Pre-College Program In The Dominican Republic
The Pre-College Program is coordinated and facilitated by the International Education Resource Center (IERC) in the Dominican Republic and serves as a connection between
the participating universities of the Dominican Republic, the staff of the participating high schools, the agencies and sponsoring companies from the United States and the Dominican Republic.
This summer program is an innovative approach, which provides an advantage for highly motivated high school students. It allows them to earn up to nine academic credits through five weeks of study abroad with a focus on immersion in Latin American culture.
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Academic Component of the Program
This program will have an academic component that will give students the opportunity to understand culture in a universal and multicultural form. It will include studying Dominican culture in all its aspects, learning Spanish as a second language including activities and excursions on some afternoons and weekends.
The program also will include several visits to different investment corporations in the Dominican Republic, non-profit organizations, NGO's and collaborating institutions from the Dominican government. Part of the academic component, will be comprised of workshops and seminars on different careers, to stimulate young people to think about career goals.
These workshops will be coordinated once a week by representatives from multinational investment and business corporations that are located in the Dominican Republic.
Workshops will be offered by specialists in other fields such as health and human services, community development, public affairs, international relations, Afro-Caribbean studies, tourism, hospitality and many other fields of study. Workshops on career planning will also be held, and the students will have to perform volunteer work in a specific community as part of their responsibilities
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Objectives and Goals
To develop study abroad programs beginning in High School to increase the low number of minority students in university study abroad programs.
To propose that the summer study abroad program should become part of the global education curriculum of the high schools of New York State. This would allow participating students to earn up to 9 credits before entering their universities.
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Inter-institucional Cooperation
In order to attain that Goal, the One Hundred Black Men of America, New York City Chapter, has organized a work group made up of members of the recently established Eagle Academy For Young Men, and the International Education Resource Center, to develop higher education programs and for study abroad through Historically Black Universities.
In the summer of 2005 the 100 Black Men Inc., sponsored the study abroad program in the Dominican Republic for 6 students and 2 chaperons. This program was used as pilot program to promote this initiative for summer 2006. Due to this great initiative they will be the most important sponsor.
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Monitoring, Evaluating and Institutionalizing of the Pre-College Program
The work group established by the OHBM, is also responsible for the establishment of policies and procedures for the monitoring, evaluation, documentation and the impact of program reports on the short and long-term objectives related to the goals of the program.
