Custom Program Brochure | Winchester Thurston

WINCHESTER THURSTON &
VISIONS SERVICE ADVENTURES

Dominican Republic
-- MARCH 2021 --

WELCOME TO VISIONS

The interest expressed by Winchester Thurston in a Custom Program with VISIONS
indicates a shared commitment to the profound learning that happens when students
undertake meaningful projects in a cross-cultural environment.

VISIONS has worked in our Dominican Republic community for 29 years. We believe that
long-term relationships are the foundation for creating mutual understanding and real
change. We invite you to be an extension of the relationships that we have forged and
hope that our partnership will also be one that develops over time.

VISIONS taught me
how important it is to

have confidence in
myself, and that taking

risks can lead to
beautiful experiences

and growth.”

–S Y LVA N L E B R U N

TAB L E O F CO N T ENTS

3 - ABOUT VISIONS CUSTOM
PROGRAMS

6 - YOUR PROGRAM
7 - ITINERARY

“It gave me a sense of what I want to do in life.”

–N I C H O L A S M A G U I R E

ABOUT VISIONS
CUSTOM PROGRAMS

We believe that stepping outside of ourselves and encountering new
perspectives fosters profound and positive change. We know that young
people who engage in meaningful service in unfamiliar environments gain
exceptional insight—it’s been our program model for 31 years.

VISIONS Custom Programs are an exciting opportunity to expose
participants to a new culture and a new way of thinking while giving back
and digging deep. They will be part of this with communities and local
partners who we have known for many years.

“I wanted you to know that things could not
have been better with the trip. VISIONS
leaders were attentive, energetic, intuitive,
and kindly firm, just as I would have hoped.
We worked well as a team and the students
rose to the challenges facing them.”

–A N N E W E S T O N , H E AT H W O O D H A L L , C U S T O M P R O G R A M

“The support and wisdom The custom program will be a hybrid, containing
of the on-the-ground elements of traditional VISIONS summer programs
along with ingredients tailored to meet the goals
leaders, the local teams of your group. When the objectives of the program
and the directors made are met, participants will:

me so confident that I • Increase their knowledge of the culture,
could let go and let my history, and society of the host community.
kid fall and rise on her
own, with your watchful • Improve the communication and community
living skills required in order to successfully
eyes on her. She live in a group.
herself said she grew as a
• Develop the hard skills required on the
person--a response that worksite, including tool use.
blew me away.”
• Increase their understanding of and respect for
–A L U M N I PA R E N T , J A N H . , N J diversity, in the broadest sense.

• Increase their confidence in themselves as
engaged members of a community, and as
agents of change.

• Increase their positive attitude towards
interacting, learning, and exploring across
cultures.

EXPERIENCES

• Meaningful Service Work — choose from two or three projects each day
• Cultural Exchange — live and work as part of the community
• Day in the Life — cleaning, cooking, shopping during homebase crew days
• Reflection — group meetings to discuss and reflect on the experience
• Travel — see some of your location’s best sights

PROJECTS

We begin work on the first full day of the program. The work depends on group size and
community needs, and always involves ambitious projects that may be a combination of
construction work and social service. Projects are done with community members and
students get to choose from two or three different worksites each day.

A small rotating group will often stay back from worksites each day for “homebase crew.”
This group will cook breakfast for everyone and go to local markets for the day’s shopping.

ACTIVITIES

After work ends around 2 pm, the rest of the day entails cultural exchanges, recreation
and other activities anchored in the community. We typically set aside one or two
full-day activities for every five work days. Your group will experience the “must-see”
sights along with activities that come from long-standing relationships in the community.

YOUR COMMUNITY-BUILDING
PROGRAM
On a few evenings, we meet as a group to reflect on the volunteer and cultural
experiences, and to listen to what others have to share. Teachers are also wel-
come to facilitate these meetings, including lessons specific to the group’s goals.

ACCO M M O DAT I O N S

The group will live together in a large rented house in a neighborhood that we
know well on the northern part of Santo Domingo. Accommodations are basic, but
clean and comfortable. VISIONS provides beds, and participants bring sheets and
a pillow. There is running water, showers, bathrooms and a full kitchen.

FOOD

Meals and snacks on the program will be varied and healthy. Members of the
group will take turns preparing breakfasts and lunches, and a cook prepares our
dinners. Breakfast and dinner are usually eaten at the homebase as a group and
lunches are eaten at the worksites.

Vegetarian and meat options are available at meals and healthy snacks are
provided throughout the day. Participants with allergies or other food require-
ments will provide that information to VISIONS before the program begins.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Service projects, including cinder block masonry to
construct school infrastructure, doing finishing work
such as painting, and facilitating lessons in primary
classes

• Touring batey communities (originally the cane
cutting Haitian neighborhoods)

• Swimming at nearby beaches
• Zona Colonial and the nearby large artisan market
• Tres Ojos caves
• Merengue and salsa lessons
• Oakland A’s training league baseball game
• Dinner guests and lots of socializing with

neighborhood kids

WORK HARD, PLAY HARD

Our time on the program will be service-focused,
and in the cross-cultural context of working and
spending time with our local partners and friends.
We will also carve out time to explore through
recreation, cultural immersion and fun.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC SAMPLE 7-DAY PROGRAM

*Schedule may change to accommodate group
or community needs, weather, etc. The following
gives an overview of a typical program.

Day One Day Three Day Five Day Seven
• Flight arrival to Santo Domingo • Worksites • Worksites • Pack up / clean homebase
• Afternoon: Outing to Boca Chica beach • Afternoon: Tour of Tres Ojos caves and • Hasta lluego! Flight departure from
airport met by VISIONS leaders • Dinner guest / guest speaker
• Approx. 40-minute drive to our • Evening: Dance lessons with friends and the Botanical Gardens Santo Domingo airport
• Evening: Dominoes and other games
homebase neighbors
• Settle in / unpack / orientation with with neighborhood kids
• Welcome dinner
Day Four Day Six
Day Two • Worksites • Full day of excursions: Mercado Modelo
• Worksite orientation • Afternoon: Tour of bateyes,
• Afternoon: Walking tour of the Zona artisan market, souvenir shopping &
communities formed by immigrants the beach
Colonial, Santo Domingo’s historic who worked for the sugarcane industry • Evening: Fiesta de despedida (goodbye
district • Evening: Group meeting / reflection party) with local friends
• Evening: Group meeting activity



203 NORTH CHURCH AVENUE | BOZEMAN, MT 59715

FOSTERING AWARENESS, NURTURING GLOBAL FRIENDSHIPS AND MAKING A DIFFERENCE

“I’ve been awash in the THANK YOU
stories from our students
For questions, please feel free
who joined your to contact VISIONS Director,
program... and it has Katherine Dayton
been amazing to hear all
the stories and experi- K AT H E R I N E@VI S I O N S - S E RVI C E . CO M
ences they had out there. W W W .V I S I O N S - S E R V I C E . C O M
It sounds like it was a 406.551.4423

challenging and
empowering experience

for a lot of our youth.

–C O L I N P E T K U S , S U M M E R S E A R C H