Monthly Archives: June 2018

Day 7: Friday, June 15

We woke up for an early breakfast of pancakes before hopping on busses to travel to the market on the border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic called “Dajabon”. The market was incredibly chaotic with people selling everything from toiletries to clothes to food. We walked first to the bridge between the two countries, maintaining a single file line among the thousands of people hustling through on motorcycles or carrying overflowing bags on their heads. The market is set up on every Monday and Friday and is the primary option for many Haitians and Dominicans to buy food for their families or to buy things for distributing farther in from the border. It was incredible to observe the people passing between the two countries and how they interacted with those around them. Then we walked through the market some more before heading back to the buses. On the way home, we stopped at the house of Maximo Gomez. His house is now a museum dedicated to his legacy along with that of José Marti. They were two major leaders in the Cuban revolution; you can now find them on the Cuban currency notes. Then we stopped at a cemetery, where all the graves were above ground and some were very colorful. Then we visited a souvenir shop before heading to a buffet style lunch at Comedor Adela’s. After a delicious lunch, we drove to the mountain Murrito where we embarked on a short hike to the top which overlooked the bright, blue Caribbean Sea. We took some pictures and then hiked back down to the beach where we played some ultimate frisbee and 500. Two hours later we drove back to the house for dinner where we had the traditional, Dominican farewell meal of San Cocho, white rice and a beef stew. After dinner, we sat around and talked about our experience this week, sharing memorable moments and tautologies we’ve learned. This was a perfect way to end the week because it allowed all of us to reflect on our time here and appreciate the lessons we’ve learned, the impact we’ve made, and the self growth we’ve all experienced in our stay here. –Peyton Tysinger

On this our final day in the Dominican Republic, we had the chance to immerse ourselves in Dominican life with a “Culture Day” planned by the Outreach360 staff. Breakfast was served earlier than usual, around 7:30, and by 8am we were headed to Dajabon, the Dominican/Haitian market that unites the border between both countries. First we made our way through the endless crowds of both Dominicans and Haitians to a bridge that crosses the Haitian border, standing about fifty feet away from Haitiand overlooking Massacre River. In the market, walking single file to avoid the endless traffic of motorcycles, vendors, wheelbarrows, and eighteen wheelers, we were immersed in a beautiful, somewhat structured chaos. Haitian “runners” bought stocks of Dominican goods to bring across the border and sell while other Haitian vendors sat before piles and piles of flip flops,sneakers, and stilletoes, calling over anyone who happened to meet their eye. There was a certain awe in the disorganization, because at the same time, the market wasn’t disorganized at all, and every person there served a purpose that contributed to an intricate connection between Dominicans and Haitians. By the end, everyone was left wide eyed and amazed.

We rode back to Monte Cristi on the bus, stopping to visit a Cuban Musuem and to learn about the Dominican role in the Cuban revolution. Stopping by the Outreach360 house to grab our money, we walked across the street to a souvenir shop, and bought gifts for all you parents out there, including paintings and Dominican coffee (by far the best coffee in the Caribbean). When we returned to the house, it was time for lunch. However, we went out to eat at a family restaurant, friends of Caleb, Aidiil, and Miguel, for a tremendous buffet style meal. The cooks served us just about every infamous food Dominicans have to offer, including white rice and beans, steak, fried chicken, and empanadas. They also threw in some “Dominican spaghetti”, and of course, for the Americans, some classic Mac n cheese. The meal was fantastic, topped of with some Kola Real (Dominican coke) and everyone was just about stuffed by the time we returned to the house.

Shortly after, we geared up for a hike up “El Morro”, the mountain that shadows the town of Monte Cristi, followed by an afternoon at the beach. The trail up the mountain was incredible, equipped with a breathtaking, overwhelming vibe of the entire town of Monte Cristi and the coast. We stopped at countless points to take photographs, as any tourists would, and took in some once in a lifetime views. Coming back down the trail, we came to one of the most beautiful beaches in all of Monte Cristi , surrounded by cliffs and the backside of El Morro, and spent most of the afternoon surrounded by saltwater and a claylike caramel sand. The scene screamed paradise, and the perfect ending to such a week.

