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Retreat Announcement

VISIONS: COMMUNITY, CULTURE AND CHANGE

 

Do you want to make a difference in your students life’s? How about creating a partnership that is meaningful and relevant, where you have the opportunity to create curriculum and/or study exchanges that are empowering and transformative — where students can apply what they’ve learned to their own communities. For instance, what can one learn from the Caribbean’s most dynamic muralist project? That is, how does a public mural incorporate oral histories and dialogues, bringing forth the possibilities and potentials within one’s own community, where one creates spaces of affirmation where all or the whole is fully embraced? 

 

If this is of interest, then join us in the Dominican Republic for the Visions: Community, Culture and Change retreat. Hosted by SOMOS, an education center in the mountains of La Cumbre de Salcedo, Dominican Republic these retreats include lodging, meals, and airport pick-up. During these retreats, you’ll stay in the homes of families in the village where you’ll have the opportunity to be immersed in the local village, while also participating in a series of workshops, dialogues and excursions. Through these activities, you’ll develop a partnership, incorporating curricular projects and/or a study tour to be implemented in your school/classroom — tailored, of course, to meet the direct educational, cultural, community and financial needs of your school.

 

Since we have a limited number of openings and since the process for this conference is selective, we anticipate the sessions to fill quickly. So if you are interested, please apply now. Additional questions can be addressed to Dr. Campbell at leanne@globalroots.net.

 

Questions to be addressed during retreat?

 

The intent of these retreats are to address the following five questions:

 

  • What does it mean to think globally, act locally? That is, how does a global vision foster innovation, creativity and an understanding of the synergies and possibilities at the local level? 

  • How can I create and implement for my school a global partnership that’s both meaningful and relevant — enhancing the educational needs of my students? More specifically, what type of curricula projects and/or study tours will allow this to happen?

  • How will my students apply what they’ve learned, either in their schools and/or communities?

  • What types of lessons and activities will my students need in order implement these types of programs and why?

  • How can I garner broader support, be it through my institution, community, state or nationally to support (or fund) these initiatives?

 

Activities/sessions to be held during retreat

 

To answer these questions, participants will engage in a series of dialogues, excursions and workshops, meeting with several innovative community groups, such as a women’s group ‘Ama de Casa’ (love of home), MARHMI (the largest most inspiring muralist project in the Caribbean), local farming groups, youth groups and local schools. In addition, participants will visit the home (now a museum), of the former Mirabal sisters as told in the book “In the Time of the Butterflies” by Julia Alvarez, Chojaba, a chocolate cooperative, owned by a group of rural women, and the famous, inspiring mural route in “Las Hermanas Mirabal”. The goals of these exchanges are to inspire and motivate while also allowing participants to create a program plan for his/her school, college, etc.

 

For additional information, questions, suggestions and/or concerns, please contact LeAnne Campbell at dr.campbell@somos.center.  

