DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
ISLAND SERVICE ADVENTURE
Discover why they say "The Dominican Republic has it all" on your summer adventure! Explore pristine beaches, lush jungles, amazing freshwater swimming holes and the island's distinct culture.
Highlights
FOR THE ISLAND SERVICE ADVENTURE PROGRAM
- Live in and explore a village near a beautiful stretch of coast
- Volunteer on community development projects
- Explore in Los Tres Ojos National park, a network of underground lakes
- Engage with locals, practice Spanish, play baseball, eat your heart out
- Snorkel at a hidden beach
- Spend the night on Saona Island, and assist with turtle hatchlings if we’re lucky
Program Menu For
Island Service Adventure
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
ISLAND SERVICE ADVENTURE
Program Overview
Discover more about yourself through meaningful community service within a rural Dominican community. On this program, you will support infrastructure or conservation projects and other tasks most needed by the community at your time of arrival. Learn how service, when led by locals and supported by you, can be a monumental part in uplifting a community. Your hard work for a good cause will be rewarded with adventures through some of the Dominican Republic’s most pristine paradises. You will explore the jungle, spend time on hidden beaches, snorkel in tropical blue water, and stay the night on a small isolated island in the national park. Every step of the way you will feel the Dominican culture calling you to dance, indulge in amazing new foods, play baseball and soak in the island’s centuries of history.
Featured Theme
Featured Destinations
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
ISLAND SERVICE ADVENTURE
Community Service
At the heart of every Global Leadership Adventures program is service. Make a genuine connection with one of the small communities near the island town of Bayahibe. The program jumps right into 3 full days of meaningful service, where you and your peers will work within the community, fully immersed in a project alongside locals. The activities will vary based on the request of the community, but be ready for conservation, education or infrastructure projects! Take time after service to play with local kids, share a coffee with neighbors or get to know what it’s like to live and work in the local community. Explore the town, eat delicious Dominican food, and learn all about regional music and history. Discuss your service experience focusing on responsible travel and environmental preservation.
Hands-on Learning
Your experience on the island will demonstrate the interconnectedness of its culture, history and environment. Understand the successes and challenges people on the Dominican side of the island face, including the push for social representation of underserved communities. Learn about grassroots conversation efforts to preserve turtles in their native habitat. And discover the historical context of a country that was once the first European settlement in the Americas, as well as the first seat of Spanish colonial rule in the “New World.” The Dominican Republic’s present and past are complex and rich, and there’s even more to uncover during your time here!
Adventure
During your time on this tropical island in the Caribbean, there will be no shortage of adventure around every turn! Be sure to pack your swimsuit for the excursions you’re going to experience on this program. Not only will you get to swim in turquoise Caribbean water as it laps up to palm-fringed, white sand beaches, you’ll also get to explore some amazing freshwater swimming holes fed by natural springs. You will get off the beaten path by taking a speed boat to the Island of Saona, where you will wake up to the sounds of birds chirping and beautiful views of the ocean. Not many travelers get to spend a night on Isla Saona, so this is a one-of-a-kind experience.
Lodging
Make yourself at home at a hotel that is just for you and your GLA companions, located in the tropical paradise of Bayahibe. Accommodation will be shared rooms that are new, clean and comfortable. Since you’ll be working hard in the Caribbean heat, and spending a lot of energy on adventures, you’ll be able to take advantage of this idyllic setting, with playful, yet tasteful, interior design and some great spots to hang out by the pool.
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
ISLAND SERVICE ADVENTURE
Dates & Tuition
Everything you need to know before you apply.
10-Day Program
| 2025 Dates |
|---|
| JUN 10 – JUN 19, 2025 |
| JUN 23 – JUL 02, 2025 |
| JUL 06 – JUL 15, 2025 |
| JUL 19 – JUL 28, 2025 |
| AUG 01 – AUG 10, 2025 |
Tuition Includes All In-Country Expenses
- Airport pick-up/drop-off
- In-country transportation
- Lodging
- 3 meals per day
- Professional full-time staff and experts
- 24/7 parent support hotline during the program
- Secondary medical and evacuation insurance
- Cultural activities, lectures and excursions
- Pre-departure materials and support
- Educational materials
To save your spot, an application fee and $600 deposit are required.
Backed by our 5-Point Safety System™
GLA HOME BASE:
SAFE & SECURE LODGING
CARING SUPERVISION &
EXPERT LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
SAFE
TRANSPORTATION
HEALTHY FOOD
& PURE WATER
24/7 SUPPORT &
EMERGENCY RESPONSE
Speak with the GLA Admissions Team
Admissions
Phone Number
1-858-771-0645
USA Toll-Free
Phone Number
1-888-358-4321
Admissions
Email Address
info@experienceGLA.com
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
ISLAND SERVICE ADVENTURE
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