WHO IS QUALIFIED TO PARTICIPATE?
A qualified volunteer must be able to commit to either a 5 or 10-month program and must be at least 21 years old. An advanced knowledge of Spanish is required. A bachelor’s degree or higher is preferred but not required. Read more about our current volunteers living in the DR here.
HOW DO I APPLY?
To apply for the following academic year, download and complete the 2012-13 Academic Year Volunteer Application and send with a $40 application fee (this includes applicants who are applying for the fellowship) and three letters of recommendation to:
The DREAM Project
916 Williams Rd, Unit 2
Colchester, VT 05446
*This is a new address as of Feb 24th, 2012. Applications sent to the old address will be forwarded here.
Please note: applications will NOT be reviewed unless competed in full.
Why is there an application fee?
The $40 application fee helps cover the administrative costs of the application process. We need to charge a fee to support the solicitation, recruitment and review process for our volunteer program.
HOW MUCH IS THE VOLUNTEER FEE? WHAT DOES IT COVER?
The average cost of living in the DR is $1,000/month. DREAM asks that volunteers raise a certain amount, to be determined based on experience and financial need, to cover these expenses. We ask that funds be raised in full before the start of the program. We cover pickup and drop off at the Puerto Plata airport, accommodations, all required training workshops, a rental cell phone and helmet, training and oversight at the local schools, volunteer cultural excursions, and a living stipend (which is allocated to cover expenses such as cell phone use, meals, transportation to work sites, laundry, etc.) The fundraising fee essentially covers your expenses for the 10-month stay. Please note this fee does not include airfare, health insurance, or personal spending money. Fellowships are available to cover a portion of this fee, so don’t be discouraged by the full amount. This fee can also be fundraised. See our Resource Guide for more information.
ARE THERE FELLOWSHIPS FOR THOSE WHO CANNOT AFFORD THE FEE?
The DREAM Project does have a limited fellowship fund to reduce the cost of the volunteer fee for those who qualify. There is also a new Dominican Heritage Scholarship for those of Dominican descent. To apply, please visit our fellowship page.
For those who do not receive full fellowship funding, we encourage volunteers to seek outside donors, grants, and scholarships to sponsor their work. For example, the Tucker Foundation at Dartmouth College offers scholarships to Dartmouth students. Past volunteers have sent letters to extended family and friends asking for donations to DREAM in their name to help cover their volunteer fee. A couple volunteers have raised upwards of $5,000 towards their fee this way. See our volunteer resource guide for listings of applicable grants and fundraising ideas.
ARE MEALS PROVIDED FOR THE VOLUNTEERS?
Meals are not provided, but volunteers usually spend their DREAM living stipend on meals or groceries, among other expenses.
WHAT WILL MY ACCOMMODATIONS BE LIKE?
Accommodations are provided at a local apartments/houses in Cabarete close to the work site. All apartments meet DREAM’s standards of safety, accessibility, comfort and expense. Although DREAM strives to place volunteers in comparable accommodations, the living arrangements of each volunteer will vary due to the availability of housing at the time of arrival. Volunteers may have a roommate but will have their own room. Volunteers are required to stay in DREAM housing.
ARE HOME-STAY PLACEMENTS AVAILABLE?
Yes, DREAM can place volunteers with local families. Volunteers who opt for a home-stay (or are placed outside of Cabarete) should be comfortable experiencing the life of a typical Dominican family. This means that comforts such as reliable electricity, hot water or plumbing may not be available 24-hours a day. Volunteers must also be comfortable living with a family, which means respecting the rules and culture of the host family. This being said, home stays can truly be a wonderful experience if the volunteer is ready for a cultural immersion. Staying with a family is the best way to assimilate to the culture, improve Spanish and truly experience the Dominican life.
IS THERE A MINIMUM OR MAXIMUM STAY?
There is a minimum stay of 5 months either late-August to mid-December or January to May, but 10 months (1 academic year) is preferred due to continuity with the students. The first week is orientation week, which is required, and there is a holiday break for 2-3 weeks in the winter in which volunteers can choose to visit home. Volunteers can opt to stay for the next summer camp or year. There is no maximum stay unless the volunteer is dismissed early due to behavior.
DO YOU HAVE TO SPEAK SPANISH?
Yes. You do not have to be entirely fluent, but an intermediate to advanced knowledge base is required. You must be able to effectively communicate in Spanish with the children in your classroom. A portion of the interview will be done in Spanish to test speaking level. We encourage you to brush up on your Spanish skills before arrival by using such programs as Rosetta Stone or Live Mocha (www.livemocha.com).
