1. Global Foundation Mission Statement

The Global Foundation (hereinafter “the Foundation”) is a private non-profit, tax exempt organization dedicated to conducting studies and analysis of issues relevant to the national interest of the Dominican Republic. The Foundation’s vision is to devise strategies and public policies that strengthen democracy and promote sustainable development in the Dominican Republic through collaboration with institutions and organizations in the United States.

The Foundation not only conducts research and formulates proposals, but designs specific and viable action plans, which are carried out through three innovative projects: The Florida-Dominican Republic Strategic Alliance, the New York-Dominican Republic Strategic Alliance, and the International Education Program (IEP).

2. The Global Foundation International Education Program (IEP)

As the newest international initiative of the Foundation, the IEP provides information; advice and technical assistance to faculty at U.S. and Bahamian institutions of higher education interested in sponsoring study abroad courses and/or internship opportunities for their students in the Dominican Republic. The IEP network includes a wide-range of private businesses, non-governmental organizations, higher education institutions, community based organizations and local government agencies and individuals with which it collaborates to promote and finance innovative study abroad courses and internships in the  Dominican Republic.

3. The GFDD's Study Abroad Consortium in the Dominican Republic

a) Membership in the IEP Study Abroad  Consortium

The Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD) invites institutions of higher education in the U.S. to become members of its Higher Education Study Abroad Consortium in the Dominican Republic.

Institutions become members of the consortium by through a Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU, which also serves as a consortium agreement, accessible by clicking here.

There is no fee charged to students, faculty or administrators of members of the study abroad consortium to access the services of consultants who are international program specialists of contracted by the IEP to assist institutions which belong to the study abroad consortium. The GFDD/IEP Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) provides the following benefits:

b) Benefits to IEP Study Abroad Consortium members

1)  The consortium agreement allows students eligible to receive federal financial aid to use it to study and intern abroad in programs sponsored by their home campus.

2)  The MOU allows faculty at departments at student's home campus access to an extensive network of scholars and specialists in international studies who have extensive experience in developing and managing courses and internship assignments for international studies programs.

3)  Faculty advisors at institutions in the IEP study abroad consortium are assisted in developing courses and internships in the Dominican Republic as part of campus-wide study abroad programs integrating study abroad with education on campus.

c)  Priority for assisting IEP institutions in the Study Abroad Consortium

IEP staff responds to requests for assistance from the faculty and administrators at any institution participating in the IEP Study Abroad Consortium. As both time and resources are limited commodities, priority will be given to consortium members according to the following criteria:

1)  Highest priority are those consortium members which have a clearly stated rationale for sponsoring courses and internships in the Dominican Republic which is articulated forcefully from the highest level of the administration and reflected in statements of institutional policy and also observed in strategies and practice.

2)  Departments at schools in the consortium where students can enroll in courses and internships in the Dominican Republic which are integrated with education on campus.

3)  Those members of the consortium which sponsor courses and internships in the Dominican Republic which provide hands-on experience related to their student's major or career goals and for which students receive academic credit.

d) Financing the IEP Services at U.S. Institutions of Higher Education

The IEP contracts the services of professionals with expertise in developing courses and international internships in the Dominican Republic that meet the standards of the colleges and universities participating in the study abroad consortium.  The funds to pay for their services are obtained from public and private sources sympathetic to the goals of the GFDD and the IEP.

4. Helping Members of Study Abroad Consortium Internationalize Curriculum

The following services are available to members of the Study Abroad Consortium through the IEP. These services are part of a strategy to encourage chief administrators and heads of departments and faculty advisors at academic, technical and professional schools in the study abroad consortium, to internationalize their curriculum by sponsoring international internships for their upper level students as part of their degree or certificate programs.

The IEP Services offered to faculty and students of consortium members include:

1)  Providing information and services that encourage students to remain registered at their institutions and earn credit for academic courses and internships completed abroad consistent with institutional policies and procedures.

2)  Helping faculty and administrators on campuses participating in the IEP consortium create curriculum committees to strengthen the articulation of study abroad with study on campus and to make study abroad in the Dominican Republic an extension undergraduate education on the student's home campus.

3)  Creating international curricula through the use of minors or concentrations, to also include courses that students can pursue on campus and combine with others taken in the Dominican Republic to strengthen their international competence.