We came back to the Outreach360 house around five, and by six we were eating our last dinner of the trip, a “farewell stew” over rice, filled with delicious chicken and plantains. Jackson talked with us about what we learned during our “Closing Ceremony” and everone discusses things they have learned throughout the week, as well as what they would take away from the trip. After one last ice cream trip, everyone settled down for card games, conversation, and quiet time. –Emma Somers and Mia Gilley

Day 6: Thursday, June 14

We started off the day with our daily morning announcements and the plan for the day ahead. But before we met in the morning, some of us went on a jog to the beautiful pier about half a mile from the Outreach360 compound.
After the run everyone freshened up with a quick Navy-style shower. Then, we all met for breakfast. Breakfast was amazing. It consisted of pan tostado or toast, huevos rancheros, a dish made with scrambled eggs and vegetables, and piña or pineapple. For the less adventurous, there was also cereal con leche or cereal with milk. The daily peach tea and water were offered, along with the delicious Dominican coffee.
After eating breakfast we made our way to the school, arriving just as recess started. Some of us played wall ball with the children (a more painful version than our American version), while other played basketball or tag. Our last day in the classroom was by far the best day for all of us. Our lesson plan for class was more solid and we knew how to encourage the students to participate in activities. Overall we found that relationships and trust play a big part in teaching. Both the students and the teachers have to trust themselves and each other. We also developed more respect for our teachers in school, who worked tirelessly to plan out our lessons and make classes interesting. After teaching at the school, we headed back to the Outreach360 compound. For lunch we had pollo frito (fried chicken), arroz com frijoles rojos (rice with red beans), and once again, piña. We also had a special hot chocolate drink made without milk. After eating lunch, we had a Siesta, our rest time, for an hour. With our energy replenished, we began walking to the salt flats.
At the salts flats Miguel, a Dominican and volunteer at Outreach360, gave us a tour. He took us through the stages of producing salt. Salt production is a very big part of Dominican industry and is critical to the health of their economy. The process went like this: First, water from the ocean was drawn into a reservoir where it began with twenty degrees of salinity. Then workers would direct water to the heating part by opening certain gates. Here some of the water evaporates and the salinity doubles to forty degrees. From here it would move to the crystallization stage, the hottest stage at which the salt crystallizes. In this stage the salinity levels also double again. Workers then transported piles of salt in wheelbarrows to shacks where it dried.
After going to the salt flats we finished our day in the learning center. For fifteen minutes we read with the students with bilingual, or completely English books. We then moved into the classrooms inside of the Outreach360 compound and taught the students about rooms in a house and important objects in those rooms. We did this by drawing houses, playing “hangman,” and other games. The students then took a written test. Once they were finished they came out of the classrooms and played games like basketball, and four square with us.
We had an amazing dinner of tacos made of ground beef, corn, rice, beans, and tomatoes. We also had fresh pineapple juice to drink for dinner. Lastly, we prepared for our trip to the Dominican Republic-Haiti Border by listening to a lecture and watching a riveting documentary. –Sebastian Singh and Neil Malik
Today on June 14, 2018 marked the final day of teaching the children. We began our morning with breakfast at 8 o’clock to prepare for the day. An hour later, we headed to the public school to teach vocabulary about food. Though the two sessions went well, the group had to say its goodbyes to the children with whom we recently made close bonds. After lunch, we walked up the street to tour the salt flats, which comprises the main sector of the Montecristi economy. Telling us about how the salt beds function, Miguel walked us through the reservoir where salt water collects. We concluded the tour with a stop at a souvenir shop where many people bought items to remember the journey. Upon arriving back, we set up the Outreach360 building as a learning center for a separate group of children. The children came in eager to read to us, however, reading time was cut short due to testing. Once reading time ended, the level one students were taught about different shapes and rooms. Testing followed, consisting of a listening section and a short writing section. Yet another goodbye occurred as we had to say farewell to the friends we met at the learning center. After the kids left, we prepared for the best dinner: tacos. Satisfied by the amazing dinner, we sat for an important discussion about racial relations on Hispaniola. Then we watched a documentary on the Haitian Dominican relationship and how it came about. –Mihir Damle