Apply Now
  • What types of meals are provided?
    In general, each of these meals is a lot of food. The SOMOS participants often find that they are eating a lot of food — and yes, they enjoy it! Typically breakfast, lunch and dinner will be served, unless one wants to skip a meal. Breakfast often consists of hot chocolate/tea/coffee/ bread, juice or boiled green bananas topped with one of the following: eggs, cheese, onions/peppers, salami, fish, etc. Lunch is a large warm meal consisting of beans (with a tomato/squash base), rice, chicken (or some other meat), salads (chayote, cabbage, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc.) and/or plantains (maduros or tostones). Dinner is a lighter meal, soup, sandwich or a boiled root crop, (sweet potatoes/yautia/coco) or plantains again topped with either cheese/salami/fish/peppers/onions.
  • Can more than one person participate in SOMOS home stay?
    Yes, absolutely. Some homes have one double bed, some have two rooms with one bed in each room, some have two beds in a room, etc. If you are a large group, with more than ten people, this can also be arranged.
  • How do I travel within the country?
    You can rent a local car (as long as you have a current US license) or you can travel by public transportation, which is easy, affordable and very accessible. In country travel will depend on where you stay. Once you know where you are going to stay, you can access what you will be doing then determine the best way to travel.
  • What is SOMOS home stayed?
    Due to the support and trust we’ve garnered over the past few years, from our retreats and events, we now have a substantial list of families who are eager to host people in their homes — specifically, when the SOMOS programs are not in operation. Many of our past participants (friends and family members) contact us to see if they can return to visit these same families and communities. Since this provides a nice income for our families — when we are not running our retreats — we are providing the SOMOS home stay experience, allowing those who are interested to visit the area this same opportunity — an authentic travel experience with an educational twist.
  • Is there an additional fee for classes and excursions?
    The fee will depend on the classes and the excursions. Generally, Spanish classes will be included but private one-on-one classes with one of the visual artists will have a separate fee and will depend on the length and time you want to work with the artist. For the excursions, you need to pay the transportation to the location and/or if you want to take a local guide.
  • What are the fees?
    There is no standard fee. It depends on how long you stay in with the host family, how many meals you take, if you sign up for private classes, etc. However, the fees are reasonable, often between $35-55 US dollars a night with three meals a day, excursions and activities.
  • How do I arrive to the host family?
    You need to let your host family know when and how you plan to arrive. They can then assist you in arriving to their home. For instance, if you need an airport pick-up this can be arranged (for an extra fee). However, if you plan to rent a car, again, you will need to let your family know and they can assist with directions.
  • Where are the families located?
    In rural areas, urban centers, small villages, high in the mountains, near the Haitian border, on the Samana peninsula, or beside the Northern beaches. Some are modern and wealthy while others are more traditional and rustic. And there’s one thing they all have in common — incredible hospitality, open doors and pleased to have a guest in their homes. So tell us what you would like and we can secure a home stay family that meets your needs.
  • What is the educational twist?
    Each home is unique and special and will offer something different (Spanish lessons/art classes/volunteer opportunities/excursions/cooking classes, etc.) For instance some provide daily one-on-one Spanish classes with a local teacher and/or university student — or an opportunity to paint (and learn from) one of the Caribbean’s best visual artists, or to have a quiet space and write in a peaceful (uninterrupted) setting, or to volunteer with a local school, a women’s self help group, or a group of farmers or to simply enjoy the natural diversity of the Dominican Republic’s beaches, rivers and mountains — as well as hiking, dancing and cooking authentic Caribbean food.
  • How can I sign up?
    At the moment, we are asking that you contact us directly. We will then send you a registration form. Please contact homestay@somos.center.
  • How did SOMOS home stay begin?
    One of the best components of our student/teacher retreats is our homestay program. Over the years we have intentionally cultivated meaningful opportunities for our participants to get involved with the host families and their communities. For instance, we have organized meaningful and dynamic community dialogues with local farmers, women’s associations, youth groups, student associations and community dinners, Spanish lessons, hikes to local waterfalls, dance lessons, cooking classes and so much more. In addition, we reciprocate this exchange by assisting those who work with SOMOS, specifically with our community initiatives to visit schools in the United States, while also attending conferences/workshops and/or participating in community events. The artists, teachers, students and administrators (who have hosted our students/teachers) and have worked with SOMOS initiatives have now attended over 6 large community events in the U.S., collaborating with the same students and schools who stayed in their homes and visited their communities. In short, we have created a tremendous amount of individual and community support for our home stay programs.
