Dominican Republic Summer High School Leadership Program

Traveling to Juan Dolió was an experience that I will never forget. It was a once in a lifetime experience and I thank my summer program for giving me this opportunity. I was able to be immersed in the Dominican culture and learn about their life style here. I learned about the unfair treatment that many workers go through just to provide for their family. I was able to make a change and help build community homes and bathrooms for the local communities. It was such an amazing experience and where I was able to see my privilege compared to how the children over there are living. I would highly recommend going on one of these trips so that you are able to experience something wonderful as I did.

This year I had the amazing opportunity to travel to the Dominican Republic with Global Glimpse. During this opportunity, I saw the world from a different point-of-view. I was able to build bonds with strangers, both from the US and from DR. I interacted with people from different communities, one being Monte Coca. The conversations truly changed my perspective on how much we should be grateful for what we have.
One of my favorite parts of this trip was being with the children. Those were some of the happiest children I have ever seen. Their hearts were so pure and filled with love. They were willing to spend time with us and teach us more about different Dominican foods and words.
The program coordinators and leaders made sure we learned the most we could about DR in two weeks. They also made us feel safe by creating rules, both in the space we were staying at and when we went out into the cities.
The people I met on this trip are unforgettable. We created a closer bond as the days went by. I looked forward to spending time with them, all day everyday. I couldn't have shared this opportunity with a better group of people.
This is an experience I will never forget and I hope many other students can have the opportunity to travel to another country and learn about a different culture.

Unknown of what the future could hold, I embarked on a trip that would ultimately change my life. 14 days, no phones, 21 students, 4 adults, and the mountains of Constanza, Dominican Republic. Although every student was coming from a different background, we had one thing in common: we had all applied to go on this trip, meaning that we all wanted to experience something new. I initially signed up for this trip because I wanted to speak Spanish, meet people, and help out communities in need (as it is a service trip). I had no idea of how impactful this trip could give be in my life.
Day 1 it felt like we were all little kids again, arriving at our accommodations and immediately running to the sports field with a playground. Each day forward we continued to bond, not only with each other, but with the community. We visited a community in Rio Grande, and I met a young girl who I practiced my Spanish with and played with for hours. I stood there looking around at all 21 of us smiling and running around, making all of the little kids squeal with excitement.
The highlight of my trip was "Big Love". Each night at a meeting where we reflected on our day and learned about the activities of tomorrow we ended with an opportunity to share appreciation for a person in the group. A big aspect of this activity was that everyone leaned in with enthusiasm, not caring if we sat there for 30 minutes, raising hands again and again to make sure people knew how much they were helping us. In this setting I could be unapologetically myself, and it felt like the first time I could relax without feeling social pressure.
The daily activities (working at a cucumber factory, dance classes, history city tours, etc) inspired me to want to see the world, learn about different cultures, and stretch my comfort zone. We ended the trip with our Community Action Project (CAP) where we poured concrete for the floor of 3 houses. Even if we were interrupted by the rain, we didn't let that diminish our spirits. We wanted to give back to this community in any way we could because they showed us how much love a place can hold.
It is hard to put into words what Global Glimpse taught me because I feel like a new person since returning home. I gained empathy, agency and global perspective. I am more confident in myself, curious about the world, and inspired to help others in my community and across the world.

This summer I went on 2 week a trip to Constanza, Dominican Republic, with Global Glimpse, and it changed my life. I met 21 incredible students and 4 incredible leaders. I made connections that will last me a lifetime, and I made so many memories that will stick with me forever. I was surrounded by unique and insightful people who made every day perfect. Even the briefest conversations had the greatest impact on me — I still remember a 30 second conversation I had with one of the leaders on my trip.
Not only did I connect with the people who came with me on the trip, but I connected with the community. I created bonds with the kids from Rio Grande when we went to their community to help clean houses and cook. We also played basketball, volleyball, tag, raced each other, and just spent time playing outside together. Despite any language barriers, we were all able to positively impact each other.
We also went to another community and layed cement floors for families who had dirt floors. This was our CAP: Community Action Project. The work was difficult but still fun. We sang songs, talked, hugged, and played with the kids all while mixing cements. It was amazing being able to make an impact on the families of the community, and impact their life in the same positive way they impacted ours.
When we got back from the community we were all tired but happy, and spent the rest of the day playing Uno, soccer, and just sitting and having meaningful conversations. We ended every night by giving big love to each other — we gave shout outs to everyone who made a positive impact on our day. Sometimes we would go on for 30 minutes giving new big love because we had so much to say.
It's hard to put into words how impactful my Global Glimpse trip was, but I gained so much empathy, agency and global perspective. I have never, and probably will never again, experience anything as special and eye opening. I saw parts of the world I have never seen before, and met so many people who I never would have met if I didn’t sign up for the trip. Big Love to Global Glimpse for giving me the opportunity to broaden my global perspective, gain empathy and agency, and meet students and leaders that would change my life forever.

