Wednesday- Team Building Day with the Dominican Teens

Day two of the trip was super enjoyable! The day started with a delicious international breakfast. We then took a bus to the Grupo PuntaCana Foundation (kids camp location) where we were introduced to the 11 Dominican teens. I truly enjoyed getting to meet new faces through engaging games and seeing old faces from last year. Finally, we went to The Eyes, a fresh water lagoon, where we had a super fun time swimming and exploring the area with our new friends. 

David Olorunda, Loudoun County

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Today was an absolutely wonderful day, I had a lot of moments were I stopped and appreciated that I’m able to be here and experience this program with my peers. It all started for me at 6:30 am.  I woke up extra early to explore and enjoy my morning. I had a walk along the beach with Ivory after breakfast and admired the beautiful land.

Then it was time to go and meet the Dominican teens, which I was so nervous for but IMMEDIATELY allllll my worries were washed away from just how extremely welcoming and kind they all were! A large majority of the other teens were bilingual which was so incredibly helpful and I really enjoyed their company, especially later once we were done team building and doing crafts when we had hiked to the indigenous eyes (some local fresh water pools that feed into the ocean). The Eyes were so refreshing.   The view was nothing short of beautiful and the Dominicans were very informative and pushed me to try new things. They gave me the ability to really enjoy the experience!!! 

I am just overwhelmed with gratefulness and a new appreciation for being here and an appreciation for this beautiful world around me.

Paisley Goodwin, Mecklenbueg County

Tuesday - Travel Day

Hola! Today was day 1 of our Dominican Republic trip and here's a summary from my perspective.

First thing when we got off the plane was it's muy caliente, Very hot and humid!! I instantly notice how much plants and trees there was which I like. Walking through the airport I was stopped a lot by employees.  I believe they thought I was Dominican and hey I don't mind claiming it!  Once we arrived to the resort I notice how spacious and open it was to nature which I loved. They really make visitors be one with nature (which explain all the flies that made it in front of my door).  Nonetheless, the resort was beautiful paired with friendly staff. We had dinner later on and I chose a tomato pizza which surprisingly had a sweetness to it. Today was more of a chill day and tomorrow we will get very hands on which I'm excited for. Until then Adios amigos!

Justice Moore, Petersburg

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Today we got on the plane and went to the Dominican Republic, and it was amazing seeing the gorgeous light blue ocean and the dark patches of seaweed and coral. When we got to the resort everyone was so nice and welcoming giving us drinks, greeting us, taking our bags. We got most of the day to relax and explore and me and some friends went to swim and had fun looking at all the fish and seaweed. We finished the night off with dinner and reflections and overall, it was an amazing first day in the Dominican Republic!

Emerson Hood, Scott County

Monday - Pre-Trip Gathering Day

Since our group is made up of 4-H'ers from nine different counties/cities around Virginia, we gathered together in a hotel near Dulles airport the night before our early morning flight to Punta Cana.  We used our evening to get acquainted, pack carry-on bags with day camp and donated school supplies and have a meal together before our trip started.  Everyone was excited to get the trip started!  

 

Why am I participating in this program? The Virginia 4-H Participants have a variety of reasons for wanting to participate this year.

Ivory Western, 18, Petersburg, wants to be a part of sharing 4-H in the Dominican Republic.  Ivory wants to have new volunteering experiences to become a better leader and mentor.

Sarah Lichvar, 18, Scott County,  wants to experience a new culture and help others.  The most important thing for her in the Dominican Republic is to make a positive impact on someone's life because one positive impact can change someone's life forever.  She also wants to better her Spanish.

Jacob Roberts, 17, Shenandoah County, wants to experience the thrill and enjoyment of going to new places, meeting new people, and helping whoever he can.  He also wants to learn how to speak Spanish a bit better and experience the way things are in a different country,

Emerson Hood, 15, Scott County:  applied for this program because she loves to travel and this trip is going to be an amazing opportunity to do just that and also see the different cultures and interact with the children there and hopefully give them a wonderful time.  Emerson loves to try new foods because she never knows when she will find a new favorite.