  • 5. Creating container, vertical and square foot gardens!"
    On day five, everyone will get a copy of Ms. Potter’s manual and we’ll have an interactive and fun session on growing container gardens, be it, herbs or year round organic greens, fruit trees, and yes, we’ll also learn how to grow vertical and square foot gardens for those who live in urban areas. During this time, we’ll cover a wide range of wonderful garden secrets, with tips for everyone. Later in the day, we’ll have a second Caribbean Kitchen Cooking Class where we’ll explore the amazing and wonderful versatility of beans, all kinds of beans, garbanzo, black, white, red, soy, etc. and the wide array of recipes (or recipe books) that can be made from all of them. We’ll end the day with a performance from a youth dance group and an opportunity to practice our own merengue and bachata dance moves.
  • 3: Environmental stewards: analyzing our food choices.
    On day three, we’ll discuss the research on how our food choices impacts the environment, specifically the oceans, forests, fresh water and soil. Different experts will join us for this discussion. In addition, we’ll explore the work of Terry Tempest Williams — which provides an ethical and philosophical twist to this debate. We’ll then visit a community center and meet with several natural healers, to discuss the medicinal uses for plants and how these treatments have been used in their families for generations. Afterwards, we’ll visit the Loma Linda waterfalls and for those who desire, take a refreshing swim since the water comes directly from a mountain spring. In the evening, we’ll enjoy live guitar music, followed with a movie.
  • 2: What would you produce on two acres of land? Who benefits and what are the environmental and economic impacts?
    On day two, we’ll visit the SOMOS Education Center and the Global Roots gardens, located in the mountains of Salcedo. On the way, we’ll pass the Caribbean’s largest muralist project — with over 300 inspiring and engaging murals, capturing the history and culture of the region. Once at the center, we’ll meet with local families to discuss how the agriculture in the region has changed and what’s been the environmental, economic, social and health outcomes of these changes? We’ll then discuss community initiatives, specifically, where change begins and how. In the afternoon, we’ll tour the Global Roots gardens (where the Global Roots challenge takes place), pick cocoa beans, make individual organic chocolate balls, soy milk, tofu, coconut flour and coffee. In the evening, we’ll have a domino tournament and enjoy a community meal of Dominican beans, rice, chayote, sweet plantains and papaya milk shakes.
  • 4. Enhancing mental wellness; a wholistic approach to health!
    On day four, we’ll visit the beautiful Northern coast of Playa Grande, a tranquil, peaceful, wide open and quiet beach — shimmering with blue, green hues and surrounded by swaying palm trees. As we travel to the beach, we’ll enjoy an interactive and fun discussion with our yoga/meditation instructor on when, why and how to nourish and strengthen your mental and emotional well being. Then once at the beach we’ll enjoy a yoga session, a WFPB picnic and ample opportunities to swim, relax and walk on the beach. Later in the day, we’ll take a boat ride through a mangrove forest, along the coast and then stop at another more secluded beach where we’ll enjoy dinner on the beach, with Dominican Chapea, Fiesta Corn Bread and fresh fruit.
  • 1: How does food promote optimal health?
    On day one, we’ll meet with Dr. T. Colin Campbell, to discuss his research (and the research of others) on how food promotes optimal health. Since we are a small group, we’ll have ample opportunities to personalize this discussion and ask lots of questions. Later, we’ll hike through a beautiful mountain range, visiting villages and farms, while gathering local foods (green plantains, banana leaves, mangos, avocados, lemons, batatas, zapotes, Caribbean squash, cassava and more), to be used in our afternoon Caribbean Kitchen Cooking Class where we’ll prepare different sauces, creams and dressings, such as Mango Azteca sauce, Avocado Garlic Cream, Tomato, Coconut Sauce and others, to be used in our “Stuff It” class, where we’ll make stuffed tamales, cabbage rolls, eggplants and squashes. We’ll finish the day with an evening dance party, learning how to dance merengue & bachata and enjoying several WFPB snacks.
  • 6: Building communities and relationships; growing, cooking and sharing WFPB meals! (community meeting)"
