Dominican Republic: Day 5 & 6 Activities

Day 5 & 6 Service Learning, Practicing Spanish, and Dancing 

Hello Fellow Adventurers! 

Day 5 Service learning & Public Health Seminar 

On Day 5, students went to the local NGO Fundacion Red Misericordia to further their service-learning experience through engaging with the children through activities. Each day we go to the NGO, a pair of students will be working on painting the mural while others interact with the students. Activities included reading to kindergartners and preschoolers, feeding babies and changing diapers, and other activities such as puzzles, drawing, etc. Students will rotate in pairs from the different age groups to have different experiences and activities.  

After service learning at the NGO, students went to their homestays to eat lunch and after they gathered for a public health seminar. The session was led by a doctor serving with the local NGO, and   for an icebreaker and activity, students had to select which animal they resonate with and characteristics of the animal they like and dislike and how this is representative of themselves. After the seminar, students had the opportunity to move from one homestay to the next for a progressive dinner where a few of the families prepared an entree, main dish, and a dessert. The progressive dinner provided students the opportunity to try different Dominican cuisines and to know where their peers live to visit one another in their free time. For the entree we tried green salad, potato salad called RUSA salad, and common fruits (watermelon, strawberries, cantaloupe). The main dish we tried was chicken or salmon in a garlic sauce, along with rice and beans called Moro, and a side dish similar to corn pudding called corn souffle. We went to our final homestay and tried a custard dessert called flan with the option to have a cup of coffee with it. Having coffee during meals is common here in the Dominican Republic and it is not uncommon to have coffee before going to bed. We also tried some other desserts such as homemade chocolate cake, cupcakes, and local snacks with peanuts and honey and another with sesame seeds. No one left hungry after the progressive dinner!

Day 6 Practicing Spanish & Dancing 

On Day 6, students began their morning with a public health seminar focused on the history of public health and the social determinants of health. Topics covered included the humor theory by Hippocrates and how things have changed throughout history to today’s modern medicine. Also covered in the seminar was health concepts, primitive societies and how health was perceived, what health means to each student and their perceptions, and the different levels of care. The purpose of the seminars is for students to learn about public health and its components and how this content can be connected to their service learning at the local NGO.

After the seminar students had lunch and then gathered back at the CCDA for a Spanish class to learn common words and phrases to express how they feel. This is important to communicate with host families, to express emotion, and to know how someone else is feeling during conversation. Additionally, students did a simulation where the desks were placed to be similar to tables and everyone practiced manners and learned how to order their food. This was an engaging learning experience and students learned new vocabulary related to food and more when going to a restaurant. After the Spanish class, students came together to enjoy a dance class. Everyone learned more about the history and the steps for Merengue and Salsa which are traditional Latin dances.

The day ended with an orientation over the itinerary and what to bring for the day trip the next morning, stay tuned for the next blog post covering activities for this weekend!