InteRDom Blog Has a New Look

Over the past couple of years, InteRDom Internships in the Dominican Republic has grown, expanded and changed much like the world that we live in. The simple “student experience” format of the former blog no longer reflected the multiple facets of the program. More than just a simple internship and academic study program, InteRDom now has a number of projects and collaborations promoting international intellectual exchange and the economic development of a spectrum of sectors in the Dominican Republic. A couple of these programs are:

Internship Supervisor Certification Seminar— An innovative training program designed to capacitate directors and employees of Dominican and international organizations interested in implementing new internship programs or in improving existing ones in their respective companies or institutions. Its content is developed by InteRDom staff members and consultants, and the program is given approximately three times a year in the Dominican Republic. This program ensures a successful internship experience for both interns and organizations.

Fellows Program—Inaugurated in 2010, the Fellows Program seeks to develop a community of scholars that contributes to the Foundation’s growing body of research on matters of international concern that directly impact the Dominican Republic. In the Fellows Program, Master’s and PhD candidates travel to the Dominican Republic through InteRDom to conduct high-level research on issues at the forefront of the United Nations agenda in order to give voice to national and regional concerns and to offer viable solutions to domestic and international challenges. Fellows that carry-out exemplary work have the opportunity to present their findings before the United Nations community on behalf of GFDD.

“Expert in the Spanish Caribbean” and other short programs—In an effort to respond to the specific needs of universities, to encourage graduate and undergraduate students to deepen their learning and research on Caribbean issues and to aid teachers and professors in the internationalization of their curriculum, InteRDom has begun to develop short programs to respond to specific proposals presented by universities and centers. The programs run from 1 – 4 weeks based around specific subjects and themes. Some topics explored in 2011 include: the Dominican Carnaval, political science, service-learning, Colonial Latin America and its effects on modern Dominican identity and Spanish language immersion. The concept of Expert in the Spanish Caribbean is the result of the desire of the program to specialize its program offering and to generate a culture of exchange. The short programs complement the vision of InteRDom’s parent institutions Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD) and Fundacion Global Democracia y Desarrollo (FUNGLODE) to generate innovative programming and conversation around issues relevant to the region.

InteRDom wants the new look and content of the InteRDom blog to reflect these themes, as well as other topics related to our work, such as international education, global business practices, career development strategies, Dominican and Caribbean issues and cross-cultural awareness. The contributors to this blog are not only InteRDom staff members, but friends of the program, collaborators, program alumni, current students and experts and professionals in a number of fields. It is our hope that the things posted here will inspire lively debate and increased interest in intellectual exchange and the development of Hispaniola.

InteRDom is receiving thoughtful proposals from contributors who would like to share their stories, experiences and information about these and other topics. If you would like to contribute, please send a draft to students@interdominternships.org.

A Day In the Life of an InteRDom Intern

In the United States, it is not uncommon for University life to become dull and routine… but your experience abroad should be anything but dull! While InteRDom values a strong work ethic, the InteRDom experience is a delicate balance of work and fun, and InteRDom interns in the Dominican Republic have the chance to live both sides of Dominican culture in a vibrant, dynamic setting.

A typical week for an intern on the program consists of three parts: internship, classes and social activities.

Students generally work at their internship site from 18 to 20 hours a week, depending on what his or her contract specifies. The schedule also varies: some interns go to work in the morning, others in the afternoon. Some internships related to development, agriculture, Dominican-Haitian relations and others include a travel itinerary, which allows the students to become involved in other communities. Any additional trips are carefully planned so as not to affect the student’s academic performance.

Speaking of academics, depending on what the student has chosen for an academic program, most students take between 4-8 hours of class per week. If the student in enrolled in our Caribbean Culture course, class time includes field trips and cultural outings around the city. If the student in enrolled in courses with other Dominican students, the class itself will be an immersion experience, as you learn how a Dominican classroom functions and how students are expected to behave.

The InteRDom HOT Summer Seminars are an added bonus to everyone’s academic program! These seminars give students the opportunity to debate current “hot” topics with community leaders and experts in the field, not to mention other Dominican, Haitian and international students. The topics this summer are hotter than ever! As the Dominican Republic was recently added to the World Bank’s top 10 list of Latin American economies, we will be giving a seminar entitled “Doing Business in Latin America” in conjunction with the World Bank. Our other seminar, “Civil Rights in Latin America,” will focus on the steps taken in recent years (both legislative and independent) to improve the situation of human and civil rights of all Dominican (and non-Dominican) citizens.

At InteRDom we understand that All Work + No Play = No Fun, and we want you to enjoy your experience abroad! For this reason, we have organized an exhilarating agenda of cultural excursions that will allow you to travel all over the landscape of the country. Our “plus one” policy is a measure that we take to encourage you to invite a friend from school or from your internship—and all his/her expenses are paid! You will learn much more about Dominican culture if you experience it with actual Dominicans!

In addition to these trips, we plan a fun activity for one night each week to give all of the InteRDom students a chance to get together, catch-up, talk about their experiences… and to have a little fun!

Getting Ready for Summer 2009

The InteRDom team is getting excited for what promises to be an exhilarating Summer 2009 session! We have brand new internship offerings, as well as a fun agenda of excursions and cultural outings planned; the students are the only missing ingredient!

This year InteRDom interns have been accepted at more than 40 Dominican organizations, which represent professions that run the gamut from art to technology and serve the private and public sectors, as well as NGOs. These are top organizations in the Dominican Republic, and they are getting prepared for your arrival!

In addition to the internships and the cultural and academic agendas, InteRDom is thrilled to announce its 2009 HOT Summer Seminar Series. This series is a feature of its summer academic offering, and deals with recent topics of great importance on both the Caribbean and international scales. The seminars are given in conjunction with another organization that is expert on the topic, and students from local universities, businesses and non-profits are invited to attend. These seminars give students the opportunity to debate current “hot” topics with other students, community leaders and experts in the field.

In the summer of 2009, InteRDom students will be able to participate in two very important seminars that represent different aspects of current Dominican social and economic development. The first seminar, “Doing Business in Latin America,” will be given in conjunction with the World Bank, and is a result of the Dominican Republic’s recent addition to the World Bank’s list of the top 10 economies in Latin America. The second seminar, “Civil Rights in the Dominican Republic,” will be given with Fundación Institucionalidad y Justicia (FINJUS) y la Escuela Nacional de la Judicatura (ENJ), and will focus on recent documented research and reports of civil rights legislation and experience in Dominican communities.

We invite all accepted students to be writing in the blog right away! Tell us your impressions of the application process, and what your expectations are for the summer!