History

The IERC was established in 1993 to help Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) with little or no international activity establish study abroad programs mainly in the Dominican Republic. It was the first program established in Santo Domingo that offered opportunities to students that did not have a basic understanding of the Spanish language.

The first program was established in Santo Domingo in the fall of 1994 on the campus of the National University Pedro Henriquez Ureña. For six weeks, twelve Students from 4 HBCUs participated that year in a program which included courses in Spanish, Caribbean Culture, African Influences in the Caribbean and various seminars about the economic, political, social and cultural situation of the Dominican Republic in the Caribbean.

Students also participated in a six-week internship with organizations tailored to their academic and career interests to comprise a full semester program.

At the end of that year the IERC received a grant from the GTE College Foundation to expand the HBCU Study Abroad Consortium and develop relationships between U.S. businesses and minority colleges to enable the study abroad component of IERC to become financially self-sustaining.

Between 1994 and 2000, students from 25 Historically Black Colleges & Universities had studied in the Dominican Republic through programs managed by the IERC.

We have also worked with large consortiums such as SUNY, CUNY and CCIS. We are now affiliated with various universities across the Dominican Republic in which our programs are given, of which the Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra y la Universidad of the Caribbean is found.

The IERC is now offering summer Pre-College programs, which are sponsored by U.S. universities for high school students to receive college credits.