Day 5: Wednesday, June 13

We began the day with the usual morning announcements consisting of our plans for the rest of the day. Following the announcements were the options of hard boiled eggs, bananas, oatmeal, and toast for breakfast, topped off with the choice of either tea or coffee. As a group, we then headed off to Colegio to begin teaching our designated grades. Today’s vocabulary words consisted of animals, ranging from ants to cows, and basic verbs: dance, swim, eat, sleep, and run. Before entering our classrooms, we convened with the children outside for their daily recess. We then dispersed to our assigned classrooms, saying goodbye to the children that we do not teach. The participation and focus from the children was much greater today because of the connection we have formed with the students over the past two days. Because we have had two separate times to perfect our teaching methods and lesson plans, most activities in the classroom went according to plan this morning. Our entire group then reconnected outside the school and walked together to the historical town clock tower for a quick debrief of the morning. Many of us agreed that today’s teaching was the best so far and gave shoutouts to those who we believed excelled in teaching. Lunch consisted of fried sweet plantains, vegetable salad, chicken with rice, and vegetables with rice. The usual “siesta” followed lunch, which was taken up mainly by card playing and lesson planning for the learning center that afternoon. Lesson planning for the learning center and tomorrow’s Colegio visit took up the whole afternoon until the children came at 4:30. The children showed up excited to learn and take their written tests. Many of us could see the improvement the children had made on their reading and ability to comprehend over just two days. After the goodbyes made to this group of children, we ate a delicious dinner of mashed potatoes, fried eggs, bananas, and vegetable salad. The time following dinner was packed with activities. We were introduced to an amazing woman who made beautiful jewelry and cornrowed many peoples’ hair. We participated in an extremely fun dance class consisting of the dances “merengue” and “buchata”, which we definitely counted as our day’s workout. Many of us then went to town to celebrate our dancing with ice cream and then came back to relax after a long and busy day of fun. –Kate Furr

Our day started with a breakfast of toast, oatmeal, cereal, and hard boiled eggs. Then we headed off to the schools for recess. Today the bubbles were a huge hit! The kids absolutely loved them and swarmed us to get their chance to pop some. Then we moved into the classrooms for the day’s classes. The subject of the day was animals, and we engaged in many different activities including flashcards, singing Old McDonald Had A Farm, and Simon Says. After two sessions, we had a debrief before heading back to the Outreach360 headquarters for lunch. Lunch consisted of rice, beans, chicken, and fried bananas. Fue muy sabroso! After siesta and more lesson planning, we began reading with the kids at the Learning Center and then moved into the classrooms to help the kids review vocabulary of shapes and parts of the house. We helped the kids draw their own houses, played hangman using the vocabulary, and prepared them for their written exams later in the day. While they were taking their exams, we all played an intense game of four square. After building up a sweat, we ate dinner which consisted of mashed potatoes, fried eggs, and tomato and cucumber salad. We burned off all the calories eaten with our dance lesson afterwards during which we learned traditional merengue and other partner dances. While doing so, many of our fellow bulldogs got corn rows. Somos muy guapos! Then we all headed to bed for some much needed rest after such an eventful day.             –Shelby Brown and Chelsea Worthy

Day 4: Tuesday, June 12–“Full Hearts and Tired Eyes”

Similar to days 2 and 3, our morning began with refreshingly cold showers followed by a breakfast of French toast, scrambled eggs, fresh pineapple, cereal, and a choice of coffee or tea. Following the meal, the group traveled to Colegio to continue teaching students elementary English; our lesson plan for the day entailed teaching the children about shapes in correlation with rooms in a house (e.g. living room, kitchen, dining room, etc.). Unlike the first day of teaching, however, the students seemed much more engaged and willing to participate in classroom discussions and activities. Each of our individual groups taught two classes before debriefing, sharing details as to how we could improve our lesson plans and keep the children entertained. We returned to the Outreach360 building to a traditional Dominican lunch of rice and beans, eggplant with cheese, and tomato & cucumber salad. Once everybody had finished their meal, Jackson, the Outreach Head of Logistics in the DR, informed us about an opportunity to participate in a series of monthly donations that would fund the construction of a larger learning center in Nicaragua. At this time we began our lesson plan for the second day in the Learning Center. It was the same material as the day before but with different students. We took this opportunity to improve flaws in our previous day. These students were well-engaged with our interactive lessons. For dinner, we devoured an American delicacy: fried chicken and fries with tamarind juice. After the meal, Caleb, one of our local leaders, gave us the history of the Dominican Republic’s development including an inspiring movie about the Democratic Revolution in the mid-1900s. We wrapped up our day with highlights and suggestions for our day with full hearts and tired eyes. –Cole Jordan and Leif Smith

 

