Each year, senior students from across the board are selected to participate in a life changing encounter by travelling to the Dominican Republic for a week of eye-opening activities. The trip is designed to challenge and change the way participants think about the world and different cultures, as well as the poverty that others in the world face every day. Students view the harsh realities of the lives of people in the Dominican Republic, and turn their sights into educational opportunities. The students visit bateys (intensely impoverished neighbourhoods surrounding sugar cane plantations), medical centres, and retirement homes. The students also speak to different people such as sweat shop workers, families and local shopkeepers about their experiences. This challenges the youth to gain a better outlook
on the difficult lives of others in the world and to nurture the seeds of solidarity. The trip encourages all involved to learn a new language, and to appreciate the complexities of the culture, history, and politics of a third world country. Guided by faith, the experience was designed to inspire, so students will take back all they learned and share it with the world.

See Mr. Betik in Guidance for more information.