4)  Develop sustainable linkages between faculty, students and staff in departments on campus with corresponding departments in universities in the Dominican Republic

5. GFDD International Programs and Projects

a) International Internship Program

IEP consultants and advisors students at accredited U.S. and Bahamian institutions organize field assignments with companies and organizations in the Dominican Republic which provide practical experience in businesses and for which students received academic credits related to their major and applied towards their degree. The internship program also attracts high school students who would like to have an internship for hands on experience related to their major, as part of their degree program, when they become upper level students.

The Global Foundation offers a study abroad program in the Dominican Republic open to all highly motivated high school seniors who apply for admission to a school participating in the IEP study abroad consortium.

b) The Pre-College Summer Abroad Enrichment Program

The Pre College summer abroad program takes place on the campus of the Universidad  Pontificia Madre y Maestra PUCMM in Santo Domingo and assists consortium members in attracting and recruiting college bound high school students interested in studying overseas the summer prior to their enrollment in the fall.

c) Semester and year long study abroad program at PUCMM Santo Domingo

The study abroad program in Santo Domingo has been in operation since fall 1994. Since it began the program has enrolled over 300 students from more than  a hundred accredited U.S. institutions of higher education.

The program now being coordinated by the IEP for a study abroad consortium of U.S. and Bahamian institutions of higher education, combines intensive language training and an immersion experience in Dominican culture through home-stay living arrangements. 

The academic program takes place on the campus of the Pontificia Universidad Catolica Madre y Maestra (PUCMM) in Santo Domingo and offers formal coursework in Spanish as a second language at levels 1,2 and 3, Dominican history and social development and Caribbean studies. All courses are specifically designed college level accredited courses taught in English.

Because proficiency in Spanish is not a requirement, the program offers study abroad experience to the widest cross-section of students possible. All teaching and related learning activities in the core program are in English so those even newcomers to Spanish can take part. Students may also participate in a service learning experience with a private sector or public sector employer.

d) Summer Spanish language Institutes and Advanced Tutorials in Spanish Conversation

The IEP arranges intensive summer language instruction for students and teachers who want to learn or improve or become fluent in communication skills in the Spanish language.  

6. IEP Supportive Services for Students Studying in the Dominican Republic

a) Identifying Sources of Financial Assistance for Scholarships and Travel Grants

The Foundation also helps students in groups underrepresented in college study abroad programs locate sources of scholarships and travel grants from organizations and individuals to study in the Dominican Republic. The Foundation web page, expected to be available by January 1st, 2004, will link to a list of organizations providing scholarship and grant information on the Foundation's web page.  The IEP provides information on its programs in the Dominican Republic which colleges in the consortium can use or refer to in its admission brochures and course of study catalogues. 

b) Placement of U.S. and Bahamian Students with Dominican Host Families

For the Dominican families who serve as host families, the students participating in the study abroad program provides an opportunity for them  and their hosts to share a home and become mutually immersed in a living situation where both are exposed to a different language, culture, tradition. This provides them both an opportunity to become acquainted with and improve their Spanish and English language skills respectively. Home stay experiences strengthen ties between the peoples from both countries in many different and important ways. Home stays have helped students and members of host families develop cross-cultural communications skills needed to function more effective and with greater confidence in culturally diverse settings.

c) Online Directory of Internship Placement Sites in the Dominican Republic

This comprehensive online Directory and Guide to internships and service learning projects in the Dominican Republic will list hundreds of placement opportunities for students in all fields of study in private, non-profit and government sectors throughout the Dominican Republic.

The information in the Directory is being compiled from responses to written surveys, phone interviews and visits to sites throughout the country who welcome interns and volunteers and is expected to be available by January 1st, 2004.

d) Research, Project Development and Evaluation

The IEP offers services to help researchers, project developers, faculty advisors and administrators apply for grants to develop and carry out projects by identifying potential sources of funding and assisting in writing proposals and evaluation designs to determine the impact of international projects as they relate to the goal of improving student performance.

e) IEP Cooperation with Samaná College in the Dominican Republic

The IEP is also cooperating with Samaná College, which is being established in the Dominican Republic, to assist institutions in the U.S. and The Bahamas study abroad consortium establish an overseas presence in the Dominican Republic as an extension of their home campus.

Samaná College will offer classrooms, student and faculty housing, videoconferencing center, offices, and other facilities for distance learning and sister school relationships and other facilities for schools in the IEP study abroad consortium to enable their home campus faculty advisors provide services to their students while in the Dominican Republic.

7. Contact Information for Students and Institutions to Obtain Application to Join GFDD/IEP Study Abroad Consortium:

www.samanacollege.com