David Olorunda, 16, Loudoun County,  is returning for the second year in this program because he is very passionate about helping and serving others.  He believes that this trip serves as a great opportunity to help and lead the Dominican kids that he interacts with, along with helping out in their community, experiencing their culture, and meeting some great people along the way.

Maxwell Jones-LaChance, 17, Alexandria, applied for this program because he wants to experience new areas and this is a great start to explore new cultures.  He also wants to meet new people and understand life in the Dominican Republic. 

Paisley Goodwin, 16, Mecklenburg County, wants to connect with the community, enjoy the culture, and learn how life is for the people in the Dominican Republic.  It's something you can't fully understand from just a media standpoint.  This is important for her because she loves relationship building and learning.  It's her passion and the reason she loves to volunteer and do her part for civic engagement.

Justice Moore, 17, Petersburg, applied for this program because he wants to see the difference in culture.  He loves learning and seeing new things.  He wants the Dominican children to know that although we come from different backgrounds, we're all living and learning as we go.  

London Myers, 17, Culpeper County, was interested in this program because she enjoys working with kids and she wants to learn more about a different culture.  She also wants to learn more Spanish and see what kind of agricultural projects the kids work with in the Dominican Republic.

Felton Overbey, 18, Petersburg, applied for this program because he wants to help kids and he wants to see a new country.

Maggie Copp, 17, Shenandoah County, is also a returning program participant, having participated in 2023.  She is coming back because she wants to learn more about the culture, food and the people in the Dominican Republic.  

Jamie Simpson, Adult 4-H Volunteer Leader, Culpeper County,  participated in this program in 2019.  He wanted to come back this year because he enjoyed it so much the first year and he's curious on his take on the program on his second time around with different expectations.  It's a pleasure listening to the American teens and helping to guide them on an adventure in learning.

Trip Leader:  Christine Hodges, 4-H Extension Agent, Alleghany Co., is one half of the organizational team for this program.  Christine enjoys providing an international experience for youth and being part of something that is life changing for everyone, including her.  She wants to learn from others, appreciate things in life that are important, speak Spanish, try new foods, meet new people and impact the lives of others.  Christine wants the Dominican children to know that Americans are friendly, open minded and want to help others.

Trip Leader:  Carol Nansel, 4-H Extension Agent, Shenandoah County is the other half of the organizational team for this program.  Carol enjoys traveling, working with teens and learning about cultures.  She enjoys watching the 4-H teens have life changing experiences as they grow in their leadership and world citizenship skills and develop lifelong friendships.  This Dominican Republic program, the 4-H teens and the Dominican people, hold a very special place in Carol's heart.  Our 4-H group is welcomed back every year like family.  This is such a unique and impactful way to experience a different culture and to make international friends.

Cristy Mosley, 4-H Extension Agent, Culpeper County, is most excited about helping with the Day Camp program in the Dominican Republic.  She has a deep love of 4-H Camp and is excited to be part of the experience and to see similarities and differences in US and Dominican campers.  Her personal goals are to support the teens attending this service trip.  She sees such value in broadening one's worldview and developing citizenship and leadership skills.  She is looking forward to experiencing the week through their eyes.  

Nicole Swinson, Associate Specialist Youth Development, Virginia State University, wants to experience international 4-H opportunities where she can be of service.  While in the Dominican Republic, the most important thing Nicole wants to experience is their community engagement and rich culture.  She wants to be open to learning and serving as necessary.

Deborah Madden, 4-H Extension Agent, Arlington,  applied for this program because she enjoys working with youth, learning about different cultures and the opportunities to practice Spanish.  Deborah loves to dance and wants to learn a Dominican dance.  Her goals also include conversing in Spanish as much as possible, and engaging in a meaningful learning project that will have a positive impact on the youth served at camp.