This morning we woke up at 7:30, got ready, and headed downstairs for breakfast at 8. We got our supplies together and walked to the school at Monte Cristi. The schedule of the day was recess and then two 45 minute classes with different students. During recess I had a conversation with a third grade student named Victor about Avengers: Infinity War and Titanic (he stressed the fact that he did NOT cry). Other volunteers played tag, basketball, wall ball, and other games the children had made up. In our first class, the students were very well-behaved, and we did flashcards, chalk races, and drew pictures while writing what they were drawing. In the second class, we attempted to do the same activities, but the class was too crazy and we had to change our plan. We split the students into smaller groups and went over the vocabulary with them. This worked much better than with a bigger group. Then, we debriefed and talked about how we could be better tomorrow. We walked back to the Outreach center and ate lunch. After lunch, we played cards and did lesson planning for the learning center and the next day with the public school. At 4:00, the students arrived at the learning center and we read with them one-on-one. The girl I read with was very open to my suggestions, and I could tell she cared a lot about learning English. Then we went into the classrooms and did stations of different activities and games. The station I supervised was drawing and labeling your favorite outfit. The kids seemed to really enjoy it, especially the stickers. When the children left, we ate dinner. After dinner, we played trivia about the Dominican Republic’s history in teams. Then, we watched In the Time of the Butterflies, which was about how the Mirabal sisters helped to take down the dictator Trujillo. After the movie we had a discussion which was very thought provoking, and Caleb, one of the cominos, answered our questions. At 9:00, we had a group meeting where we discussed our roses and thorns of the day. Then we played more games of cards and now it is time for bed. –Abigail McCammon

Day 3: Monday, June 11

Today we woke up at 7:30 and went downstairs for breakfast at 8. After eating, we prepared to head to school for the first time. My group had two third-grade classes at Colegio Monte Cristi. Upon arriving, we had a thirty-minute recess where we were greeted by tons of kids who would run up and hug us and take us to play various games with them. After this, we were responsible for teaching two forty-five minute classes. The kids were so energetic and fun! After these classes, we headed back to the Outreach center for lunch.

After eating lunch every day, we are given an hour siesta. However, many people didn’t nap today and instead played cards downstairs. After the siesta, we lesson planned for our next activity: the learning center. The learning center is where the kids voluntarily come to us for extra practice with English. We had extra time after lesson planning, and we went to the park where we played soccer with some of the kids as well as ultimate frisbee. Heading back, we saw some of the kids who would be attending the learning center for the afternoon. We then got ready for them to come inside. Once they did, we individually read to a child for thirty minutes and then broke up into groups for different activities. My group had the level one students who were the least fluent. However, they knew more English than most of the kids from colegio. Following this, we had dinner and are now lesson planning for tomorrow’s school session, and after that, we have free time when we can play cards and go to different stores nearby. –Avery Pierce

We began the day with a delicious meal consisting of cantaloupe, pineapple, cereal, and hard-boiled eggs. Afterwards, we traveled to the school and arrived right before recess began. We were greeted by smiling children who wanted to meet us. We played tag, wall ball, learned hand shakes, and even had a dance battle. After recess, we traveled to our classrooms for the first day of teaching. We learned a lot about teaching, especially lesson planning. Some of our curriculum ideas did not goes as planned, but we were able reorganize our plans between classes. We reflected on what worked and what didn’t during the classes, then came back to the Outreach360 building. For lunch we had beef, beans and rice, and hard-boiled eggs. After lunch, we went to the park and engaged in a game of ultimate ball (like ultimate frisbee). A bench jumped out of nowhere and hit David’s shin, but no serious injury occurred. We came back to our building and prepared for the learning center. This is when 80 children come to our building, and we continue to help them learn English. We began with 30 minutes of reading. In most cases, friends coming tended to stick together in pairs, and the outreach volunteers paired up and read with them. Most books were bilingual, and we would read in Spanish, and they would read in English. There were various levels of English, ranging from 1-4. In our case, Mary had been learning English for 7 years and 3 years at Outreach360. Her mastery of English is near to perfect. Then we divided into different classrooms. Our group worked with level 1. We practiced colors and articles of clothing, which was exactly what we reviewed in the public school earlier that day. We created a lesson plan that consisted of individual teaching and group games. We had a small classroom with 13 teachers and only 6 students. We drew pictures and labeled them, and played a fun game in which the 3 girls and 3 boys were on different teams and raced to the board. We drew articles of clothing on the board, and the children had to race and point to the right article. For dinner, we had lasagna, rice pudding, fried plantains, and hard boiled eggs. Lesson planning and free time followed dinner. Many went to Lilos (the local grocery store) to get juice or to get ice cream. Those same people partook in an impromptu Zumba class while passing through a local park on their trek back to headquarters. This gave everyone a good sense of the culture while learning a few dances in the process. Others stayed back to play cards. We said our roses and thorns of the day as a group, then continued to play cards. The group seems to be clicking well, and we seem to be growing closer every night. Thanks folks. Tune in tomorrow for another riveting recap of our day! –Peyton Hope and David Byler

Day 2: Sunday, June 10–Learning to Teach

Today we woke up to the sounds of the rooster and started off our day with breakfast at 8 am. A group of us got up early to go down to the pier for some exercise. After a delicious breakfast of pan frances and huevos rancheros, we went over the Outreach360 guidelines. By breaking up into different groups for each of the organization’s ten guiding principles, we came up with skits to perform for the greater group and thus understand them.

