By: Henry Zhang

Beaches, forests, mountains — the Dominican Republic has it all. During my winter break this year, from February 17 to 24, 2024, I had the privilege of attending Ravenscroft’s Dominican Republic Service Learning Trip to Cabarete with twelve other high school students and under three amazing chaperons: Ms. Schulze (MS US History), Ms. McCall (MS Digital Media), and Ms. Edwards (LS Spanish). The purpose of this trip was to give students a chance to practice their Spanish in real life and to teach young children STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, math) at a Montessori school (Dream Center) founded by the Dominican Republic’s Dream Project. During this trip, we were able to build genuine friendships with the children at the Dream Center, appreciate the Dominican culture, and experience the country’s beautiful sceneries.

 

Since the primary objective of this trip was to teach Dominican children STEAM topics, we went to the Dream Center for several hours on each weekday of the trip. This year, the main STEAM topics were building with dominos and experimenting with bristle bots. The bristle bots were very similar to Hexbugs, except that, instead of distinct legs, these bots move on two rows of bristles, almost like moving toothbrush heads. During the week, we put together the bristle bots with the children (the bots came in separate components that can be assembled and disassembled) and used the dominos to create bridges, roads, and other structures for the bristle bots to move on or through. This was actually quite challenging as the bristle bots were rather powerful, and it takes a thick stack of dominos to keep them contained. On other days, we simply built domino runs with the children. A special highlight of our time with the children came on Friday, when we decided to teach them how to play Four Square. As popular as this game is at Ravenscroft, these children have never heard of it! To prepare for the activity, we bought volleyballs to use as Four Square balls, and we drew the squares with chalk. The activity was very successful, and the children loved this new game. Through the course of the week, we really got to know the children at Dream Center, and each of us found one or more children to closely buddy up with. Although speaking Spanish was difficult, the children were very patient, and smiling or making simple greetings went a long way in making friends with them. On Friday, it was very difficult to say goodbye to them. A week has helped us bond so much!

In addition to volunteering, we also had many opportunities to immerse ourselves in Dominican culture. The greatest highlight of cultural immersion probably happened on Thursday, when we split into small groups and visited the homes of Dominican locals to make traditional Dominican food with them. My group went to the home of a very kind Dominican lady who works at and has graduated from the Dream Project School herself. Our meal that day consisted of mashed plantains (green, fibrous bananas used for cooking) with a variety of toppings: eggs, fried cheese, onions, and meat, and we cooked everything under the guidance of our host. The most difficult part of the cooking process, to me at least, was peeling the plantains. Our host made it seem deceptively easy when she demonstrated, but the plantains had very hard peels, and peeling them with a knife took some courage! In the end, though, we were able to make a decent meal, which we enjoyed with our host, without a single injury. It was not easy to guide us through everything, and in return, we helped to wash all the dishes for her that night. Not only was this experience culturally meaningful, it also helped to boost my cooking skills!

During the week, we also had the opportunity to experience the wonderful nature in Cabarete. The plants and animals in the Dominican Republic were simply amazing: there were exotic birds, lush forests, flowering bushes, sunny beaches, and so much more. Within walking distance from the Dream Center, there was a natural monument consisting of a large jungle and beautiful, hidden caves. While we hiked and did a scavenger hunt in the forest on Monday, the real treat happened on Wednesday, when we got to experience three different caves in the forest in one afternoon. It was a truly memorable experience. In the first cave, there were countless stalagmites and stalactites everywhere, as well as deep pools of water. The second cave was the deepest and darkest by far (more than 80 ft deep!), and climbing down into it and reaching the pool at the bottom required going through some impossibly narrow and steep stairs. The third cave was the most enjoyable, as it had a huge pool of partially open water. While there were stairs leading down to the bottom, another much more exciting option was to jump down directly into the pool from the top: a 10-foot leap! Most from our group chose to take the leap, including me, and that memory will surely stay with me for years to come.

Attending the Dominican Republic Trip has been one of the most memorable experiences I’ve had while in the Upper School. In some ways, this was one of the longest but also shortest weeks I’ve ever had. In a single week, I had experienced a new culture, made new friends, and seen amazing views. However, it also felt like the week ended before it even began. This experience expanded my horizons in so many ways, and I could not have asked for a better way to spend my winter break.