HOW CAN I GET IN CONTACT WITH A PAST VOLUNTEER?
Please visit our Volunteers Page and email info@dominicandream.org for contact information.
WHAT AIRPORT SHOULD I FLY INTO AND WHAT AIRLINES FLY THERE?
The closest airport is the Puerto Plata International Airport (airport code POP), which is about a twenty-minute drive from Cabarete. DREAM arranges airport pickups and drop-offs from the Puerto Plata International Airport only. American, Delta, JetBlue, Northwest and Continental airlines offer routes from the U.S. to Puerto Plata. Cheaper fares may sometimes be found flying into Santiago or Santo Domingo, but volunteers are reminded to factor in the cost of cab fare to Cabarete which averages around $70-$80 from Santiago and $100-$150 from Santo Domingo.
CAN I BUY A ONE-WAY TICKET?
Not unless you have a visa. The law of the Dominican Republic, which is now strictly being enforced, states that all visitors (non-DR citizens) who do not have visas must have a return ticket. Please check with your airlines because there are options of purchasing open-ended tickets or buying returnable fares if you are unsure of your departure date.
DO I NEED TO GET A VISA?
Almost all of our year-round volunteers never get a visa because the process can be complicated, and fees are too high. Visitors from the US, Canada, and most EU countries who do not obtain a Dominican visa prior to entry are required to purchase a $10 tourist card upon arrival at the airport. Plan on carrying exact change in US dollars for the initial $10 fee. This tourist card allows you to stay in the country for 30 days. Additionally, you will incur a $75 fee upon leaving the country for overstaying this tourist visa/card (this can vary, as it is at the discretion of the exit officer upon leaving. Generally if you say you have been volunteering here, the fee may be lower, but expect to pay as much as $75 or more). We will give you a letter explaining you have been volunteering for the past month, in order to try to waive the fee. This is not problematic; you will just need to pay the exit fee in either US dollars or pesos (carry as much exact currency as you will need for this transaction upon exiting).
DOES DREAM PROVIDE THEIR VOLUNTEERS WITH HEALTH INSURANCE?
DREAM does not provide health insurance, and all year-round volunteers are required to have international health care coverage. We recommend purchasing International Insurance from IMGlobal. Please bring copies of your health insurance card with you, and carry them with you at all times in case of an emergency.
IS THE COMMUNITY RECEPTIVE TO VOLUNTEERS?
Yes. DREAM has worked to establish trust within our communities and schools over the past decade and each year the enthusiasm grows greater for our programs. The children and communities eagerly welcome the new DREAM volunteers each year.
IS THERE A RISK OF THEFT?
Unfortunately, there is a link between poverty and crime; when working in a developing country theft is always a risk. Do not bring anything down that is irreplaceable. Past volunteers have experienced incidents of theft, including stolen computers and iPods. Take precautions in storing belongings in a secure manner, and insure them before departure. Bring luggage locks and store valuables in your locked luggage. Most volunteers do bring down their own laptops for both work and personal use, just be wary of where you store it and who you let use it.
ARE THERE MEDICAL FACILITIES NEAR BY?
Cabarete has a 24-hour medical and dental clinic in town called Servi-Med. Servi-Med is run by a multilingual staff that can handle most minor illnesses and injuries; however, the facilities are limited. There is a well-run private hospital (Centro Medico Bournigal) 40 minutes away in Puerto Plata.
IS THE INTERNET ACCESSIBLE?
Yes, there are several Internet cafés right in Cabarete. The cost is usually around $1 per 30 minutes. In addition, there is wireless Internet at the DREAM Center and also at the apartment where volunteers will be staying, but this may cost extra. Keep in mind that electricity or Internet service may be intermittent.
WHAT SHOTS DO I NEED?
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, there are no required vaccinations for entry into the Dominican Republic. The CDC does recommend Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, and typhoid vaccinations, as well as current routine vaccinations (TPD, MMR, polio, etc., most of which are generally up to date if you have attended a public school in the US in the last 10 years). There is a risk for malaria and dengue fever in rural areas of the Dominican Republic, especially near the border of Haiti. The risk is very low in more developed cities and towns, including Cabarete. Please check with your local doctor about taking Malaria medication. DREAM encourages volunteers to follow the advice of your personal physician first!
WHERE CAN I LEARN MORE ABOUT THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC?
Check out the following sites: dominicanrepublic-guide.info, Active Cabarete, DR1, and Debbie’s Dominican Travel.
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