After learning all the guidelines, we headed out into the city for a tour where we visited local landmarks and learned a bit of the history of Monte Cristi. After working up our appetites on the tour, we sat down for a delicious lunch of chicken, rice, and beans.

Following lunch, we had a siesta where most of us took the time to rest after the busy morning. Next, we started our teaching orientation. We learned the acronym SCRAM: speak slowly, complete sentences, repetition, associate words with actions, and model syntax for them. This will help us to best teach the students English in a fully immersive environment. Then we divided into our separate teaching groups and started lesson planning with our assigned vocabulary for tomorrow, our first day with the kids.

After finishing our curriculum planning, we unpacked our donations and then had free time to explore the city in smaller groups. This gave us the chance to refresh ourselves with fresh tropical juices and ice cream from various shops and purchase our own snacks from the grocery store.

We headed home in time for a few games before dinner where we intermingled with the groups from other schools to get to know each other better. After dinner we changed into nicer clothes and headed to a church service to observe and appreciate the culture. –Straeten Avery

 

We started off our first full day in Monte Cristi with refreshingly cold navy-style showers and a delicious breakfast of French toast, scrambled eggs with vegetables, cantaloupe, and the best coffee we’ve ever had. We followed that up with “speed friending” ice breakers to get to know the groups from other high schools (Napa and Kent) and overviewed O360’s ten-point mission statement. We spent the majority of the morning hearing from different O360 volunteers on teaching techniques and the history of the program in the DR. After our orientation, our water bottles were filled and we set off for our tour of the town which highlighted all the local landmarks and the highly popular juice and ice cream stands where Mercera was very excited to see us American students. Lunch consisted of rice, beans, chicken, and “hush puppies”. Arguably the most important part of the day, we had an hour for a siesta!

After our hour of relaxation, we had time to create a lesson plan for tomorrow when we will be working in the public school. Each group was assigned an age group from preschool to 3rd grade, and we, once known as students, will become the teachers for the week. Once our lesson planning was complete, we had free time for another hour so most of the group decided to go stroll through the town once again to go to the grocery store, “Lilo’s”, where we had the chance to purchase unique foods from Monte Cristi. We make it back in time to the Outreach360 facility for dinner which comprised of fried eggs, pineapple, plantain, and yaka (no one knows the spelling for that word turns out). Later that night, we had the option to go to a church and see the service. It was very hot in the room, but it was very interesting experience filled with singing and small amounts of dancing. Overall it was a very enjoyable day, and everyone is looking forward to trying out their lesson plans tomorrow at the school. –Cameron Lloyd and Mia Gilley

Day 1: Saturday, June 9–Outreach Bound

We arrived at the airport at 5:00 am, but everyone was really excited for the trip! We left Norfolk around 7:00 and arrived in Miami at 9:00. Ellie and Kate took pictures and videos of everything. We took a long walk to our gate and got lunch before getting on our flight to Santiago, Dominican Republic. Once we got through the long customs line, we hopped onto a bus with all of the Outreach leaders who greeted us with big smiles. They led us safely to the Outreach360 house where we had a big dinner of rice, pasta, and fruit. We then walked to the pier to watch the sunset with all of the Outreach360 volunteers. Then, we walked back and played and games with each other before heading to bed. –Raegan Weis

 

At approximately 5 am, the group convened at Norfolk International Airport and was filled to the brim with excitement about the trip to the Dominican Republic. After a quick flight to Atlanta, the group had a few hours to kill before the next flight to Santiago. After another quick flight, the group finally landed in the Dominican Republic, enjoying the new experiences/struggles of customs. The final leg of the journey came in the form of a two-hour bus ride. The group overlooked the arduous drive ahead and enjoyed playing games such as contact. When the group finally arrived at the Outreach360 facility, the Outreach leaders greeted the pack with kindness and upmost hospitality. The group settled in, picking beds and Outreach360 shirts. After a delicious dinner of pasta, rice, and eggs, the entire group walked to a pier to watch the sunset. The beautiful view of the mountains and water was the highlight of the day. After returning from our walk, we engaged in multiple card games and conversation in anticipation of our orientation first thing tomorrow morning. All in all, the first day was a huge success. –Neil Malik and Jason Park