll be hopping on the back of a motorcycle!). You’ll also start intensive Spanish lessons and other specific technical training. You can also enjoy local hikes, a refreshing swimming spot, and visiting some local waterfalls in between work sessions!
To truly embed yourself in the community of Los Blancos (and reinforce your Spanish along the way!) you will be matched with a homestay family that has been selected and trained by Social Entrepreneur Corps staff. You’ll have lots of opportunities to play dominoes, dance merengue and take endless selfies with the kids. Maybe you’ll wander with your family to the shortest river in the Caribbean, Los Patos, and enjoy a refreshing dip in the cool waters at the local balenario.
Together with your intern team, you will work alongside our local team members and community partners. Through hands-on fieldwork, meetings, and work sessions with your intern team, you will create solutions, deliverables, and strategic recommendations to help advance our work.
Enjoy your last few days together as a group to share your projects with local counterparts and the rest of the intern team. Work with our team to create long-term plans for how they will implement your projects and incorporate recommendations. Engage and reflect with Social Entrepreneur Corps leadership about the transition back home and how to present your experience professionally and informally.
Details
Begins/Ends: Santo Domingo
Dates: May 22 – June 10
Highlights
- Help scale up our eye exam services with the latest technology and our partner Smart Vision Labs
- Pull on your rubber boots and learn how to work the campo: milk cows, mash cacao pods and cool off with refreshing fruit juice
- Explore underwater caves and swim among the stalactites on your off-days
- Work directly with local counterparts who have pre-identified community needs and will set your projects up for success
Highlighted Recent Work
Participants created a promotional brochure for families seeking to declare their children in the DR.
Participants designed a promotional flyer for the new solar lamp product.
The SEC program in the Dominican Republic taught me how to communicate with a variety of people in diverse settings, which is something I believe is valuable going back to campus and applying in the job market. I communicated everyday with clients, homestay parents and siblings (and aunts, uncles, grandparents), the local bus “gaugua” drivers, friendly domino-playing neighbors, and the market women, and developed an understanding that we all want to feel the same things in life, just have different ideas of how to get there. That’s where the conversation starts, that’s why our work is so important in the Dominican Republic. To say SEC was transformative is a drastic understatement.
- Diana Aramenqui, Northwestern University