Dominican Republic Participant Voices Posters
Click the individual participant names below for each participant's full poster of post-travel reflections, photos, growth, and inspiration.
The experience... was more than just a visit, it was a reminder of the impact compassion and education can have on a child's life.
"It reinforced the fact that classrooms are full of children with their own stories and their own path in life."
"Traveling with a mission to no only educate and impact others, but to also learn from others, can change your view of the world and the communities within it."
"The Foundation was life-changing and widened my perspective of the world. I work to live so the people I met are not hurt by my choices."
"This journey opened my heart and my mind. I learned how to trust. I learned that I can love and respect someone who is different than me without judgment."
"I had to break out of my comfort zone and force myself to try a new language. We found so many fun ways to become closer without words."
"My mind was permanently altered by my IPDS experience. I have a broader perspective on why education is so important."
"If there’s any part of you that is curious to see what life is like outside of the United States, you absolutely should join the IPDS!"
"I was able to reflect on the person that I am and who I want to be. I couldn’t wait to get home to allow the memories to influence my future steps."
"I was nervous about working with students who don’t speak English. Through our Spanish lessons, I learned effective strategies for teaching English Language Learners without knowing their native languages."
"IPDS provides hands-on experience with unfamiliar things that we cannot learn from sitting in class listening to a professor."
"I work at a camp with children from the Dominican Republic. It was wonderful to share my experience with them and to listen to their stories."
"This affected so much of my work as an educator. I am empathetic to students who are learning a new language and am able to understand the difficulties they face."
"I noticed how many things I could bring into the classroom to make students more successful."