Dear Glimpsers, 

This is TEAM Jarabacoa sending a personal Bienvenida your way!  We are very excited about your visit to our site in the Dominican Republic this summer and wanted to send some helpful tips and information so that you are better prepared for your upcoming trip.  We’d like to start by providing you with personal introductions:

Karen (left) and Tania (right)

My name is Tania Gutierrez and I was born in Estelí, Nicaragua, in Tisey-Estanzuela, a Natural Protected Area. From a young age, I believed that education was the only and unique tool to help develop society. I was lucky to get a scholarship to go to study Agribusiness Management with Emphasis on Export & Import at Iowa Western Community College, USA. Over the past years, I have been working in different organizations involved in health, education, and community development. One of the organizations is Casa Canadiense, where I have been working since 2008 until the present time as a group facilitator and translator for global education classes with diverse high school students from different parts of Canada. I love working with people from different parts of the world, which is what led me to Global Glimpse in 2017, when I was a Program Coordinator for the first time in my hometown of Estelí. I had such a good experience that I returned in 2018 and now have the opportunity to travel to the Dominican Republic for the first time to be a Program Coordinator for her third consecutive Global Glimpse summer! 

Hello, my name is Karen Tiburcio and I am an Intercultural Studies student.  I was born and raised in the small town of Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic. Growing up I had the privilege to attend an international school where I was able to become fluent in English. This has had a huge impact in my life because it has allowed me to build relationships and connect with people all over the world. I am passionate about people! I love meeting new people and learning about different cultures. I am excited to form part of Global Glimpse and am looking forward to connecting with the students and teaching them about my culture. 

One of the activities that have us really excited is our Living Like a Local day.  You will get to meet the members of Paso Bajito, a rural community surrounded by mountains about 45 minutes outside of Jarabacoa, and spend a day in their homes. You will get to experience their joys and the things that they hold dear to their hearts. They cannot wait to see you and welcome you into their family! 

We can’t wait to hear your critical perspectives unfold after our Immigration Day. You’ll have the opportunity to learn from legal experts with both personal and professional experience in the area. We’ll learn more about Haitian-Dominican relations, documentation, and other issues of immigration in the Dominican Republic. 

You’ll also have the chance to work on your Community Action Project alongside the very same community members that will welcome you into their homes on Living Like a Local day.  They are so excited to collaborate with you all and give back to their community and the children under their care through the project we will take on together! 

In addition to the packing list that you have already received, we also wanted to highlight a few OPTIONAL, but highly ENCOURAGED recommendations for you to bring:

1. Sometimes, it rains heavily and unexpectedly.  So, bring a poncho and/or umbrella and rain boots or shoes that you would not mind getting mud on.
2. Bring plenty of bug spray!
3. Bring allergy medicines. Lots of rain means lush flora and fauna! 
4. Bring light clothing because it can get very hot here. 
5. Bring your curiosity, flexibility and an open mind (perhaps filled with some background knowledge on the Dominican Republic). 

This is also a great time to have everyone begin introducing themselves with a Spanish greeting (let us know how comfortable you are with speaking Spanish to help us plan)! We can’t wait to finally have you here and show you such a beautiful part of the world. 

Sincerely,

Tania and Karen