Are you about your Global Glimpse trip? I was too, as well as excited, I felt that I wouldn't be able to click with anyone or be unprepared for my two weeks away from home. Always double-check your packing and essentials, and importantly bring a respectful and mindful attitude when it comes to meeting new people and experiencing others' lives and culture. I remembered that we were doing this together and likely sharing the same fears. There was one night when my roommate and I so happened to be awake at the same time and we were feeling down, we talked about it and were able to ease each other's minds for the rest of the trip. Your delegation becomes a little family so do not worry about not meeting anyone, you all are similar just by putting yourself out there and into this program. Last of all remember to be open to new places and information, my experience was full of fun and long-lasting memories but that also depends on how you want your trip to go!

I will admit, I was very nervous for this trip. Before leaving, I had looked up Global Glimpse about 100 times. But if you had told me all the fun I’d have, the friends and memories I’d make, I wouldn’t have doubted the trip at all. The first few days, it was a bit hard to make friends as there were multiple people from the same school and it became very clicky. But when I say that Global Glimpse and their representatives are very serious about us ALL getting along, so after few days it was relatively easy. And even if it was a little hard to make friends, there was endless activities to do each day, something completely different than the previous one. One day, it would be a dance class, mask making, visiting a farm, or something much more serious like visiting an immigration center that caters to Haitians and other immigrant populations. There wasn’t a moment where I was bored as there was always something to do. I was also able to work on my leadership skills, as every student got to be a leader for a day, which was super beneficial as I am a leader in my home community. Although my favorite moment from this program although, was definitely our community action project (CAP), where we had three families who had dirt floors and we as a group changed them to cement. Although it was work intensive, that work gave these people something that many of us in America take for granted. Not only was I able to help these people but I was even able to form a connection with one of them. Marisol, she was the most sweetest person ever and truly inspired me to continue volunteering because that feeling was unmatched. Overall, I loved this trip completely and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

The way that my experience is unique is because it was raining during our Community Action Project days (C.A.P.). Those C.A.P. Days were three of the most impactful that I experienced in the Dominican Republic. #TeamStranded (if you know, you know) worked tirelessly even in the pouring rain, determined to finish our project. Despite the challenging circumstances, none of us gave up. I’m incredibly proud of us (JA1C) for successfully completing our project, even if it took longer than expected. Witnessing the joy on the people of the community’s faces when they saw the finished project and received access to water was a truly heartwarming experience. I’m filled with gratitude for the opportunity to embark on this journey and will forever treasure the memories made with new friends and in new places. Thank you, Global Glimpse, for this deeply impactful and once-in-a-lifetime experience.

If you are a junior high school student looking for a trip to expand your horizons, gain global experience, give back to a community in a different country, meet wonderful people, immerse yourself in a different culture, or maybe learn more about a culture you already know, Global Glimpse is the perfect opportunity for you. I am Manaia Peeler, a rising senior from the Bay Area in California, and this past summer I had the opportunity to attend a Global Glimpse trip to a wonderful town called Jarabacoa in the Dominican Republic. And I can truly say it changed my life for the better. The experiences I had and observed while on this trip were a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I'm grateful for. While on this trip, I was able to learn so much about the Dominican culture from its cultural dances, traditional food, history, work ethic of its local coffee farmers, first responders and their limited resources, the everyday life of the locals, their immigration issue, and more. Although I learned a lot from every experience I would say the one that impacted me the most would be their immigration system and the current ongoing issue with Haitian immigration. Another one would be experiencing the locals' everyday lives and being able to fellowship with them and see how communal and welcoming they were to us Glimpsers. Additionally, an important aspect of our trip was our community action project, where we started the building of water ducts to supply water to over 15 homes in a community in Jarabacoa. And to see the joy and gratitude of the locals was an experience unmatched. If I could sum up my global glimpse experience into one word, it would be impactful because of how it truly made me reflect on my life and the privileges I have. It also made me want to do more for my community and those in need around the world.