    On day six, we’ll return to the SOMOS Education Center in La Cumbre de Salcedo, where we’ll stop and visit La Podia, a village of 40 households, that’s this year’s Global Roots Vibrant Living Food Summit recipient. More specifically, Global Roots will use the profit from this trip to buy the supplies for a community water project. Currently, the families in this village have to walk .5-1 mile each way to carry water from the river. So the purpose of this visit is to merely allow the community members to share their appreciation. At the same time, we’ll have a discussion on development and community as it relates to issues of sustainability and empowerment. We’ll then return to the SOMOS Center and have a closing ceremony with evaluations, live music, dancing and sharing.
  • Is there internet at the Center and if need be, how can I communicate with family and friends in the U.S.?"
    Yes, there is internet service at the center so it’s possible to communicate with family and friends. We use the messaging app, “Whats App”, an internet based telephone service. However, to use this service, it’s necessary that you and the one that you call download the app before using it.
  • What should I bring?
    We encourage you to pack lightly, bringing three outfits and comfortable walking shoes and mosquito repellent. In the evenings, it becomes quite cool so you will need a sweater and/or jacket. Also, you should bring a notebook and/or laptop computer.
  • How does the application process work?
    Since we have a limited amount of positions, we will carefully review each application and if necessary, interview you on the phone. This will take a total of 3-5 business days so you should know soon after applying. Once accepted, we ask that you immediately purchase your plane ticket, then send us a copy of your receipt, so that we can reserve your position.
  • Where will I stay?
    For the most part, everyone will stay at the top of the mountain — at the SOMOS Center. However, if we have a mixed group of men/women and if everyone is from a different institution, we will house someone next door, in Dinora’s home. Regardless, everyone will have access to the bathing facilities at the center, (hot water, indoor plumbing, etc).
  • Do I need to speak Spanish?
    No, it’s not necessary to speak Spanish. We will have translators available for all organized dialogues and workshops…..but if you want to practice your Spanish, you’ll have lots of opportunities to do so.
  • What will I eat?
    You will be served three wonderful Dominican meals a day, starting with a hearty breakfast, a large fully prepared lunch and dinner. The meals will be served at the SOMOS center.
  • Do I need to bring additional funds?
    Only if you plan to purchase gifts and/or snacks/drinks.
  • What time should I arrive and will someone be at the airport to meet me?
    Please try to arrive between 1-4 PM and yes, we will have a driver waiting at the airport upon your arrival. They will have a large sign, reading SOMOS. Since it’s a small airport, you should be able to locate the driver as soon as you leave the airport.
  • How do I edit or remove the "FAQ title"?"
    The FAQ title can be adjusted in the settings tab of the App Settings. You can also remove the title by unchecking its checkbox in the settings tab.
  • Can I insert pictures in my FAQ?
    Yes! To add a picture follow these simple steps: Enter App Settings Click the "Manage Questions" button Click on the question you would like to attach a picture to When editing your answer, click on the picture icon and then add an image from your library
  • Can I insert a video in my FAQ?
    Yes! Users can add video from YouTube or Vimeo with ease: Enter App Settings Click the "Manage Questions" button Click on the question you would like to attach a video to When editing your answer, click on the video icon and then paste the YouTube or Vimeo video URL That's it! A thumbnail of your video will appear in answer text box
  • How do I add a new question?
    To add a new question go to app settings and press "Manage Questions" button.

Facilitators

LeAnne Campbell, PhD — LeAnne has over 30 years of experience working with schools and communities in the Dominican Republic and US. She has both a Masters and Bachelors degree from Cornell University in Human Service Studies and a PhD from UNC Chapel Hill in “Culture, Curriculum and Change”. In addition to serving on the faculty at Mississippi State University and Nazareth College, she taught at Duke University’s Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies. On the international front, she founded and directed a family literacy program, and served as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Dominican Republic. More recently, she directed an international non-profit known as the Global Leadership Institute.

 

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Maestro Hector Blanco — President and Founder of MARHMI. Graduating with honors from the National School of the Arts (ENBA) in Santo Domingo, Hector has made a powerful impact on the public landscape of his community. Through his leadership role in the Caribbean’s largest mural project, Hector oversaw the development of 300 large, inspiring murals. He founded and directed MARHMI (Movimiento Artistico Hermanas Mirabal), an artistic collective of over 200 artists. Currently, Hector resides in the province of Las Hermanas Mirabal in the city of Salcedo, Dominican Republic, where he serves as the director of artistic development for SOMOS and assists in the student leadership programs. 

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