CIEE HS Summer Abroad: Public Health in Santiago

Assess the health needs of semi-urban communities in Santiago de los Caballeros and participate in field-based public health education initiatives. Alongside local NGO, Red Misericordia, take part in activities that encourage children and teens to follow healthy habits, like healthy eating, physical activity, personal hygiene, and adequate sleep. Analyze the ways local organizations are detecting, preventing, and responding to factors that negatively affect the community’s general well-being. Throughout the program, reflect on your service and on what you’ve learned about basic care, safety, mental health, health education, and general education in the second largest Caribbean nation. Transform your ideas into an actionable plan for future service or to pursue a career in public health. In this Dominican hilltop city, you will live with a local family and meet local teens to fully immerse yourself in Caribbean traditions and the Spanish language. Enjoy bachata and salsa dance classes, admire Dominican art at the Centro León, try empanadas and coconut ice-cream, and really get to know the people.