Surrounded by mountains, the fertile valley of the Cibao region is home to the Dominican Republic’s second largest city, Santiago de los Caballeros. This provincial capital is the most significant cultural and industrial center outside of the country’s capital Santo Domingo. The region, known for farming and agriculture, as well as cigar and rum production, is also home to four industry-free zones. Culturally, Santiago plays host to the country’s most vibrant Carnival celebration and is the home of the Águilas Cibaeñas, one of the Dominican Republic's six professional baseball teams.

Through this service-learning and Spanish language program, you can discover the keys to effectively serving others. Learn the value of gaining community awareness for the area you hope to serve, including its culture, language, needs, available resources and the challenges it faces. Explore the foundational theories of community service while immersing yourself in the Dominican culture through language classes, cultural activities, excursions and workshops. Build relationships with community members and organizations based on commitment, participation and trust while engaging in community-based projects.

The program and coursework is administered by Lynn-approved provider CIEE. All students are enrolled in a three-credit Community Partnership course (DJCP 100) and a two-credit beginning Spanish language course (DJLC 200: Spanish Language and Culture in Santiago, Dominican Republic). The Community Partnership course meets the J-term requirement for Citizenship Project and the Spanish language course meets the J-term requirement for Language and Culture.

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