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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.